Sabrina Carpenter is setting the record straight about the backlash she’s been getting for her ultra-sexy songs and onstage performances—and she’s not holding back.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, the 25-year-old pop star addressed the noise surrounding her sultry style, especially following her now-viral “Juno” routine during the Short n’ Sweet Tour, where she sings while striking a series of explicit poses on stage. If you’ve seen the clips circulating online, you know exactly what people are talking about.
But Sabrina isn’t losing sleep over the criticism. She finds it kind of ironic.
“It’s always so funny to me when people complain,” she told Rolling Stone. “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. It’s in my show.”
And she’s got a point. Her most provocative tracks tend to be the ones that skyrocket on the charts and go viral across TikTok and Instagram. Still, that hasn’t stopped folks from dissecting every little move she makes, especially on social media. From the looks to the lyrics, fans and critics alike are zooming in on the tiniest details.
“There’s so many more moments than the ‘Juno’ positions, but those are the ones you post every night and comment on,” Carpenter said. “I can’t control that.”
She also called out the extra pressure that women in the music industry face just for being themselves.
“I truly feel like I’ve never lived in a time where women have been picked apart more and scrutinized in every capacity,” she said, adding that it’s not just her—it’s a systemic issue that every female artist is dealing with right now.
And Sabrina’s not about to slow down just to make people comfortable.
She recently announced her seventh studio album, Man’s Best Friend, which is dropping on August 29. The first single, “Manchild,” dropped last week and has already sparked buzz thanks to its unapologetically bold vibe. The release comes only a year after her hit 2024 track “Please Please Please,” but Carpenter has zero regrets about the quick turnaround.
“If I really wanted to, I could have stretched out Short n’ Sweet much, much longer,” she explained. “But I’m at that point in my life where I’m like, ‘Wait a second, there’s no rules.’”
That rule-breaking attitude seems to be working. Between her sold-out shows, chart-climbing singles, and headline-making performances, Sabrina is clearly striking a chord. Whether you’re a fan or a critic, one thing’s clear—people are paying attention.
Love her or hate her, Carpenter’s message is loud and clear: she’s going to keep making the music and doing the shows that feel right to her. And if you’re still watching, maybe the problem isn’t the show—maybe it’s what it’s showing you about yourself.