Caffeine or Decaf?

Where caffeine is 'Espresso' and decaf is not.

I really feel the need to discuss Sabrina Carpenter. Some people have spoken about her like Marmite: either love her or hate her. I can't quite make my mind up.

On one hand, Sabrina Carpenter has been on my radar for a little while. She supported The Vamps on tour in 2017, around the time that they collaborated on 'Hands' together. She was not very well known at the time in the music scene, still with her roots in Disney, but some of her songs were catchy ( I remember having 'Thumbs' stuck in my head for weeks). Unfortunately, I also remember watching the majority of the O2 empty out during her set.

Despite this, in recent times, she has exponentially grown in popularity. With the release of tracks such as 'Espresso' and 'Bed Chem', it is practically impossible to go anywhere without hearing her sultry tones. It would be hard to sit here and say that I don't like her music: I think she panders to a range of pop audiences in her songs, and from what I have heard, her concerts tell a story throughout the evening, which I believe is a truly captivating way to engage an audience. However, I can't say I agree with all of her on-stage antics. I respect her music and outfits, but sometimes the sexual nods and line-crossing reaches a point that makes me feel for the parents that have to answer their tween/pre-teen's questions. I am an avid listener of Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe's 'Parenting Hell' podcast, of which I am ashamedly very behind on at the moment: I was catching up with some beginning of the year episodes, and Josh was talking about how he took his daughter to the Sabrina Carpenter concert. He mentioned how there were points that his daughter didn't realise what she was singing and how relieved he was at such. It made me question how teachers, carers and parents are coping with impressionable children singing and potentially re-enacting signature moments such as her 'Juno' pose. For those that don't know, Sabrina demonstrates a new sex position on stage every night of her tour to this song, now known as the 'Juno Positions'. She controversially also hinted towards sexual antics with a King's Guard at the BRIT Awards 2025, which contributed to the show receiving around 900 Ofcom complaints.

I think it is highly commendable that Sabrina has built herself up from her Disney stardom and broken free of the 'Disney Kid' stereotype to create her own unique performance style and persona. Her antics on stage are questionable and to the mark, but part of me feels this is in a response of a sort of rebellion to her 'Disney Kid' roots. Either way, whether you choose to like coffee or not, you don't always have to have caffiene. It is undeniable her music is crafted to live in our minds and echo in shops and radio, but that doesn't mean you always have to like her live performance element too. So, I pose the question to you. Caffeine or decaf? Sabrina's music and live performance, or just her music?