Sabrina Carpenter Laughs Off Backlash to Sexy Shows: ‘You’re Obsessed’

There’s a stunning moment in Sabrina Carpenter‘s Short n’ Sweet tour, when she performs the heartbreak anthem “Lie to Girls.” She stands on stage strumming an acoustic guitar, as the crowd sings every word of the ballad: “You don’t have to lie to girls/If they like you, they’ll just lie to themselves.”

In her new Rolling Stone cover story, Carpenter notes that this particular portion of the show is rarely captured on video or photographed. That’s because a majority of the crowd is fixated instead on the sexual aspects of the Short n’ Sweet shows, from Carpenter’s outfits (corseted bodysuits glittering in sequins, garter belts, lacy baby-doll nighties) to her horny choreography, like when she acts out sex positions to “Juno,” her indie pop gem about getting pregnant. You might have noticed that she’s received some backlash over this on the internet, which is something Carpenter can only laugh about.

“It’s always so funny to me when people complain,” she told RS. “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. 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. 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.” 

Carpenter also touched on the broader reality of being a woman 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 said. “I’m not just talking about me. I’m talking about every female artist that is making art right now.” 

She continued: “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.”

Elsewhere in the story, Carpenter also discussed her new era, which she kicked off last week with the spicy single “Manchild,” followed by her announcement of her new album, Man’s Best Friend, out Aug. 29. “It’s all about what feels right,” she said. “I’m learning to listen to that a lot more, instead of what is perceived as the right or wrong move.”