Sabrina Carpenter has been in the music scene since 2014 but didn’t truly take off until her 2023 single “Feather,” made famous by TikTok. Before that, though, there was a slew of drama between herself and Olivia Rodrigo, which inspired her song “Skin,” a response to Rodrigo’s “drivers license.” Her sad girl persona, however, was flipped on its back following her 2024 single “Espresso.” And ever since, she’s transformed into a pop princess and, even better, a sex symbol for women.
Carpenter has effectively altered her image while also recreating an entirely new wave of feminism. She does this through her lyrics, costumes, performances, ad campaigns and dance moves. The once “Girl Meets World” star has broken the Disney curse and become the most famous pop star of the moment.
Her lyrics acted as the catalyst for this newfound image. In “Espresso,” she describes how she essentially hypnotized this boy into loving her because it’s “that sweet.” The utterly hypnotic song also made us listeners fall in love with her. And then, when her sixth studio album, “Short n’ Sweet,” was released in Aug. 2024, we saw a whole new side to her.
The songs “Juno,” “Bed Chem” and “Taste” ooze with female sexuality. Fans saw this on display during the “Short n’ Sweet” Tour, where Carpenter switches between different variations of lingerie and displays a new “position” in each performance of her song “Juno.”
She’s received criticism for the hypersexual lyrics, but I’d say she is just finally coming into her female agency. And she is a great role model for young women.
Society has always tried to force women to be humble and poised. Carpenter confidently rebels against these expectations, all while reminding you just how beautiful she is.
Let’s get one thing sorted out: women can be just as sexual as men. If men are allowed to make “locker room talk” and write songs about sex and hot girls, then women have the same exact rights.
If The Weeknd and Playboi Carti in the hit song “Timeless” can say, “Ever since I was a jit, knew I was the shit / Shorty keep wanna come ‘round she wanna get hit / She think she the main because I keep her by my side,” then I think Carpenter should be able to sing, “And I bet we’d both arrive at the same time / And I bet the thermostat’s set at six nine / And I bet it’s even better than in my head.”
Carpenter is embracing sexuality and flipping the script. If men can be openly sexual and objectify women in their lyrics, then why can’t she?
Her most pack-a-punch lyric is in the song “Juno,” where she sings “Sorry if you feel objectified.” It’s a little wink to the type of music that men have been creating ever since Elvis could pop his hips. While her brand has transformed into a hypersexual pop princess, she’s really just showing the world and all of her young fans that women can also think like men. Cry me a river!
The only reason that Carpenter is getting any flack for her blatant sexuality is because a lot of people aren’t used to it coming from a woman. Female musicians, especially pop musicians, are typically expected to maintain a clean image for young fans.
In a recent interview with Time Magazine, Carpenter is upfront about the criticism she’s faced. “You’ll still get the occasional mother that has a strong opinion on how you should be dressing,” Carpenter said. “And to that, I just say, don’t come to the show, and that’s OK. It’s unfortunate that it’s ever been something to criticize.”
Other pop musicians, like Britney Spears, suffered backlash for showing even a morsel of sexuality, and it took a serious toll on her mental health. Carpenter’s sheer confidence and self-assuredness is what makes her actions so admirable.
With so many young and impressionable fans coming to her shows and indulging in her music, it’s easy for people to say she’s setting a bad example considering society’s attitude towards female sexuality. Yet the lady of the moment’s positive attitude and self-love is what young girls need to see. In a sense, Carpenter is finishing what pop princesses of the past started.
