by Alex Sierra

We have always found sweethearts in the music scene. People whose art we can cling to in good times and in hard ones. Right now, Sabrina Carpenter is one of those sweethearts. Blonde and bright she graces the stage in shining attire and while at first glance, it appears innocent, Carpenter quickly makes it clear that there’s nothing wrong with a naughty good time. 

The Sweetheart: Who Is Sabrina Carpenter?

She is an artist that has managed to weave her sexiness within her persona and her music without it taking the direct spotlight and yet, those in the audience think her risqué, both her look and music too suggestive (and therefore, not kid friendly.) The thing is, artists grow and change, even if that means they become more sensually expressive, and Sabrina’s sultry moves are no exception. Sure, one could say some scantily clad bodies making dance moves is far from groundbreaking. . .

But what’s consistent is the desire of creatives to craft an image, a vibe that comes through not only through their art itself but through the artistry of their public presentation.

The Disney Kid Effect

Sabrina has spent years crafting her brand and artistry and it is more apparent than ever that she is no longer a Disney kid. Like a many 2000s icons before her, she too was navigating the waters of what it means to rise as a popstar. The difference is that unlike a few child stars that were thrusted into the spotlight over and over while their health and hearts were suffering, she has had a healthy progression of fame. Her pre-2020 bops were fresh and flirty then but there is no denying that she’s embraced a fun, spicier presence and like girls before her a la Britney Spears and Ariana Grande, she’s reached the tipping point of the cycle, moving from cute girl to sexy woman.

However, due to her Disney ties and her appearance latching her to what we culturally think a good girl should look like, it’s almost as if some people think she has an innocence to preserve, whether it be her own or the girls in the audience. This sort of sentiment mirrors the mixed feelings audiences had when Billy Elish released her 2021 album Happier Than Ever, where she displayed a softer, stereotypical feminine look, hair blonde, decolletage on display. Billy, who was known for her bright hair dye and classic cut full bodied leisure suits had switched it up. But again, the change itself wasn’t that shocking, rather than it was a case of people reacting to change. The audience has gotten comfortable with who they thought they were looking at. Fans sometimes stray from the enjoyment and can find it easy to pick a performer over how they choose to present themselves.

The Top Search Terms for Sabrina Carpenter

are way more sexualized than normal:

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The No-Win Trap of Female Stardom

After having Sabrina on repeat and recounting her concerts on YouTube, her stage show and music seem relatively tame. Looking through wider lenses, she could be labeled tame or explicit depending on the artist of comparison but there is no denying there is a stark contrast from what to expect from Caucasian performers verses those that are women of color- the latter being often seen as inherently more provocative and expected to be so. Is it that pop music, in comparison with rap and hip hop, is supposed to be easier for the masses to digest? Or that women of color realize that they are projected in the public psyche to be erotic, bold beings and they market themselves this way? Megan Thee Stallion and Doja Cat toured the U.S. and Europe in 2024, both steeped in sexy, alien-esque attire which contrasts with Sabrina’s classic lines and vintage pallet, giving all audiences an array of womanly allure.

It is curious to think that the fans that love them could have a different reaction if the role of their aesthetics were switched. Could a performer like Doja Cat dress like an ingénue and still be seen as empowering and sexy? Could a performer like Sabrina Carpenter adorn bold colors and avant garde, revealing outfits and be seen as the girl next door? At the same time, listeners can layer their music on top of this, and ask themselves, does Doja Cats album Planet Her have any more or less sensual magnetism than Sabrina’s Short n’ Sweet? While these women cannot necessarily switch wardrobes or musical styles for the sake of curiosity, it is something worth thinking about the next time when gazing upon a stage or a music video.

All American Good Girl: The Taylor Swift Effect 

It is a possibility that her Sabrina’s opportunity to work with Taylor Swift as an opener for part of the Eras Tour in 2023 casted a cloak of being an assumed all American good girl, an aesthetic and label that Swift herself has shaped and morphed to work with her persona her entire career. Taylor Swift strayed from remaining in the role of country’s sweetheart, one song and one outfit at a time. Swift and Carpenter’s aesthetic has progressed with their music, parts of them holding strong and almost indicative to their identity, Taylor with her lipstick; Sabrina with her bombshell blonde hair and as if to echo her predecessors, maybe she’ll  move from the 50’s inspired sweetheart to someone approaching what music lovers might call “edginess.” (Cue Brittney Spears Toxic in the background while wearing Christina Aguilera’s leather chaps- were those what parents called those inappropriate too?!)  

Rather than let criticism get her down, Carpenter has commented before that she does not care what people think- if someone walks into her world expecting something demure, they can always see themselves out. As a response to fellow The Sun interviewees, the magazine quoted her saying, “if you can’t handle a girl who is confident in her own sexuality, then don’t come to my shows.” The Sun interviewees, music producers, Stock, Aitken and Waterman, a group of the finest music producers that the Eighties had to offer were quoted, Pete Waterman stating,

“To see Sabrina Carpenter dressed as a little girl is quite offensive. She doesn’t need that.” 

Interesting comment considering they have worked with Kylie Minogue, an artist who has also danced in fishnets and little dresses on stage. Really, it is just another example of executives and audience alike wanting to keep artists in a palatable box while forgetting that beloved performers from decades passed also faced the same criticisms. 

In a way, it’s all sitting on a wheel that will never stop spinning and the voices who don’t sing or play will always have something to say about those who do. Those who watch will try to dissect everything in front of them. A painting, a song, someone’s pants or shoes. It’s all there to be cherished and to be chewed up and spit out, the snake of creativity eating its forever filling tail of consumption. This is the truth for all art given to the world.

 There is nothing that Sabrina Carpenter or the rest of these women could do that would avoid or remedy the criticisms that they face because that would be a perfect world, wouldn’t it?

In many cases, the sharing of one’s heart and soul through their art was intwined with their sicknesses and it costs them their lives. All this to hold the attention and the hearts of those in the crowd. Hopefully, these modern artists are wiser and better taken care of, possibly making the blow of a sideways review or a nasty comment less invasive. The artists take the backlash while the audience tries to cope with loving or hating someone from so far away, often feeling one way and then the other.

There is no perfect way to ride the wave of fandom or stardom, whichever side one is on. There is such a thing as a perfect musical moment, just one that feels as close as possible, and in the end, isn’t that what we’re all looking for? 

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