I respect your address of Gen Z’s rising purity culture but I struggle to understand how Sabrina Carpenter was the correct analysis subject considering Carpenter is performing a burlesque-style show at her concerts which are, inherently, deeply referential to sex and its culture. To me, an homage to Old Hollywood, burlesque, and female sexuality does not seem like a puritanized, false, and/or inauthentic performance of her own sexuality. Frankly, it seems like a very curated expression of herself. It’s not like every song or album or performance needs to criticize the heterosexual act of sex. Sex can be fun and should be allowed to be fun, too.
Sabrina also references the variety shows of the 60’s and 70’s in her performances. Dismissively calling her cute instead of sexy is a surface read of her style and her frame of reference which is harkening back to when families sat around watching variety shows dripping in sexual innuendos for the adults in the room while Donny and Marie sang while on ice skates for the kids. We also conflate short with young, a lot of short women know they can’t break out of being thought of as cute simply because they can’t be the tall leggy supermodel ideal of sexiness.
Maybe the cute vs sexy bit isn’t perfectly put; arguably the bigger point is that actual sex isn’t always cute OR “sexy” as media portrays it. Part of Sabrina being characterized as cute is — as the author and commenters note — her determination to look super youthful via procedures, makeup, etc. which hey, is her choice, her right etc. etc. but the point is that authentically, organically, in-person-as-opposed-to-TikTok, “sexy” as we once knew it (or as millennials and those before us do) is erased by the Sabrinas and Olivias of the industry. Even Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, who ofc played into this as well at times, also had performances and portrayals that were messy, unpolished, imperfect, unhappy, vulnerable. My read of the author’s critique leans more towards this distinction than a dismissive or misogynistic take on Sabrina’s aesthetic…
Sexy has many different interpretations, there is no one way to do it, or at least no one way that pleases everyone. My assertion is that Sabrina’s sexy is 60’s/70’s variety show sexy which is not as youthful as the author seems to think it is. It’s very much in the Dolly Parton way of being Too Much that appeals more to women and queer people than to straight men. I will always say, look to Sabrina’s audience, it’s not straight men who pay for her music and shows (unless it’s the dads of her young fans). There will always be a tension between the sexy idea of a “natural beauty” and a high femme makeup and hair aesthetic. The men who like to tell women what to look like tend to fall on the natural side, although they either don’t know or don’t care to know how much work can go into that “bare faced” look. Sabrina isn’t kowtowing to that side, those men don’t see her cute, they see an adult woman who mimes fellatio onstage, that’s the antithesis of sexy to them. I think the author means well, she is frightfully young, I probably would have made the same argument at her age, when you’ve lived through well over forty years of popstars, a kindness towards them can set it, also a relief when it seems as if they are in control of their image, which I believe Sabrina evinces in ways that the singes of yore never could.
Like I said before, you can write about sex sometimes and sing it. Sure. But performing soft porn acts on stage for live audience? Of course people's gunna hate you
I fully agree with you. I don't think this particular analysis fits when considering Carpenter, her performance style or her songs. I think she knows what she's doing and it's fitting to who she is. She has always been a fan of word play and innuendos- sexual or not in her songwriting career and I think this is just the current extension of that. And I don't think she's trying to come off as this sex icon at all. She knows she is seen as "cute" and that's something she will be seen as due to her small stature and height and doe eyes and what not and she plays with that intentionally. I think if you really want to be able to analyze this Short N' Sweet era you must first look back on her previous albums and more of her personality.
I think people underestimate how much intention and thought goes into a celebrity’s image. Sabrina and Olivia are both some of the most famous pop starts right now, they for sure have specific team members dedicated to cultivating a specific image for them in the magazines, the songs, the wardrobes, and the concerts. To say that “she’s not trying to be a sex icon” is ignoring the very overt sexual imagery she does throughout all of her performances in every stage.
My question is why gen z use everything about sex but at the same time we are the most isolated geberation. I'm wonder why every song, movie, books are described with spicy, sexy. And if someone point the light in this matter they answer it is against patheiarchy.
And, if recent surveys are accurate, they have less sex than any recent generation. I think the greatest era for sexuality was the Victorian, when the flash of a naked ankle could provoke heart palpitations.
I strongly belive Is as genereration we love "thé performance" explicit sex in books and media is all about performance. We hate intimacy. Intimacy means vulnérability, both horrorific concept for our times. Sex can be fun and everybody must be free with sexuality but we forget about erotisism and imagination. We dont have time. We want everything right now for that reason Sabrina's lyrics are popular. They are simple, right ti point. And most important they not talk about how messy sex can be and who Is sexual active know what is mean and how this song are idelaized sex.
That's the problem. They've turned something that's supposed to be the closest you can get to someone, something so intimate and sacred, into a hobby. That brings down its worth and makes one of the few things we live for, ironically, less fun.
I don't mind singers singing about sex. I enjoy those songs too. But Sabrina and Olivia have sex as primary subject of songwriting. For Olivia, it's always some dude driving her up a wall. Sabrina on the other hand wants to act 16 in the 70s. It's a bit problematic
You can sing about sex all you like but at least act like an adult. Teenage angst can be less about sex and boyfriends and Instagram... For example, in Ghibli studios lots of characters are young and most fans are adults. Have you seen Miyazaki objectify any girl? Nope, because he understands that that's unnecessary.
And let's not forget, culture is no excuse. If America is notorious for OF girlies, Japan gets a name a legal age too low, often leading to sexualization of the schoolgirl. Miyazaki could have made more if he supported that imagery but he has too much self respect for himself and his work, something gen z can learn
This was incredible and put all my thoughts about the current “it girls” in pop out loud. I think one thing to add on is the song Juno, Sabrina wants to be “Juno” but she’s referencing a movie about teen pregnancy (something shameful in society) and a couple dealing with infertility (another shameful thing in society) and then infidelity (another shameful thing). It’s a tragic story for Juno and the wife yet Sabrina has glamorized the movie, again turning something serious into a “women empowerment” power play.
I’ve been reading a lot about how Gen Z is weirdly terrified of aging, and I think olivia & sabrina are great examples - Sabrina can never *be* Juno because she’s in her mid 20s and she’s a little in denial hence her Lolita photoshoot.
Anyways adore the piece & fully agree with the fading of the “shock factor”. make america sexy again.
Yes, she flattened the story of Juno. Yes the lolita photoshoot (referencing kubrick's film, not really the book), and her debasing a Brooklyn church are other points that didn't make it in here, but have also tried to dilute sexuality to meaninglessness. I truly just want America to be sexy again.. perhaps our savior and sex icon donald trump can help with this
This piece is so good. I've been marinating on it for a few days and you really put my thoughts into words well. Every time I've heard a Sabrina Carpenter song on the radio, I'm conflicted. The beat and melody is adorable and fun but the lyrics are super suggestive. It doesn't match and feels forced. Probably why I haven't really taken to her music. It's for teenagers who fantasize about the sex they'll one day have, not for grown women who are actively having it. Also love the quote about sex symbols and Pamela Anderson. It's got me thinking of sex symbols throughout history and how authentic they may have been. I think you inspiring me to write a piece on it.
interesting you miss olivia’s most explicit references to sex to fit your narrative - “is she good in bed?” and “can’t get get you off”. both aren’t easy going jubilent experiences
Precisely; OR’s music is all about insecurity and being dumped. I don’t listen to her much at all, but I think So American is the first real “love song”.
& The closing to SC’s “Love Life” Songs from Short n Sweet is Couldn’t Make It Any Harder, where she admits she effectively can’t have a workable relationship any more because of emotional damage from a too high “relationship count”
Frankly confused regarding the inclusion of Olivia Rodrigo in this analysis, though I suspect it's an attempt to generalize it to the entirety of female gen z pop stars. Not only does she often write of the sex in the nuanced manner you're calling for, but is limited by having different experiences than that of Courtney Love or Lana Del Rey, but posting images of a 17-year-old licking ice cream or opening her mouth to sing her own lyrics to suggest that she's making sexual expressions does not align with the broad consensus on her image (and frankly says more about the person analyzing her in such a way)--especially since one could point instead toward pop stars often changing their wardrobes immediately after turning 18. This piece's greater conclusion fails to align with the given support, and instead may have been more successful as an exploration of Sabrina Carpenter's shift in image, without attempting to directly correlate it with the sex lives of all young adults.
I agree with you. I have a hard time getting the « cum shot » and other harsh terms concerning her.
In regards to Sabrina Carpenter though :
This piece felt like a judgmental view of perceived sexual intentions, like that of some older women who won’t call you one up until you’ve been through the pain of what it means to be a woman to them. I agree that sexuality is not all soft and pink and fuzzy but all the discourse around it doesn’t have to rely on pain either. It feels fun and light to sometimes not be met with violence and pain when talking about sex, especially when you already live through it.
We also have a right for media that doesn’t represent womanhood solely through pain, and violence, and living through and with it and surviving. It feels refreshing to smile and be able to laugh at sex and sexual innuendos, especially in a heterosexual context where this hasn’t always been the case.
Also to talk about teens as if they don’t have or want sex is baseless. Being a teen girl and having imagery of sexuality that seem fun can be cool and it can make sex seem less intimidating or scary than other discourse around it, that also has a place but can be overwhelming and scary. Understanding what one wants sexually also means having the space to think of the dynamics and the acts you’d like to try, not just the situations to avoid.
