Sabrina Carpenter has formally apologised in a recent statement after misunderstanding a cultural chant during her performance at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
The singer was on stage on Friday night when she paused between songs after hearing a loud chant from the crowd. Confused by the sound, she asked if someone was “yodeling” and said she didn’t like it. When a fan responded that it was part of their culture, Carpenter called the moment “weird” before moving on with the show.
The awkward moment made rounds online, which led many to recognise the chant as “zaghrouta,” a traditional celebratory vocal call used in Arabic cultures at weddings and parties.
The exchange led several to criticise the singer, deeming her remark dismissive.
“My apologies,” Carpenter then wrote on X on Saturday afternoon. “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!”
She added, “Now I know what a zaghrouta is!” she added. “I welcome all cheers and yodels from here on out.”
The Espresso hitmaker was headlining the California festival’s main stage when the moment occurred, shortly after performing Please Please Please.
“I think I heard someone yodel,” Carpenter said while seated at her keyboard for the next song, at which the fan repeated the sound. “Is that what you’re doing?” she asked. “I don’t like it.”
“It’s my culture,” the fan replied.
“That’s your culture, is yodeling?” Carpenter said, to which the fan explained that “it’s a call of celebration”.
Hearing the clarification, Carpenter remarked, “Is this Burning Man? What’s going on? This is weird.”
Her response angered several fans online. “The way Sabrina doubled down and decided to continue to be ignorant even after it was clarified yodeling is part of that person’s culture says a lot about her,” one disappointed fan tweeted.
“Did Sabrina Carpenter just call that girl’s culture weird and creepy?” another added.
Meanwhile, some spoke in Carpenter’s defense. “She clearly could not hear the girl speaking,” one user wrote. “You have to remember she’s all the way up on stage.”
Before introducing her next song, Carpenter explained to the crowd why there was a slight delay, saying, “You know, the last time I played Coachella, I had some crazy piano malfunctions, so I’m making sure that we’re good here.”
