Pop star Sabrina Carpenter is no stranger to the age-old scrutiny that female pop stars have faced for years. In a refreshingly candid interview with TIME for their TIME100 Next cover story, Carpenter opened up about the ongoing criticism she receives, especially when it comes to her bold fashion choices and her embracing of sexuality in her performances.
While the 25-year-old is no stranger to criticism being a young leading lady in the music industry, she is not the kind to be affected by it. The star knows what even the most successful women in the industry have endured what she has to brace herself for. But she is not shying away from calling out people for criticizing her personal choices.
Sabrina Carpenter Says She’s No Exception To Costume Criticism
During the interview, Sabrina Carpenter was asked whether she faced a backlash that the kind of legends like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, and Madonna had to endure, the singer did not bat an eyelash.
“No, I definitely get that as well,” she admitted, agreeing that although her predecessors have made progress, she was in for some uphill battle.
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While pop icons from yesteryear might have paved the way, Carpenter points out that a few old-school critics will still hold their ground – especially when it comes to her wardrobe. “You’ll still get the occasional mother that has a strong opinion on how you should be dressing,” she said with a knowing laugh.
But she also had a bold response to the naysayers. “Don’t come to the show, and that’s OK.”
Sabrina Carpenter Claps Back At Her Naysayers
For Sabrina Carpenter, the criticism over what she wears misses the point entirely. Performing in front of thousands is daunting enough, she explained. “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,” she said.
“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,“ the singer added.
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Apart from fashion bashing, Carpenter has been trolled on different social media platforms. She does well to seek comfort in all that negativity. “Someone said this to me: whenever I’d get upset or feel like I’m the only one getting criticized for doing something that people are free to do, I remind myself that I’m one person seeing all this negative s— about myself. My friends aren’t seeing this,” she said.