This piece felt angry in a way that’s misplaced and therefore it falls flat
I love that you added a line from Lana Del Rey’s A&W because conveniently enough, when this song was trending for some time online, these lyrics were never highlighted. Just the part that repeated the name Jimmy, and had a nice beat that one could thirst trap to. Once again the plight of female sexuality is overshadowed by this generations compulsive need to simulate a desirable sexual image.
Every single so called “think piece” on the aesthetic of Sabrina Carpenter (and in this essay, Olivia Rodrigo) on Substack just feels like the author wants to slut shame her in the name of feminism, and it’s actually setting us all back. Everyone wants to bitch and moan about the audience of children at these concerts - why aren’t we complaining about parents bringing kids to events that aren’t appropriate for them? None of these musicians are children’s entertainers even if they got started in children’s media. These posts reek of being so consumed by Internet discourse that they don’t know what real problems are.
Loved this so much! The problem with modern pop stars trying to be “subversive” through constant sexuality is that if everyone is doing it - it’s literally not subversive! The pendulum has swung the other way, now modesty is subversive. Just compare the styling of Sabrina’s tiny desk concert vs Doechii’s
Fascinating! I think that the business angle cannot be overstated. Sex sells but to reach the widest (and youngest) audience, the sex must be anodyne — not the messy reality you describe so well. The current trend in the corporate world is to “optimize“ the products they sell. So the female rock stars of today have that air brushed, slightly AI appearance and have exquisitely curated social media outlets. The “dirty” part of sex, of course, is the best part. But appealing to Middle America means that bodily fluids,, ripped panties writing crops are out as far as merch is concerned.
I think you’re right. In SC’s case, Nonsense was her first big “hit”, and so Short n Sweet was the album to see if the ‘h<3ny blonde’ was still a good marketing hit.
I think the results speak for themselves when you’re matching records set by the Beatles.
And the Deluxe edition add-ons are, while still very suggestive, has references to marriage, which I think is still fairly rare in the industry. Couldn’t Make It Harder is quite unusual compared to the usual fare of “I Never Want To Grow Up”
This was a great read! I completely agree with your take on Sabrina Carpenter, because despite all her performances being in lingerie and all the sex innuendos, she just comes off as cute which doesn’t make much sense. I’m going to make sure to reference your essay in my next piece about how we’ve lost sex appeal in general z culture.
I think also there’s such little awareness of the erotic that everything jumps straight to soft porn style imagery and rhetoric. Like Anais Nin style engagement with eroticism, Monica Belluci, Eartha Kitt, even more overt stars like Mae West have a sense of eroticism that’s humorous and enjoyable to watch and not immediately super uncomfortable. I love the 60s looks and fashion and think it’s more interesting textiles wise than Olivia Rodrigo’s look (nothing wrong with it just not super groundbreaking), but overall there’s no sense of seduction or eroticism just plain all caps SEX HERE which, you’re correct, manages to totally evade actual sexuality somehow.
I just don’t feel like this article was very aware.
Pop music is not about exposing the nuances of womanhood so to compare Sabrina carpenter and Lana del Rey seemed purposely obtuse especially when Lana overtly sexualized herself as well …. U probably just thought it was “artsy”. It gave that you just don’t like Sabrina or Olivia which I think is fine but they do work in an industry that does prioritize the male gaze and even so they’re in their early 20s. I know there are people who weren’t getting fucked in their early 20s but I was and a lot of other girls were too. It taught me a lot about what I liked and didn’t liked and I don’t regret it nor do I think it’s a bad thing.
My last critique of this piece comes from you stating you weren’t trying to pass on sensationalized judgement but at the end of the day why is it Sabrina’s job to curate a show based on the 12-18 year olds who’s parents very obviously did 0 research before buying tickets. Yeah they may be going to the show but that is not Sabrina’s target audience. Maybe w Olivia I could see it cause she sings about HS a lot but idk. Also comparing them to late 2000s Taylor Swift but referring to Taylor as wholesome??? Girlies music was quite literally only about men at that point also?? I don’t know this kind of missed the mark to me.
Hello, have you ever heard of Janet Jackson? Seen any of her performances in the 90s?
What about songs about sex sung by female singers from 80s, 70s, 60s and before? It’s surprising for me that in 2025 people still clutch their pearls when observing pop stars. ;)
very strange to compare her to Taylor Swift and Hole instead of Britney Spears, who sang "Hit Me Baby One More Time" in 1999 in a schoolgirl costume. Like, Gen Z?????
Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘cum faces’??? ‘Innocent girl wanting to be fucked’? These felt like major projections. I’ve listened to her music in depth, watched live shows. She barely addresses sex head on, but she’s not trying to pretend that she doesn’t have it. Maybe she partakes in the wearing of a skimpy bodysuit every now and then (which some would argue is a popstars god-given right!) but I don’t understand how she got dragged into this conversation of presenting the image of sex. Genuinely just baffled me to see her addressed like this. On the note of Sabrina carpenter, however. Sex can be fun! It should be fun! If she doesn’t want to write songs about it being messy that’s fine! I enjoy her lighthearted approach to sex and music. People are allowed to be horny and view sex as an avenue for pleasure and humour. I mean, in essence I can see the statement being made here but some odd examples were put on the chopping block. It came across as quite belittling and borderline mysogynistc at times, but an important conversation to start having.
It’s as if on-stage, simulated sexuality is a performance and you’re supposed to just watch and appreciate it, without sexualizing or objectifying the cute woman who is performing. It’s “sex as work” or art, on tour. That’s why it’s so uncanny and decoupled from “sexiness.” There’s a sense that “this is just what a woman is supposed to do. Ogle, applaud for her, and move on.”it’s almost like taking the sexiness too seriously or earnestly is as absurd as assuming a stripper likes a customer. That attitude of “of course she’s being sexy and of course it’s just an act, it’s just what you do” makes sensuality into simply a marketing rite of passage and to paraphrase Baudrillard, the sign barely represents the original signifier at this point.
i agree with some points, but can’t help but compare it to kpop. if u look at the success of an idol like jungkook, his appeal is that he is comfortable being actually flirty / have sexual imagery (a song about literally fucking someone 7 days a week) while performing but then his home personality is cute and wholesome. i think the cute and wholesome personality in contrast with the explicit songs is the entire point. i don’t think she also wants to be a sex icon, it’s as much marketing as ice spice’s hair.
also side-note, it’s interesting the two examples are from the disney pipeline. how does growing up as a child and then over correcting to sexual imagery a new thing ? i think the taylor example doesn’t take that into account, she didn’t grow up in the public eye in the same way. you could argue the same point with other pop stars like lady gaga, etc.
I think Jungkook is a terrible example. For one, in a performance of Seven (or 3D) the only thing explicitly sexual is the actual song. Seven has a tiny bit of sexual choreography but it’s not performed by JK, it’s performed by his backup dancers. There’s none in 3D. On top of this, he isn’t even necessarily performing the explicit version of Seven (which is more obviously sexual than the clean version) when he performs most of the time bc he generally was doing television promotions. There’s nothing sexual about his specific styling for those songs either.
Jungkook actually ACHIEVES more sexuality with those songs than Sabrina does with her explicit choreo moves and lingeries. However it’s also difficult to compare the persona of a kpop idol with a western artist. Fans don’t nearly have the access to western musicians that kpop fans have gotten to idols. With its western artists it’s much more limited and intentional. No one at Hybe is signing off on Jungkook folding his laundry, including his underwear, and falling asleep on lives. He’s doing whatever the hell he wants and it comes off as genuine. What we see of Sabrina always comes off as enacting a strategy.
love your addition! i totally agree, jk’s is much more genuine and works as “sexy” in ways that sabrina definitely does not.
however, i disagree with the first part, to me the song is still sexually explicit even if it’s an innuendo rather than the word “fuxking” during live performances. also legally he’s not allowed to perform the explicit lyrics on air. in 3D he does mimic pushing someone’s head down, which i thought was quite explicit.
my main point was that “cutie sexy” is popular in other celebs and doesn’t necessarily negate the sexy part. to be a sexual icon doesn’t mean to be sultry all the time. i do think k-pop does this very well. sabrina carpenter does not, because it’s not authentic like you said.
I was thinking about this on my way to work and I think Taeyong might be a better example of the cute-sexy, or at the very least the playful-sexy. Hui played a lot with cute-sexy on his solo album last year (year before?). I could make an argument for Sunoo from Enhypen too since they have quite a few startlingly sexy songs and he has the cutie pie effect in that group.
ah like in korean “큐티 섹시“ is a term for that “type” someone might be into. if you watch reality shows ppl will ask “what’s your type?” 이상형이 뭐예요? and reply with “cutie sexy” , 큐티섹시 not “cute and sexy”, 귀엽고 섹시한 사람“ it’s kind of its own word that we don’t have in english (it’s a pseudo-anglicism).
I never followed kpop girl groups so maybe they are doing the cutie sexy thing, but the guys aren’t. Do some have very cute personas? Yes. But they are not performing “sexy” simultaneously with “cute.” Some even complain on lives that they can’t do sexy bc they are seen as too cute.
I respect your address of Gen Z’s rising purity culture but I struggle to understand how Sabrina Carpenter was the correct analysis subject considering Carpenter is performing a burlesque-style show at her concerts which are, inherently, deeply referential to sex and its culture. To me, an homage to Old Hollywood, burlesque, and female sexuality does not seem like a puritanized, false, and/or inauthentic performance of her own sexuality. Frankly, it seems like a very curated expression of herself. It’s not like every song or album or performance needs to criticize the heterosexual act of sex. Sex can be fun and should be allowed to be fun, too.
Sabrina also references the variety shows of the 60’s and 70’s in her performances. Dismissively calling her cute instead of sexy is a surface read of her style and her frame of reference which is harkening back to when families sat around watching variety shows dripping in sexual innuendos for the adults in the room while Donny and Marie sang while on ice skates for the kids. We also conflate short with young, a lot of short women know they can’t break out of being thought of as cute simply because they can’t be the tall leggy supermodel ideal of sexiness.
Maybe the cute vs sexy bit isn’t perfectly put; arguably the bigger point is that actual sex isn’t always cute OR “sexy” as media portrays it. Part of Sabrina being characterized as cute is — as the author and commenters note — her determination to look super youthful via procedures, makeup, etc. which hey, is her choice, her right etc. etc. but the point is that authentically, organically, in-person-as-opposed-to-TikTok, “sexy” as we once knew it (or as millennials and those before us do) is erased by the Sabrinas and Olivias of the industry. Even Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, who ofc played into this as well at times, also had performances and portrayals that were messy, unpolished, imperfect, unhappy, vulnerable. My read of the author’s critique leans more towards this distinction than a dismissive or misogynistic take on Sabrina’s aesthetic…
Sexy has many different interpretations, there is no one way to do it, or at least no one way that pleases everyone. My assertion is that Sabrina’s sexy is 60’s/70’s variety show sexy which is not as youthful as the author seems to think it is. It’s very much in the Dolly Parton way of being Too Much that appeals more to women and queer people than to straight men. I will always say, look to Sabrina’s audience, it’s not straight men who pay for her music and shows (unless it’s the dads of her young fans). There will always be a tension between the sexy idea of a “natural beauty” and a high femme makeup and hair aesthetic. The men who like to tell women what to look like tend to fall on the natural side, although they either don’t know or don’t care to know how much work can go into that “bare faced” look. Sabrina isn’t kowtowing to that side, those men don’t see her cute, they see an adult woman who mimes fellatio onstage, that’s the antithesis of sexy to them. I think the author means well, she is frightfully young, I probably would have made the same argument at her age, when you’ve lived through well over forty years of popstars, a kindness towards them can set it, also a relief when it seems as if they are in control of their image, which I believe Sabrina evinces in ways that the singes of yore never could.
“frightfully young” LMAO i am 27
That is frightfully young. You'll realize that when you're 51.
Like I said before, you can write about sex sometimes and sing it. Sure. But performing soft porn acts on stage for live audience? Of course people's gunna hate you
I fully agree with you. I don't think this particular analysis fits when considering Carpenter, her performance style or her songs. I think she knows what she's doing and it's fitting to who she is. She has always been a fan of word play and innuendos- sexual or not in her songwriting career and I think this is just the current extension of that. And I don't think she's trying to come off as this sex icon at all. She knows she is seen as "cute" and that's something she will be seen as due to her small stature and height and doe eyes and what not and she plays with that intentionally. I think if you really want to be able to analyze this Short N' Sweet era you must first look back on her previous albums and more of her personality.
I think people underestimate how much intention and thought goes into a celebrity’s image. Sabrina and Olivia are both some of the most famous pop starts right now, they for sure have specific team members dedicated to cultivating a specific image for them in the magazines, the songs, the wardrobes, and the concerts. To say that “she’s not trying to be a sex icon” is ignoring the very overt sexual imagery she does throughout all of her performances in every stage.
It's not a hate crime to sing about sex as long as you don't allude to "sexy teenage girl" aesthetic. Be an adult, that's all we ask
My question is why gen z use everything about sex but at the same time we are the most isolated geberation. I'm wonder why every song, movie, books are described with spicy, sexy. And if someone point the light in this matter they answer it is against patheiarchy.
And, if recent surveys are accurate, they have less sex than any recent generation. I think the greatest era for sexuality was the Victorian, when the flash of a naked ankle could provoke heart palpitations.
Maybe that, ultimately, was Victoria’s secret.
I strongly belive Is as genereration we love "thé performance" explicit sex in books and media is all about performance. We hate intimacy. Intimacy means vulnérability, both horrorific concept for our times. Sex can be fun and everybody must be free with sexuality but we forget about erotisism and imagination. We dont have time. We want everything right now for that reason Sabrina's lyrics are popular. They are simple, right ti point. And most important they not talk about how messy sex can be and who Is sexual active know what is mean and how this song are idelaized sex.
Ankles are hot ngl
Exactly. Selling soft porn isn't the answer to patriarchal society
Great point. I've always found burlesque to be the most unsexy performace of sex too. Its like meant to be performative apparently?
