Singular: Act II
The vulnerable, introspective closing chapter of a two-act story.
Singular: Act II is the fourth studio album by American singer Sabrina Carpenter, released on July 19, 2019, by Hollywood Records. The album acts as a sequel to her third studio album Singular: Act I (2018) and was her last official release with Hollywood. Recorded and written from 2017 to 2019, Carpenter originally intended to release a full album entitled Singular but ultimately split up the album due to differences in lyrical content. The album spans pop, R&B and dance genres, featuring personal topics including anxiety and self-reflection.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Released
- July 19, 2019
- Recorded
- 2017–2019
- Genre
- Pop
- R&B
- dance
- Label
- Hollywood
Lore & Background
Carpenter described Act II as 'Act I upside down' — where Act I makes you feel comfortable with yourself, Act II makes you feel a little uncomfortable with yourself, in the way that we need to grow. She called it a more vulnerable side of confidence, noting that there is also confidence in being vulnerable and strength in that weaker side of yourself. The album cover pictures Carpenter in shadows on a fire escape, which she said represented 'the flaws and the negativity that we let into our lives.' She wanted Act II to be a 'broken-down, less straightforward version' of Act I, calling it her most personal album yet in an interview with Marie Claire.
Reader's Guide
Three singles were released for the album: 'Pushing 20' on March 8, 2019, 'Exhale' on May 3, 2019, and 'In My Bed' on June 7, 2019. 'I'm Fakin' was released as the only promotional single on July 12, 2019. The album debuted at number 138 on the US Billboard 200 and reached number 53 on the United Kingdom's Album Downloads chart. 'Exhale' reached number 35 on the New Zealand Hot Singles.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | In My Bed | Sabrina Carpenter, Steph Jones, Mike Sabath | 3:09 |
| 2 | Pushing 20 | Carpenter, Warren "Oak" Felder, Paul Guy Shelton II | 2:46 |
| 3 | I Can't Stop Me (featuring Saweetie) | Carpenter, Brett McLaughlin, Mikkel Eriksen, Saweetie, Gino Borri | 3:41 |
| 4 | I'm Fakin | Carpenter, Katie Pearlman, Jackson Morgan, Andrés Torres, Mauricio Rengifo | 2:55 |
| 5 | Take Off All Your Cool | Felder, Carpenter, Jones, Trevor Brown, Zaire Koalo | 3:03 |
| 6 | Tell Em | Carpenter, Bianca Atterberry, Sidney Swift, Dayyon Alexander Drinkard | 4:40 |
| 7 | Exhale | Johan Carlsson, Ross Golan, Carpenter | 2:44 |
| 8 | Take You Back | Jonas Jeberg, McLaughlin, Chloe Angelides, Carpenter | 2:48 |
| 9 | Looking at Me | Carlsson, James Alan Ghaleb, Carpenter | 3:01 |
| Total length | 28:47 | ||
Did You Know?
- The album artwork was revealed by Carpenter sending it to fans in multiple cities around the United States using Apple's AirDrop feature.
- 'Looking At Me' is Carpenter's most streamed release under Hollywood Records.
- Carpenter described 'Exhale' as her 'most personal song yet' — a ballad about anxiety 'not from some over-generalized, sugar-coated stance.'
- The album's release date was originally scheduled for July 26, 2019, but was pushed up to July 19, 2019.
More in Albums & EPs
Elsewhere in Sabrina Carpenter
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced