Walking through every aisle looking for baby doll tops, lingerie-inspired outfits, and kiss-marked clothing to prepare for the upcoming concert, it’s hard to ignore the contrast between the fashion choices and the young faces in the crowd.
As the new Juno position is being revealed, the song softly plays from everyone’s phone. After ages of scrolling, “Get Ready with Me”(GRWM) shows on the latest version of the “For Your Page” (FYP), the age of the child catches every eye: “She’s like seven years old, why is she going to Sabrina’s concert?”
Sabrina Carpenter, once known as a Disney sweetheart from Girl Meets World, has now cemented herself as a global pop sensation. After over a decade of making music, her career took a sharp turn with the release of Espresso, a single that reached over a billion streams and redefined her image. But this rebrand came with controversy.
The recent release of her newest album, Short n’ Sweet, leans heavily into themes of sensuality, empowerment, and confidence, but not without raising an eyebrow. Many of her songs, laced with sexual undertones and playful yet provocative lyrics, have spawned a debate: should children be listening to Sabrina Carpenter?
The rise of Gen Alpha, a demographic growing up with what seems like unrestricted access to social media and music streaming, has led to a cultural shift. Children are being exposed to mature content at an earlier age, often on platforms such as TikTok, where catchy tunes are stripped of their lyrical context. Parents now find themselves battling an algorithm that feeds their kids whatever is trending, regardless of their message.
As concerts fill with fans modeling risqué outfits inspired by Sabrina’s latest aesthetic, the conversation around Sabrina’s music and image is reflective of a broader societal shift, one where childhood and adulthood seem to blur in the age of digital consumption.
With performances like Bed Chem and Juno, children are screaming the lyrics with every last breath in their lungs. Even though parents might assume their children do not understand what Sabrina’s lyrics are inferring, children nowadays have access to the internet and are not afraid to use it.
TikTok is the most likely reason Sabrina’s music skyrocketed. Her songs are everywhere, whether it’s people dancing to Espresso, makeup tutorials with Feather in the background, or edits of Sabrina on tour. The average teenager lives on TikTok, so it is no surprise kids are picking up on these songs too.
In a time that predates today’s kids by decades, people used to buy CDs or listen to the radio in order to hear their favorite songs. Now, all it takes is a few taps on a phone and anyone can stream whatever they want.
This exact reason is why many parents are concerned. The issue is not just about Sabrina and her music; it’s a bigger concern on how young kids are growing up with more access to mature content than before.
Artists cannot control who listens to their music. They just make music and the media decides where it goes from there. So, is it really Sabrina’s fault that younger kids are hearing her lyrics, or is that just how music works now?
Sabrina Carpenter, a 25-year-old, is free to make the music she wants to make. Whether or not younger fans should be listening is up for debate, but one thing is for sure: her rebrand is working, and she’s not slowing down anytime soon.
