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Gonzo Report: What we talk about when we talk about Sabrina Carpenter
Discussing relationships, parasocial and otherwise, before the show at Pechanga
Left to right: Delilah, Peyton, Avalon, Norma, Kristine, Jay, Kyra, Delaney
On November 10, I went with my older sister to see Sabrina Carpenter’s Short ‘n Sweet tour when it stopped at Pechanga Arena. I was very excited. I was also kind of fascinated, because the Short ‘n Sweet album is so, so different from her previous album, emails i can’t send. The latter is more of a breakup album for girls who are going through it and just need something to cry to, plus some fun upbeat songs to remind them that it’s not all sad. But Short ‘n Sweet taps into the funnier side of a breakup, while at the same time being angrier — more about getting replaced and/or cheated on. (Plus there’s a lot more sex.)
For example: the song “Opposite” off of emails is about being replaced by another girl, but it’s a lament: “I’ll never be good enough.” (And I know now/ Even if I tried to change/ That somehow/ You’d end up with her anyway.) “Taste” off of Short ‘n Sweet is more, “His loss, I’m amazing, and she’ll never be as good as me.” (You can have him if you like/ I’ve been there, done that once or twice.) Maybe it’s because they’re about two different love triangles, the one she supposedly had with Joshua Bassett and Olivia Rodrigo, and the one she supposedly had with Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello. But the contrast between the two was strong enough to make me wonder, Is Sabrina Carpenter okay? And my level of interest was strong enough to make me wonder, Am I okay? Is this what they call a parasocial relationship?
My worries for myself increased as I walked around outside Pechanga before the show. Nobody else seemed to be fretting about the state of Sabrina. “I think she’s having the time of her life,” said Delilah. “I think she has a lot more confidence now in her songwriting. And a lot more help from new co-writers. I think she just found a different voice.” Her friend Peyton added, “I think a lot of the difference had to do with rebranding. She wanted to make a relatable, girly, cutesy album.”
“I think she’s doing great,” said Avalon. “She exploded after Coachella. I think she’s really fallen into her fame. After switching labels, she was able to embrace her voice more in the production.” Her friend Norma agreed: “It’s like she became herself.” When I asked if Carpenter fostered parasocial relationships, Avalon replied, “I think so. I think it’s all very intimate, through the music, online, the concerts. It’s a very community event. People make friends online, the Twitter groups. It’s like family.” Added Norma, “It’s welcoming: no judging, wear what you want, be who you are. It’s just so free.”
“I think she realized that men ain’t shit,” said Jay. “I thinks she’s turned to self-love.” Her friend Kristine said, “I feel like she’s really embodied femininity, and also, ‘I just don’t give a shit, I’ll be who I am,’ and people love her for it. Her persona has really grown: her costumes, her performances, her onstage presence.” Jay said, “I watched her previous concerts on TikTok, and she’s so silly and always talking to the audience. She interacts with them, which I haven’t seen a lot of artists do. It’s pretty cool.”
Kyra thought that Carpenter was smart about managing the parasocial thing. “She lets in just enough. It’s not a wall you can see through. But you can kind of look over the fence.” Her friend Delaney jumped in: “I think part of it is the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus stuff. She’s a friggin’ musical theater kid, she loves to perform.” As for the difference between the two albums that had me all twisted,, Delaney was sanguine. “Girls relate to this shit: it feels really heavy when you’re younger because you’re like, ‘All I want is this one love,’ and everything feels so big, and your friendships get blown up because you like this one guy.” That was emails i can’t send. “And then you grow up a little bit and you understand, ‘Oh that stuff doesn’t matter.’ Like, you’re supposed to feel these big emotions, you’re supposed to have all these blowups.” That was Short ‘n Sweet.
That was enough. I went inside, bought a hoodie, and had a great time at the concert.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Gonzo Report: What we talk about when we talk about Sabrina Carpenter
Discussing relationships, parasocial and otherwise, before the show at Pechanga
Gonzo Report: What we talk about when we talk about Sabrina Carpenter
Discussing relationships, parasocial and otherwise, before the show at Pechanga
Left to right: Delilah, Peyton, Avalon, Norma, Kristine, Jay, Kyra, Delaney
On November 10, I went with my older sister to see Sabrina Carpenter’s Short ‘n Sweet tour when it stopped at Pechanga Arena. I was very excited. I was also kind of fascinated, because the Short ‘n Sweet album is so, so different from her previous album, emails i can’t send. The latter is more of a breakup album for girls who are going through it and just need something to cry to, plus some fun upbeat songs to remind them that it’s not all sad. But Short ‘n Sweet taps into the funnier side of a breakup, while at the same time being angrier — more about getting replaced and/or cheated on. (Plus there’s a lot more sex.)
For example: the song “Opposite” off of emails is about being replaced by another girl, but it’s a lament: “I’ll never be good enough.” (And I know now/ Even if I tried to change/ That somehow/ You’d end up with her anyway.) “Taste” off of Short ‘n Sweet is more, “His loss, I’m amazing, and she’ll never be as good as me.” (You can have him if you like/ I’ve been there, done that once or twice.) Maybe it’s because they’re about two different love triangles, the one she supposedly had with Joshua Bassett and Olivia Rodrigo, and the one she supposedly had with Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello. But the contrast between the two was strong enough to make me wonder, Is Sabrina Carpenter okay? And my level of interest was strong enough to make me wonder, Am I okay? Is this what they call a parasocial relationship?
My worries for myself increased as I walked around outside Pechanga before the show. Nobody else seemed to be fretting about the state of Sabrina. “I think she’s having the time of her life,” said Delilah. “I think she has a lot more confidence now in her songwriting. And a lot more help from new co-writers. I think she just found a different voice.” Her friend Peyton added, “I think a lot of the difference had to do with rebranding. She wanted to make a relatable, girly, cutesy album.”
“I think she’s doing great,” said Avalon. “She exploded after Coachella. I think she’s really fallen into her fame. After switching labels, she was able to embrace her voice more in the production.” Her friend Norma agreed: “It’s like she became herself.” When I asked if Carpenter fostered parasocial relationships, Avalon replied, “I think so. I think it’s all very intimate, through the music, online, the concerts. It’s a very community event. People make friends online, the Twitter groups. It’s like family.” Added Norma, “It’s welcoming: no judging, wear what you want, be who you are. It’s just so free.”
“I think she realized that men ain’t shit,” said Jay. “I thinks she’s turned to self-love.” Her friend Kristine said, “I feel like she’s really embodied femininity, and also, ‘I just don’t give a shit, I’ll be who I am,’ and people love her for it. Her persona has really grown: her costumes, her performances, her onstage presence.” Jay said, “I watched her previous concerts on TikTok, and she’s so silly and always talking to the audience. She interacts with them, which I haven’t seen a lot of artists do. It’s pretty cool.”
Kyra thought that Carpenter was smart about managing the parasocial thing. “She lets in just enough. It’s not a wall you can see through. But you can kind of look over the fence.” Her friend Delaney jumped in: “I think part of it is the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus stuff. She’s a friggin’ musical theater kid, she loves to perform.” As for the difference between the two albums that had me all twisted,, Delaney was sanguine. “Girls relate to this shit: it feels really heavy when you’re younger because you’re like, ‘All I want is this one love,’ and everything feels so big, and your friendships get blown up because you like this one guy.” That was emails i can’t send. “And then you grow up a little bit and you understand, ‘Oh that stuff doesn’t matter.’ Like, you’re supposed to feel these big emotions, you’re supposed to have all these blowups.” That was Short ‘n Sweet.
That was enough. I went inside, bought a hoodie, and had a great time at the concert.
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