Sex is too generic nowadays. Especially in media
That's the problem. They've turned something that's supposed to be the closest you can get to someone, something so intimate and sacred, into a hobby. That brings down its worth and makes one of the few things we live for, ironically, less fun.
I don't mind singers singing about sex. I enjoy those songs too. But Sabrina and Olivia have sex as primary subject of songwriting. For Olivia, it's always some dude driving her up a wall. Sabrina on the other hand wants to act 16 in the 70s. It's a bit problematic
You can sing about sex all you like but at least act like an adult. Teenage angst can be less about sex and boyfriends and Instagram... For example, in Ghibli studios lots of characters are young and most fans are adults. Have you seen Miyazaki objectify any girl? Nope, because he understands that that's unnecessary.
And let's not forget, culture is no excuse. If America is notorious for OF girlies, Japan gets a name a legal age too low, often leading to sexualization of the schoolgirl. Miyazaki could have made more if he supported that imagery but he has too much self respect for himself and his work, something gen z can learn
This was incredible and put all my thoughts about the current “it girls” in pop out loud. I think one thing to add on is the song Juno, Sabrina wants to be “Juno” but she’s referencing a movie about teen pregnancy (something shameful in society) and a couple dealing with infertility (another shameful thing in society) and then infidelity (another shameful thing). It’s a tragic story for Juno and the wife yet Sabrina has glamorized the movie, again turning something serious into a “women empowerment” power play.
I’ve been reading a lot about how Gen Z is weirdly terrified of aging, and I think olivia & sabrina are great examples - Sabrina can never *be* Juno because she’s in her mid 20s and she’s a little in denial hence her Lolita photoshoot.
Anyways adore the piece & fully agree with the fading of the “shock factor”. make america sexy again.
Yes, she flattened the story of Juno. Yes the lolita photoshoot (referencing kubrick's film, not really the book), and her debasing a Brooklyn church are other points that didn't make it in here, but have also tried to dilute sexuality to meaninglessness. I truly just want America to be sexy again.. perhaps our savior and sex icon donald trump can help with this
There are so many aesthetic themes that these artists can try on but they choose the most controversial ones. It's real sad
This piece is so good. I've been marinating on it for a few days and you really put my thoughts into words well. Every time I've heard a Sabrina Carpenter song on the radio, I'm conflicted. The beat and melody is adorable and fun but the lyrics are super suggestive. It doesn't match and feels forced. Probably why I haven't really taken to her music. It's for teenagers who fantasize about the sex they'll one day have, not for grown women who are actively having it. Also love the quote about sex symbols and Pamela Anderson. It's got me thinking of sex symbols throughout history and how authentic they may have been. I think you inspiring me to write a piece on it.
interesting you miss olivia’s most explicit references to sex to fit your narrative - “is she good in bed?” and “can’t get get you off”. both aren’t easy going jubilent experiences
Precisely; OR’s music is all about insecurity and being dumped. I don’t listen to her much at all, but I think So American is the first real “love song”.
& The closing to SC’s “Love Life” Songs from Short n Sweet is Couldn’t Make It Any Harder, where she admits she effectively can’t have a workable relationship any more because of emotional damage from a too high “relationship count”
my thoughts exactly.
Frankly confused regarding the inclusion of Olivia Rodrigo in this analysis, though I suspect it's an attempt to generalize it to the entirety of female gen z pop stars. Not only does she often write of the sex in the nuanced manner you're calling for, but is limited by having different experiences than that of Courtney Love or Lana Del Rey, but posting images of a 17-year-old licking ice cream or opening her mouth to sing her own lyrics to suggest that she's making sexual expressions does not align with the broad consensus on her image (and frankly says more about the person analyzing her in such a way)--especially since one could point instead toward pop stars often changing their wardrobes immediately after turning 18. This piece's greater conclusion fails to align with the given support, and instead may have been more successful as an exploration of Sabrina Carpenter's shift in image, without attempting to directly correlate it with the sex lives of all young adults.
I agree with you. I have a hard time getting the « cum shot » and other harsh terms concerning her.
In regards to Sabrina Carpenter though :
This piece felt like a judgmental view of perceived sexual intentions, like that of some older women who won’t call you one up until you’ve been through the pain of what it means to be a woman to them. I agree that sexuality is not all soft and pink and fuzzy but all the discourse around it doesn’t have to rely on pain either. It feels fun and light to sometimes not be met with violence and pain when talking about sex, especially when you already live through it.
We also have a right for media that doesn’t represent womanhood solely through pain, and violence, and living through and with it and surviving. It feels refreshing to smile and be able to laugh at sex and sexual innuendos, especially in a heterosexual context where this hasn’t always been the case.
Also to talk about teens as if they don’t have or want sex is baseless. Being a teen girl and having imagery of sexuality that seem fun can be cool and it can make sex seem less intimidating or scary than other discourse around it, that also has a place but can be overwhelming and scary. Understanding what one wants sexually also means having the space to think of the dynamics and the acts you’d like to try, not just the situations to avoid.
