Sabrina Carpenter began her rise to fame starring on Disney Channel’s Girl Meets World back in 2014. During her time as an actress on the show, she followed the footsteps of many Disney stars before her and started her singing career. Sabrina’s first album was released in 2015, and she’s been growing as an artist ever since.
Since beginning her music career, she’s had a steady following. It wasn’t until 2021, heading into 2022, that she gained more buzz due to a love triangle with Disney alum Olivia Rodrigo. While Sabrina’s name was more focused on her being “the other woman” in the scenario, it created more positive chatter for Olivia Rodrigo and ultimately helped boost her debut album. Because of this, Sabrina’s career during this time was overshadowed by Rodrigo, despite emails i can’t send being her best-selling album at the time.
A few years later, Sabrina Carpenter had her big break with the summer hit “Espresso.” The rest is history, as they say. But history doesn’t go unnoticed without red flags being raised.
With the release of Short & Sweet, she kept a similar formula to emails i can’t send, and included a taste of a more flirty, sensual pop. It was well received by fans and helped her move from small venues to stadiums within a year of wrapping up her previous tour. Her most recent album, Man’s Best Friend, garnered a lot of raised eyebrows for its cover and overall racy nature.
Fans of Carpenter have clamored to her side in response to any critique the artist has received. This reaction from fans isn’t out of character; however, it can sometimes turn a blind eye to or excuse inexcusable behavior that should be addressed.
There are some people who don’t believe that celebrities should have to explain or defend themselves, that they don’t owe the public anything, and that they don’t need to take a stance on issues. I disagree. While celebrity culture might be declining among younger generations, the celebrities who are making it in the industry will always be in some kind of conversation.
In a time where women of color in the industry are being disproportionately targeted – Actress Melissa Barrera was fired for standing with Palestine, singer Karol G. was advised against speaking out against ICE at Coachella, and Selena Gomez was targeted by the White House after posting about immigrants – it’s worth examining the differences in how various artists are held accountable.
We’ve seen this happen with Taylor Swift, after she allowed the White House to use multiple songs of hers in their posts, and after Life of a Showgirl was under fire for underlying racism and again with Sydney Sweeney. Discourse around Sweeney generated the most after her viral jean campaign with American Eagle, in which she expressed she “loves jeans” despite its inherent message of eugenics. Her response came at a time when fellow Euphoria castmate Alexa Demie voiced how difficult it has been to find projects due to industry biases.
Whether the celebrities like it or not, they do hold great influence. Platforms matter regardless of status or ranking, but the higher the ranking, the bigger the platform. And how that platform is used speaks volumes.
The most recent incident involving Sabrina Carpenter was at her Coachella set. While she’s on stage, a fan in the crowd expressed excitement with a zaghrouta. Carpenter’s expression was less than desirable as she conversed with the fan, mistaking the celebratory reaction for “yodeling”.
Sabrina’s interaction quickly spread all over social media, with users calling out her behavior and others jumping to her defense. Soon after, the singer apologized. Issue solved, right? Wrong. What those coming to her defense, and even Carpenter herself don’t realize is privilege, and ultimately impact over intention.
The apology was posted to X, and it’s difficult to believe that it’s authentic. In her apology, she does state that she meant no harm and that her reaction was “pure confusion, sarcasm”. She admits that she could’ve handled it better and that she welcomes “all cheers and yodels from here on out”.
Here’s the problem: the beginning of her tweet began with her apologizing and saying “i didn’t see this person with my eyes and couldn’t hear clearly”. If that’s true, how did she have an entire conversation with them in which she called out the “yodel”, and proceeded to call it “weird” and that she “doesn’t like it” after the fan explained that she’s Arab and it’s part of her culture? It’s not lining up.
Furthermore, after all that, she still referred to it as a “yodel” at the end of the apology. She did say that she knows what a zaghrouta is now, but it kind of defeats the purpose when she mentions a yodel again right after. This could be her being inclusive with “cheers and yodels” for whatever other exclamations individuals might make, but it feels flat.
Sabrina actively chose not only to engage with the individual but also to respond with sarcasm, rather than in a neutral or even positive tone, after being educated by the fan. Some users online are calling her out as it relates to the war and the marginalization of Arab communities. I understand why they invoke that context, but I’d argue that the gravity of that backdrop shouldn’t even be necessary. What matters is knowing never to react that way, confusion or sarcasm aside.
This isn’t the first time that Carpenter has raised red flags. Last year, she announced the release of her newest album, Man’s Best Friend. The album cover showed the singer in a provocative pose, on her knees, with a man pulling her hair. The discourse around this spread like wildfire.
Of course, there were two sides: those who praised the title and its cover, and those who were against it. Those who stood beside it thought it was clever and that Carpenter was simply embracing her sexuality. Others deemed it tone deaf with the current state of the world, with women’s rights under fire and conservative views on women on the rise.
It can be argued that music doesn’t or shouldn’t have high stakes in the political world, but I say, everything matters. Sabrina doubled down on the controversy her album incited, later posting alternate covers with the caption “here is a new alternate cover approved by God”.
She was asked about this in her interviews, along with what she thinks about her sexual innuendos going viral. In response to the album, she said a few things: one, “ya’ll need to get out more.” Two, she noted that no one in her circle, whom she showed it to before its release, saw a problem with it. It wasn’t even a thought that occurred as a possibility.
As for her more viral moments being sexual, she said that it’s the public that is obsessed with sex. She has other meaningful songs, and the public is the one who chooses to make the sexual moments popular.
Again, I say: impact over intention.
Sabrina Carpenter has a right to feel confident and empowered in whichever way that means to her. She cannot, however, dismiss or diminish concern over the impact it’s having. The way it’s approached is in poor taste.
As for the claim that the public is “obsessed with sex” – she also chooses to play those parts up. From the flirty outros during the emails i can’t send tour, the provocatively shaped concert stage for Short & Sweet, to the “Juno” positions, she plays into it. They go together. She is an artist, and she knows what will elicit a reaction. It’s a bit unfair to turn it solely on the public when she is actively in control of these decisions, a point made even more apparent by the fact that she has only chosen her sexual songs from her recent album to make into music videos.
Her career blowing up only makes these moments easier to see, but they’ve always been there. During the emails i can’t send tour, she decided to say concerning things to a fan, and during Mexico’s “Nonsense” outro.
In one show, she was having a conversation with a fan and asked how old he was. After he said he’s 16, she started telling him that, in this time of his life, “you’re learning people…you’re learning what you won’t like and what you will like.” She goes on to say she feels like she has more knowledge now and proceeds to ask him if he’s feeling sad, angry, or horny.
The “Nonsense” outro in Mexico included her making fun of her height, saying that she looks like “a niña” (a child), followed by “come put something big in my casita”.
As someone who is not only an adult but also has a team and resources to prevent these inappropriate instances, it’s unnerving to witness.
Sabrina Carpenter might have made some seemingly progressive moves by having the White House take down the use of her own song in their post and by featuring drag queens in her music video. While these are steps in the right direction, it does not absolve her of the red flags she’s raised.
When celebrities who aren’t white or blonde skyrocket to stardom and get absolved without taking responsibility, it begs to question the standards that Hollywood, as well as the public, has.
Any person, artist or not, should be held accountable and be genuine in their convictions.