Sabrina Carpenter: Iconic, Provocative—and a Feminist Failure?

In today’s hyper-curated world of pop culture, few figures dominate the conversation quite like Sabrina Carpenter. She’s everywhere—on magazine covers, on TikTok, on tour stages clad in coquettish bows and sparkling hot pants, confidently teasing a generation with her sugary power-pop. Her songs are catchy, her visuals are flawless, her presence is undeniably iconic. But as the glitter settles, some are asking: where’s the substance? 

There’s no denying Sabrina Carpenter has crafted a striking pop persona. From the “Espresso” video dripping with retro-glam to her onstage. Lolita-meets-Barbie performance style, she walks a fine line between playful empowerment and manufactured seduction. It’s provocative, yes—but what’s it provoking, really?

Carpenter flirts with empowerment without ever challenging the structures that make it necessary. There’s no anger, no critique, no real disruption. She’s confident, yes! But it’s a kind of confidence that’s been airbrushed, monetized, and made palatable for mass consumption. It’s girl power with a PR team.

The real issue isn’t Sabrina alone—it’s the cultural moment that made her. Gen Z feminism is in crisis: flattened by TikTok trends, Instagram aesthetics, and “hot girl” capitalism. In this landscape, empowerment is a filter, and feminism is a merch line. Sabrina is not the problem. Maybe, she’s the symptom. Sabrina Carpenter is iconic because she knows how to play the game. But feminism isn’t a game at all. It’s political. And so far, she’s not showing up for that fight.