This piece felt angry in a way that’s misplaced and therefore it falls flat
I love that you added a line from Lana Del Rey’s A&W because conveniently enough, when this song was trending for some time online, these lyrics were never highlighted. Just the part that repeated the name Jimmy, and had a nice beat that one could thirst trap to. Once again the plight of female sexuality is overshadowed by this generations compulsive need to simulate a desirable sexual image.
Every single so called “think piece” on the aesthetic of Sabrina Carpenter (and in this essay, Olivia Rodrigo) on Substack just feels like the author wants to slut shame her in the name of feminism, and it’s actually setting us all back. Everyone wants to bitch and moan about the audience of children at these concerts - why aren’t we complaining about parents bringing kids to events that aren’t appropriate for them? None of these musicians are children’s entertainers even if they got started in children’s media. These posts reek of being so consumed by Internet discourse that they don’t know what real problems are.
respectfully, this is not what my essay is about at all
Loved this so much! The problem with modern pop stars trying to be “subversive” through constant sexuality is that if everyone is doing it - it’s literally not subversive! The pendulum has swung the other way, now modesty is subversive. Just compare the styling of Sabrina’s tiny desk concert vs Doechii’s
Exactly! Being a hyper-sexual pop star is now practically traditional. 😂
Fascinating! I think that the business angle cannot be overstated. Sex sells but to reach the widest (and youngest) audience, the sex must be anodyne — not the messy reality you describe so well. The current trend in the corporate world is to “optimize“ the products they sell. So the female rock stars of today have that air brushed, slightly AI appearance and have exquisitely curated social media outlets. The “dirty” part of sex, of course, is the best part. But appealing to Middle America means that bodily fluids,, ripped panties writing crops are out as far as merch is concerned.
I think you’re right. In SC’s case, Nonsense was her first big “hit”, and so Short n Sweet was the album to see if the ‘h<3ny blonde’ was still a good marketing hit.
I think the results speak for themselves when you’re matching records set by the Beatles.
And the Deluxe edition add-ons are, while still very suggestive, has references to marriage, which I think is still fairly rare in the industry. Couldn’t Make It Harder is quite unusual compared to the usual fare of “I Never Want To Grow Up”
This was a great read! I completely agree with your take on Sabrina Carpenter, because despite all her performances being in lingerie and all the sex innuendos, she just comes off as cute which doesn’t make much sense. I’m going to make sure to reference your essay in my next piece about how we’ve lost sex appeal in general z culture.
I think also there’s such little awareness of the erotic that everything jumps straight to soft porn style imagery and rhetoric. Like Anais Nin style engagement with eroticism, Monica Belluci, Eartha Kitt, even more overt stars like Mae West have a sense of eroticism that’s humorous and enjoyable to watch and not immediately super uncomfortable. I love the 60s looks and fashion and think it’s more interesting textiles wise than Olivia Rodrigo’s look (nothing wrong with it just not super groundbreaking), but overall there’s no sense of seduction or eroticism just plain all caps SEX HERE which, you’re correct, manages to totally evade actual sexuality somehow.
I just don’t feel like this article was very aware.
Pop music is not about exposing the nuances of womanhood so to compare Sabrina carpenter and Lana del Rey seemed purposely obtuse especially when Lana overtly sexualized herself as well …. U probably just thought it was “artsy”. It gave that you just don’t like Sabrina or Olivia which I think is fine but they do work in an industry that does prioritize the male gaze and even so they’re in their early 20s. I know there are people who weren’t getting fucked in their early 20s but I was and a lot of other girls were too. It taught me a lot about what I liked and didn’t liked and I don’t regret it nor do I think it’s a bad thing.
My last critique of this piece comes from you stating you weren’t trying to pass on sensationalized judgement but at the end of the day why is it Sabrina’s job to curate a show based on the 12-18 year olds who’s parents very obviously did 0 research before buying tickets. Yeah they may be going to the show but that is not Sabrina’s target audience. Maybe w Olivia I could see it cause she sings about HS a lot but idk. Also comparing them to late 2000s Taylor Swift but referring to Taylor as wholesome??? Girlies music was quite literally only about men at that point also?? I don’t know this kind of missed the mark to me.
Hello, have you ever heard of Janet Jackson? Seen any of her performances in the 90s?
What about songs about sex sung by female singers from 80s, 70s, 60s and before? It’s surprising for me that in 2025 people still clutch their pearls when observing pop stars. ;)
very strange to compare her to Taylor Swift and Hole instead of Britney Spears, who sang "Hit Me Baby One More Time" in 1999 in a schoolgirl costume. Like, Gen Z?????
Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘cum faces’??? ‘Innocent girl wanting to be fucked’? These felt like major projections. I’ve listened to her music in depth, watched live shows. She barely addresses sex head on, but she’s not trying to pretend that she doesn’t have it. Maybe she partakes in the wearing of a skimpy bodysuit every now and then (which some would argue is a popstars god-given right!) but I don’t understand how she got dragged into this conversation of presenting the image of sex. Genuinely just baffled me to see her addressed like this. On the note of Sabrina carpenter, however. Sex can be fun! It should be fun! If she doesn’t want to write songs about it being messy that’s fine! I enjoy her lighthearted approach to sex and music. People are allowed to be horny and view sex as an avenue for pleasure and humour. I mean, in essence I can see the statement being made here but some odd examples were put on the chopping block. It came across as quite belittling and borderline mysogynistc at times, but an important conversation to start having.
It’s as if on-stage, simulated sexuality is a performance and you’re supposed to just watch and appreciate it, without sexualizing or objectifying the cute woman who is performing. It’s “sex as work” or art, on tour. That’s why it’s so uncanny and decoupled from “sexiness.” There’s a sense that “this is just what a woman is supposed to do. Ogle, applaud for her, and move on.”it’s almost like taking the sexiness too seriously or earnestly is as absurd as assuming a stripper likes a customer. That attitude of “of course she’s being sexy and of course it’s just an act, it’s just what you do” makes sensuality into simply a marketing rite of passage and to paraphrase Baudrillard, the sign barely represents the original signifier at this point.
i agree with some points, but can’t help but compare it to kpop. if u look at the success of an idol like jungkook, his appeal is that he is comfortable being actually flirty / have sexual imagery (a song about literally fucking someone 7 days a week) while performing but then his home personality is cute and wholesome. i think the cute and wholesome personality in contrast with the explicit songs is the entire point. i don’t think she also wants to be a sex icon, it’s as much marketing as ice spice’s hair.
also side-note, it’s interesting the two examples are from the disney pipeline. how does growing up as a child and then over correcting to sexual imagery a new thing ? i think the taylor example doesn’t take that into account, she didn’t grow up in the public eye in the same way. you could argue the same point with other pop stars like lady gaga, etc.
I think Jungkook is a terrible example. For one, in a performance of Seven (or 3D) the only thing explicitly sexual is the actual song. Seven has a tiny bit of sexual choreography but it’s not performed by JK, it’s performed by his backup dancers. There’s none in 3D. On top of this, he isn’t even necessarily performing the explicit version of Seven (which is more obviously sexual than the clean version) when he performs most of the time bc he generally was doing television promotions. There’s nothing sexual about his specific styling for those songs either.
Jungkook actually ACHIEVES more sexuality with those songs than Sabrina does with her explicit choreo moves and lingeries. However it’s also difficult to compare the persona of a kpop idol with a western artist. Fans don’t nearly have the access to western musicians that kpop fans have gotten to idols. With its western artists it’s much more limited and intentional. No one at Hybe is signing off on Jungkook folding his laundry, including his underwear, and falling asleep on lives. He’s doing whatever the hell he wants and it comes off as genuine. What we see of Sabrina always comes off as enacting a strategy.
love your addition! i totally agree, jk’s is much more genuine and works as “sexy” in ways that sabrina definitely does not.
however, i disagree with the first part, to me the song is still sexually explicit even if it’s an innuendo rather than the word “fuxking” during live performances. also legally he’s not allowed to perform the explicit lyrics on air. in 3D he does mimic pushing someone’s head down, which i thought was quite explicit.
my main point was that “cutie sexy” is popular in other celebs and doesn’t necessarily negate the sexy part. to be a sexual icon doesn’t mean to be sultry all the time. i do think k-pop does this very well. sabrina carpenter does not, because it’s not authentic like you said.
I was thinking about this on my way to work and I think Taeyong might be a better example of the cute-sexy, or at the very least the playful-sexy. Hui played a lot with cute-sexy on his solo album last year (year before?). I could make an argument for Sunoo from Enhypen too since they have quite a few startlingly sexy songs and he has the cutie pie effect in that group.
ah like in korean “큐티 섹시“ is a term for that “type” someone might be into. if you watch reality shows ppl will ask “what’s your type?” 이상형이 뭐예요? and reply with “cutie sexy” , 큐티섹시 not “cute and sexy”, 귀엽고 섹시한 사람“ it’s kind of its own word that we don’t have in english (it’s a pseudo-anglicism).
U-kwon from Block B immediately comes to my mind when I think of this tbh.
I never followed kpop girl groups so maybe they are doing the cutie sexy thing, but the guys aren’t. Do some have very cute personas? Yes. But they are not performing “sexy” simultaneously with “cute.” Some even complain on lives that they can’t do sexy bc they are seen as too cute.