Sabrina Carpenter is addressing a moment from her Coachella set that quickly made its way online—and prompted a wider conversation.
During her 2026 headlining performance, the 25-year-old singer had an onstage interaction with a fan that drew criticism after being interpreted as dismissive of a cultural expression. The moment occurred while Carpenter was seated at the piano performing “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night,” when she noticed a sound coming from the crowd.
“I think I heard someone yodel. Is that what you’re doing?” she asked.
The sound, however, was not yodeling. It was later identified as a “Zaghrouta,” a traditional celebratory chant used in Arabic cultures.
Carpenter continued in the moment, saying, “I don’t like it.”
As the fan attempted to explain, noting that the chant was part of their “culture” and a “call of celebration,” the exchange became more pointed.
“That’s your culture, is yodeling?” Carpenter replied, before adding, “Is this Burning Man? What’s going on? This is weird.”
Clips of the interaction quickly circulated online, with some viewers criticizing the comments as insensitive. One post that gained traction read, “sabrina saying that she doesn’t like a cultural arabic cheer… this is so insensitive and islamophobic. i am very disappointed in her.”
Carpenter responded directly to the criticism on X, quoting the post and offering an apology.
“my apologies i didn’t see this person with my eyes and couldn’t hear clearly. my reaction was pure confusion, sarcasm and not ill intended. could have handled it better! now i know what a Zaghrouta is! I welcome all cheers and yodels from here on out.”
