Sabrina Carpenter has owned her sexuality both in her music and onstage during her Short n’ Sweet tour. Carpenter has performed in literal lingerie, wearing custom crystal-adorned babydoll dresses, bodysuits, and more in front of stadiums of people.
Some people are scandalized, she told Time in her recent Time 100 Next interview. Years after Madonna, Britney Spears, Rihanna, and other artists pushed public boundaries, Carpenter says she still gets criticized for being overtly sexual.
When she sees those comments, she reminds herself they don’t reflect everyone’s opinion. She explained, “Someone told me this, whenever I would get upset or feel like I’m the only one getting criticized for something other people are able to do seemingly so freely: I’m the one that’s seeing all the negative shit about myself. My friends don’t see that.”
She noted that, overall, things have gotten better for female artists. And for the minority who can’t handle her show, she has some advice: Don’t come.
“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, because truthfully, the scariest thing in the world is getting up on a stage in front of that many people and having to perform as if it’s nothing. If the one thing that helps you do that is the way you feel comfortable dressing, then that’s what you’ve got to do.”
“Femininity is something that I’ve always embraced,” she added of her wardrobe choices. “And if right now that means corsets and garter belts and fuzzy robes or whatever the fuck, then that’s what that means.”
The former Disney Channel star said that after years in the industry, including points where she felt “led astray,” she feels “a lot more equipped going into situations where I have to trust my own instincts.”
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.