Sabrina Carpenter slams backlash over explicit lyrics: ‘I have boundaries’

Sabrina Carpenter recently called out those who criticise her songwriting for being sexually explicit and obscene.

In a new cover story for Variety’s Hitmakers Issue, the 26-year-old pop icon revealed that the reason her lyrics receive intense backlash could be her association with the preteen character she played on Disney Channel’s Girl Meets World.

Carpenter believes that might be one of the reasons people fail to separate her from the character she once portrayed.

“I think it wouldn’t matter so much if I wasn’t a childhood figure for some people," she said.

The Manchild hitmaker added, “But I also can’t really help that. It’s not my fault that I got a job when I was 12 and you won’t let me evolve."

She went on to share that just because her lyrics are sexual and playful, people assume, “Oh, she’ll say and do anything.”

However, Carpenter pushed back the assumptions and made it clear that she keeps many intimate details of her personal life to herself.

"I really do have boundaries with myself — you’d be surprised!” she shared.

The Feather songstress added, “I’m just actually living my life, and you’re watching. If you don’t like it, it’s not for you. If you do like it, let’s play.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Carpenter reminisced about being a young girl and looking up to women who would sing about sex.

"I always thought, 'When I grow up, then I get to embrace my sexuality more. I don’t even know what that means yet!'" she said.

Toward the end, the Grammy-winning artist stressed that she won’t be changing herself to fit how people want her to be perceived.

"I want to remember this as a time in my life when I really didn’t hold back. I wore the skirts I wanted to wear; I spoke about things in a way that I won’t regret, because I was very open. I think that’s all that matters," she concluded.

Notably, Sabrina Carpenter wrapped up her Short n’ Sweet tour on November 23, 2025, in Los Angeles.