Sabrina Carpenter may ban phones at concerts after ‘transformative’ Silk Sonic experience
The "Espresso" singer, Sabrina Carpenter told Rolling Stone she’s considering phone-free shows after attending Silk Sonic in Las Vegas.
Sabrina Carpenter is reconsidering how her audience will consume live music. After going to a Silk Sonic concert in Las Vegas in which phones were stored in pouches, she said the ambiance was a very good experience and, if anything, she is considering doing the same for her own shows.
Carpenter mentioned how liberating it felt to be fully immersed in the music, which she called the best concert experience she ever had. She said the moment, while still present, has allowed her to feel like she was in a different time where people engaged with the music and with one other instead of their screens.
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A different kind of concert experience
Sabrina Carpenter recently considered asking fans to keep their phones away from her shows. She was inspired after going to a Silk Sonic concert in Las Vegas where she had to lock up her phone. She realized that moment completely shifted her thinking — she felt more present and was surrounded by a crowd that was fully engaged in the music and with each other.
She said that it was not like any concert atmosphere she had ever experienced before. Without screens in the way, the collective consciousness of everyone in the room could feel the authentic connection. She said it felt like being transported back to a more pure time that existed long before phones entered the mix of any live show.
Navigating criticism and creative risks
Carpenter also discussed the heightened pain women have in the public eye, and in relation to her new album Man's Best Friend discussed how quickly female artists are judged not solely for their art, but for their appearance, speech, and presentation. The album cover from June 11, depicting Carpenter on all fours by a man who is holding her hair has prompted polarized opinions online. One group suggested the imagery was problematic or vulgar and one group stated it was knowingly making a statement on issues of gender power dynamics.
Although Carpenter acknowledged the perceived provocative nature of the most current album cover, she said she doesn't take those critiques too seriously, given that the real problems will get more absurd than the cover art depicted. She said the harshest critiques are usually references to each artist's personal insecurities.
