"Exhale" | ||||
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Single by Sabrina Carpenter | ||||
from the album Singular: Act II | ||||
Released | May 3, 2019 | |||
Recorded | 2019 | |||
Genre | R&B | |||
Length | 2:44 | |||
Label | Hollywood | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Sabrina Carpenter singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Exhale" on YouTube |
"Exhale" is a song recorded by American singer Sabrina Carpenter from her fourth studio album Singular: Act II (2019), released as the album's second single on May 3, 2019. Before the song's release, Carpenter performed the song as an encore on the Singular Tour.[1][2]
Carpenter stated that "Exhale" is the most difficult song for her to sing as she gets very emotional.[3] Carpenter also described the song as being her most personal and vulnerable song yet.[4][5] Carpenter began performing the song as an encore of the Singular Tour.[2] After the reception from her fans, Carpenter considered putting the song on Singular: Act II, before finally deciding to include it on the track list.
In April 2019, Carpenter stated that "Exhale" would be released very soon, presumably being released as a single.[3] Carpenter further fuelled the rumours at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards, saying that she would be releasing her "most personal song yet" soon.[4] On May 2, 2019, Carpenter formally announced the single via her social media.[6] The song was released that night.[5]
The song was written in 2019, just before Carpenter embarked on the Singular Tour, by Carpenter, Ross Golan and the song's producer, Johan Carlsson.[7] The vocals were produced by Carlsson and Noah Passovoy.[7] Carlsson played electric guitar, programmed, and served background vocals with Carpenter and Golan to the track.[7] The strings were recorded and edited by Mattias Bylund at Studio Borgen in Partille and arranged by Nils-Petter Ankarblom.[7] The orchestra consists of David Bukovinszky on cello, Mattias Johansson on violin and Bylund and Ankarblom on string synthesizers.[7] The song was mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach and John Hanes served as an engineer for mix.[7] The song was mastered at Sterling Sound in New York City by Chris Gehringer with Will Quinnell serving as an assistant.[7]
"Exhale" is a "somber" midtempo R&B ballad that runs for two minutes and forty four seconds.[8][1][9][10][11] Lyrically, the song is about pressure and anxiety in life and the need to take a breather or break from them.[12][1][9][13]
A visualizer video accompanied the song's release.[14] It features a digitally edited version of the single artwork moving around. The song's official music video was premiered on Carpenter's YouTube and VEVO channels on May 17, 2019.[15] It was directed by Mowgly Lee and features Carpenter singing in a valley.[16] At the end of the video, Carpenter's studio vocals turn into a live a cappella of her singing the song. John Blistein of Rolling Stone called the video "simple but affecting".[17] The music video was re-released on July 27th 2024 shortly ahead of Sabrina's 2024 album titled Short n Sweet.
"Exhale" was performed as the encore on the Singular Tour.[2]
Recording and management
Personnel
Credits adapted from Singular: Act II liner notes.[7]
Chart (2019) | Peak position |
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New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[18] | 35 |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
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Various | May 3, 2019 | Digital download | Hollywood | [11] |
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