On My Mind (Sabrina Carpenter Song)

Cover Art for On My Mind

**"On My Mind"** is a track recorded by American singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter, which acted as the title track for her debut studio album of the same name. Written by Carpenter and it's producer Ian Kirkpatrick, the single was released as the lead for the album and was sent to radios on April 21st, 2020.

Musically, On My Mind is a pop track with influences of disco and funk found throughout, carried by a heavy bassline. The track garnered mostly positive reviews from critics, who considered the track a major step up from her debut single Don't Need You (No More). Carpenter was praised for her development in sound and lyricism as well as creating one of the catchiest tracks of the year.

The single debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 with 117,000 downloads in it's opening week. The track would later peak at No. 3 on the chart, becoming Carpenter's highest peaking single at the time. The track has gone on to sell over three million copies worldwide as of July 2020, being certified triple platinum.

On My Mind also received a music video, which was Carpenter's first single to do so. Directed by Phillip R. Lopez, the video sees Carpenter in a state of psychosis that overwhelms her as she tries to enjoy a night out. The single saw itself performed in various promotional slots, including The Voice AUS, Saturday Night Live, The X Factor UK, Lana Del Rey's Freedom Festival and is set to be performed at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards.

## Background and release

"On My Mind" was written with Carpenter along with it's producer, Ian Kirkpatrick. Vocal production was done by Brett McLaughlin. The track was mixed by Serban Ghenea and mastered by Chris Gerhinger, both of whom respectfully mixed and mastered all tracks on the singer's debut studio album, On My Mind. Carpenter has stated that she and Kirkpatrick worked on the song for an entire night in late January before continuing to perfect it into early February. She has stated that this song was the driving force behind the change of direction on her debut project.

Carpenter officially announced the track at the 2020 GRAMMYs Pre-Show, where she finished her performance of Don't Need You (No More) and displayed the single's cover art on the screen, before taking to Twitter to confirm the release of the single in April of that year. The track was officially released worldwide and sent to radios on April 21st, with it's music video releasing the following week.

## Critical reception

On My Mind was received much more positively than it's predecessor, garnering most positive reviews from critics. Carpenter's evolution was praised as the track's sound felt much fuller, complete and authentic than that of her debut. It's production was also a talking point, with many praising the infectious and powerful bassline used throughout the track.

Lyrically, the song was much better received than that of Don't Need You (No More), with many claiming the track proved that Carpenter was starting to find her style. However, some still claimed the writing wasn't entirely flawless and had some dull moments. Despite this, the general consensus was that On My Mind was a major leap for Carpenter as an artist.

## Commercial performance

On My Mind debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 with over 117,000 downloads and 11.7 million streams in it's debut week, marking Carpenter's biggest debut to date despite placing 1 position lower than Don't Need You (No More). Following it's music video the next week, it shot up the charts to the No. 9 position with 208,000 downloads, becoming Carpenter's first top 10 hit. In addition, the track debuted that week at No. 2 on the Encore Streaming Chart with 52.27 million streams. The single rose to No. 8 the next week before starting to slip down the charts.

As the release of Carpenter's album of the same name grew closer, the single began to pick up in sales and streaming too. On July 10th, 2020, the single reached it's highest peak of No. 3 which it held into the next week when the album finally released. As of July 2020, the single has been certified triple-platinum for selling over three million copies worldwide, currently estimated at around 3.66 million copies worldwide.

## Music video

"On My Mind" was Carpenter's first ever music video. Working with director Phillip R. Lopez, Carpenter stated she aimed to create a visual representation that would provide a deeper meaning to the track. The official music video for the single was released on CALTube on May 22nd, 2020.

The music video features a clear narrative direction. It centers around Carpenter's night out, but quickly takes a darker turn. Before entering the video's club, Carpenter spots a shadowed figure which represents her own deteriorating mental state. Throughout the video, this shadowed figure becomes more prominent before completely overwhelming her. By the end, Sabrina has been admitted to a mental institution as a reflection of her being broken down by her own mind.

The ending of the video features another shadowed figure, notably containing a ponytail, driving down the street at night in a white Ferrari. This was later revealed to be teasing a collaboration with Ariana Grande, who sang the hit single White Ferrari. Insiders report that Carpenter originally intended to reveal the album release date in the video, but scheduling conflicts prevented her from doing so.

## Live performances

The track saw it's first performance Australian television show The Voice AUS, where it was performed twice in it's promotional campaign. The track also was featured in performances for various smaller television shows across the world, although it's biggest came in the form of it being included in a medley performance on Saturday Night Live. It also featured in Carpenter's setlist at a BOSE store opening in London.

On My Mind was Carpenter's feature performance at Lana Del Rey's Freedom Festival, with the performance being aired in highlight reels of the show. The track is also set to be featured in Carpenter's performance at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards.

## Credits and personnel

##### **Recording**

* Recorded at Studio Nation (West Hollywood, California)

##### **Management**

* All rights administered by Sony Music Group/Starlight Records

##### **Personnel**

* Sabrina Carpenter - lead vocals, songwriter
* Ian Kirkpatrick - songwriter, producer
* Brett McLaughlin - vocal production
* Serban Ghenea - mixing
* Chris Gerhinger - mastering