Sabrina Carpenter has heard the criticism that her shows are too sexy — and she really couldn’t care less.
“It’s always so funny to me when people complain,” the pop star, 26, told Rolling Stone in a cover story published Thursday, June 12. “They’re like, ‘All she does is sing about this.’ But those are the songs that you’ve made popular. Clearly you love sex. You’re obsessed with it.”
The Grammy winner pointed out that her Short n’ Sweet Tour isn’t all innuendo and miming sex positions, but her critics have chosen those bits to highlight.
“There’s so many more moments than the ‘Juno’ positions, but those are the ones you post every night and comment on. I can’t control that,” she said. “If you come to the show, you’ll [also] hear the ballads, you’ll hear the more introspective numbers. I find irony and humor in all of that, because it seems to be a recurring theme. I’m not upset about it, other than I feel mad pressure to be funny sometimes.”
While Carpenter doesn’t let hateful comments get to her, she is bothered by a pattern that she sees affecting other women in the music industry.
“I don’t want to be pessimistic, but I truly feel like I’ve never lived in a time where women have been picked apart more, and scrutinized in every capacity,” she explained. “I’m not just talking about me. I’m talking about every female artist that is making art right now.”
Sabrina Carpenter Responds to Criticism of Her ‘Short n’ Sweet Tour’ Costumes
Even as Carpenter and female artists like Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift dominate the cultural conversation, the “Espresso” singer still thinks the world has a long way to go.
“We’re in such a weird time where you would think it’s girl power, and women supporting women, but in reality, the second you see a picture of someone wearing a dress on a carpet, you have to say everything mean about it in the first 30 seconds that you see it,” she said.
Earlier this week, Carpenter surprised fans by announcing her new album, Man’s Best Friend, is coming August 29 — just over one year after the release of Short n’ Sweet.
“I tried not to overthink the process this time, I felt so at ease making Man’s Best Friend that I felt like it was a gift that shouldn’t be taken for granted as every inch came together so effortlessly, where I’d bang my head to crack numerous codes,” she wrote in a newsletter to fans on Wednesday, June 11. “This one felt like riding a bike!”
The “Juno” artist gave listeners their first taste of the album earlier this month with the release of her new single, “Manchild.” While many observers have theorized that the track was inspired by her ex-boyfriend Barry Keoghan, Carpenter played coy when Rolling Stone asked her which ex she’s singing about.
“It’s about your dad,” she teased.
