At this point, we’ve all heard of the global pop phenomenon that is Sabrina Carpenter. She took the world by storm with her pop hits like “Feather,” “Nonsense,” and many people’s favorite, “Espresso.” She was known as the artist of the summer, becoming popular for her flirty and witty lyrics. Her album Short n’ Sweet was released Aug. 23, 2024, and immediately became a favorite among pop fanatics around the world. 

Recently, in September 2024, Carpenter started her Short n’ Sweet Tour, which launched in Columbus on Sept. 23 and is set to end in London on July 5. The show features silly skits, witty jokes, dancing and, of course, lots of singing. 

However, shortly after the tour commenced, worried parents started to comment on her performance, saying the tour was raunchy and PG-13. Many criticized Carpenter and parts of the concert that they thought were suggestive. 

From her “Nonsense” outros to her glorified “Juno” positions, Carpenter has added quite a lot of risqué content into the two-hour performance. Reasonably, these aren’t things parents want their children to see. Concerts are fun, and a great way to spend time with people, but those memories can be ruined when all you can think about is if you ruined your kids’ childhood. 

While I understand Carpenter’s music is not for everyone, I don’t understand why the singer is facing this backlash about her tour. My question is: why bring your young child to a pop singer’s concert if you don’t know the music and its content?

While it might not have been blatantly obvious that the tour itself is not appropriate for kids, I wouldn’t exactly call her music kid-friendly. In this album specifically, Carpenter has outdone herself with flirty sayings and suggestive lines that add to the album’s character. 

However, from a parent’s point of view, kids follow pop culture, and it can definitely be hard to keep up. It’s hard to know what will be appropriate and what won’t, especially at certain ages. 

While I can sympathize with the people who have voiced distress, I don’t exactly agree. In my opinion, the things concerned parents are criticizing are just parts of her personality. This explicit content is kind of what she’s built her career off. It’s how her fans recognize and connect with her and it’s simply what makes Sabrina Carpenter, Sabrina Carpenter. 

I personally think it’s a parent’s simple duty to listen to an artist’s music and familiarize themselves with their content before they go to a concert with their child. It’s important to know what your kids will be exposed to. 

As for Sabrina, she’s killed it on tour so far. She has many concerts ahead of her and exciting things to look forward to in her future. With the upcoming Grammys, I’m sure she won’t be stopping here.