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Sabrina Carpenter taking a selfie.
Sabrina Carpenter taking a selfie.
@sabrinacarpenter / instagram
Culture > Entertainment

Sabrina Carpenter’s Steamy “Bed Chem” Outro Has Fans Divided

Emma Giovanetti

ICYMI, Sabrina Carpenter is under fire after her latest Short N’ Sweet Tour stop. Following her Nov. 15 show in Los Angeles, Carpenter was criticized for the show’s “overly sexual” content — specifically, the controversy surrounding the performance’s “Bed Chem” outro.

Since the beginning of the tour, Carpenter has typically done an outro for her song “Bed Chem.” (Side note, “Bed Chem” is about her sexual chemistry with a new partner, which fans have speculated to be about Barry Keoghan.) In these outros on her Short N’ Sweet Tour, Carpenter and her “partner’s” silhouettes are seen fooling around behind bed curtains and simulating some PG-13 foreplay, but it’s usually just them rolling around and never anything R-rated. That is until her first Los Angeles show

At her Nov. 15 show in Los Angeles, Carpenter’s backup dancer’s silhouette was seen lifting up her legs and spreading them during the “Bed Chem” outro, and fans are absolutely torn on this. While some think that this was definitely inappropriate, especially given that Carpenter has many young fans at her concerts, others argue that she displays a content warning before her songs, and that her music isn’t meant for young kids. 

After clips of the “Bed Chem” outro went viral, folks immediately took to Instagram, Youtube, and X, flooding the comments of her performance to share their divided opinions. One user wrote “I love her but that’s too much😭” while another wrote “poor barry”. Others wrote “OH WOW” and “She ateee” to express their love for this jaw-dropping performance.

@trinity.alaina

craziesr concert ever #fyp #sabrinacarpenter #shortnsweet #sabrinacarpentermusic #sabrinacarpenterconcert #sabrinacarpenterfan #bedchem

♬ original sound – Trinity

Additionally, on TikTok, creator @noahglenncarter broke down the controversy, which caused internet users to voice their opinions in the comment section. One user came to Carpenter’s defense, writing, “you do realize sabrina carpenter isn’t for kids?” and another commented “Oh please Sabrina is an adult let’s be real.” However, other users aren’t as pleased, with one commenting, “She’s literally been half naked every concert lately, she’s slowly going from slightly appropriate to dangerous territory. Who didn’t see this coming” and “This is so inappropriate. Not just because there were minors, but because it is not respectful to the audience.”

X users have not been shy about sharing their opinions either, with one user sharing a video of the performance and writing “i CANNOT be the only person that finds her doing this in front of a audience full of children inappropriate….” However, fans immediately came to Carpenter’s defense, saying that they should listen to Carpenter’s music before deciding to bring their kids to her tour.

However, Carpenter has spoken out about the criticism she often receives, most notably to Rolling Stone. When asked for her opinion on those who have “strong opinions” on the sexual nature of her shows, the singer said, “To that I just say, don’t come to the show and that’s OK.” She continued, “It’s unfortunate that it’s ever been something to criticize, because truthfully, 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.”. 

As the tour continues, it’s clear that Carpenter’s choices will remain a topic of interest and discussion among her audience. IMO, I think parents shouldn’t bring their kids to her show if they don’t want them seeing sexual content. She’s not a Disney star anymore, she’s 25! Let her live!

Emma is a current national writer for Her Campus, focusing largely on the Wellness vertical, covering everything ranging from sex & relationships, wellness, mental health, astrology, and Gen-Z. Beyond Her Campus, Emma is a fourth year Elementary Education major at James Madison University. Emma is the President of JMU's Her Campus chapter, as well as being a member of JMU's education honor's society, Kappa Delta Pi. In her free time, Emma loves cuddling with her cat, listening to Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan, binge-watching Young Sheldon, and writing for fun.