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Despite living in southern California for my whole life, Coachella has always been one of those events that I never seemed to have enough drive to attend. When I heard that Sabrina Carpenter was headlining this year, I immediately regretted not attempting to do whatever it takes to get a ticket, even if it would’ve caused me to drop over half a grand on an overcrowded festival in the desert.
Knowing the potential of Carpenter as a headliner, as a huge fan of her music and her as a performer, I was not surprised in the slightest when I saw the videos of her set, wowing audiences with her captivating stage presence and the detail that went into each song, its choreography, and the stunning visuals.Â
I could go on and on about how incredible the production behind Carpenter’s “Sabrinawood” set was, from her showstopping costumes and vocals to how cinematic all the performances were—for instance, one of my personal favorites was a performance of “Sugar Talking” with choreography inspired by Dirty Dancing.
It would be a blatant lie if I said I didn’t have severe FOMO from missing her as a headliner, and truthfully, it got to the point where I was listening to illegally downloaded podcast episodes of her performances instead of the studio recordings.
Carpenter’s popstar genius at Coachella was truly a gift to witness (even through a screen), and it was exciting to see others recognize how talented of a performer she is as someone who has been a fan since the start of her career on Disney Channel.Â
Carpenter’s sets were the first features of the festival I tuned in to, but eventually, via social media, I became familiar with Justin Bieber’s performances, who came on as another long-awaited headliner. I’ve always been just a casual listener of Bieber, but setting aside my not being a self-proclaimed “Belieber,” I couldn’t help but feel like his set lacked the essential qualities of a performance expected at such a highly attended festival, exemplified best by Carpenter’s work.
Sure, different performance styles exist, but it is indisputable that if Carpenter had abandoned her Broadway-like production for Bieber’s comparatively low-effort, minimal show, where he played YouTube clips in a hoodie, her name would be run through the mud.Â
This isn’t a way for me to blindly discredit Bieber’s talent or value as a popstar because of my preference and admiration for Carpenter’s approach — on the contrary, I actually really enjoyed how nostalgic and intimate his performance was. But more importantly, this is a wake-up call to the double standard that emerges when we compare the receptions to these two very different performances.Â
On social media, one popular post defends Bieber’s efforts, saying, “Unpopular opinion but I genuinely think he can do whatever the hell he wants. Watching the world literally drain the light from his eyes since childhood? And honestly, blowing up the way he did in the YouTube era it all makes sense. Let him live.”
In contrast, other posts criticized Carpenter for details as minor as her foundation appearing uneven on stage, even after hours of physical activity. The pressure that the public puts on women to perform to their fullest extent is something that male performers have never had to experience, and this example brings attention to this very disparity.Â
This pattern of unfairly scrutinizing female artists is not new to the music and entertainment industries; it is a vicious cycle that recurs with each up-and-coming star, like Carpenter. Not only did Bieber receive more praise for a performance that took little technical production and was less thoughtfully developed, but he was paid significantly more than Carpenter, even becoming the highest-paid performer in Coachella history.Â
Although it is sadly a firmly entrenched construct of the industry rooted in patriarchal norms, the first step towards mitigating the double standards between female and male artists is recognizing the biases that cause them in the first place. “Sabchella” and “Bieberchella” were both great, though different, sets with public receptions that brought meaningful attention to a reality faced by all women in some way.