Like many young pop stars, Sabrina Carpenter has long cited Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears as inspirations. Unfortunately, she has also been exposed to the sexist comments that her musical predecessors received.
In an interview with Time magazine published this week, Carpenter said that, like Aguilera and Spears in their heydays, she has “definitely” been criticized for expressing her sexuality in music videos and live performances.
“I definitely get that,” she told the outlet, alluding to the challenges of cultivating a pop career in the age of social media. “Every time I get angry at how others seem to have so much freedom, or feel like I’m the only one being criticized, someone once said to me, “I don’t feel bad about myself. I’m the one who sees it all. My friends don’t see it.”
Carpenter has some advice for those who have “strong opinions” about her sexy outfits.
“And I just say, don’t come to the show, and that’s fine,” she explained. “It’s unfortunate that I’ve been criticized in the past. To be honest, the scariest thing in the world is standing on stage in front of so many people and performing as if nothing happened. Because it has to be done.”
“If the only thing that helps with that is how to dress comfortably, then that’s what you have to do,” she added.
Sabrina Carpenter is currently touring in support of her latest album, Short and Sweet.
Carpenter, 25, is hardly a show business novice. The Pennsylvania native shot to fame on the Disney Channel series “Girl Meets World,” which aired from 2014 to 2017. She’s spent much of the past year opening for Taylor Swift on her Ellas tour, and was joined on stage by Swift herself on stage in Sydney.
But it wasn’t until the release of her smash single “Espresso” in April that Carpenter was able to fully capture the pop zeitgeist. Her latest album, “Short and Sweet,” debuted at number one on the Billboard charts after its release in August, and went on to have two hit singles, “Please Please Please” and “Taste.” produced. Last month, she began a world tour in support of the album.
Meanwhile, Carpenter took steps to align himself with other music industry heavyweights. Last month, she attended the MTV VMAs wearing a vintage Bob Mackie dress previously worn by Madonna. She also teamed up with Aguilera to create a new version of “What a Girl Wants” to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Aguilera’s debut album.
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And just as Madonna graciously welcomed Spears and Aguilera into her orbit all those years ago, Aguilera also shares with Carpenter on this year’s Time 100 list honoring the most influential people of 2024. He was aware of the “symbolic, full-circle connection.”
“As a fellow 5-footer. As a woman with a similar working-adolescent Disney background, I know first-hand what it takes to maintain clarity while meeting the demands of this business, and I respect… “I am,” she wrote. “Sabrina handles her work with seemingly effortless charisma, promoting, performing and dealing with the press with a smile and her signature shy charm.”
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