Sabrina Carpenter has apologized for an awkward moment when she misinterpreted a fan’s congratulatory call in Arabic as a “yodel” while headlining Coachella, sparking outrage.
“I’m sorry,” she wrote to X on Saturday afternoon. “I couldn’t see this person so I couldn’t hear them clearly. My reaction was pure confusion and sarcasm, no malice. I could have handled it better!”
“I know what Zagruta is!” she added. “Cheers and yodelling are still welcome.”
While performing on the California Festival’s main stage Friday night, Carpenter paused between songs when he heard a loud call from the crowd.
After singing her hit song “Please Please Please Please,” she sat down at her keyboard as the audience fell silent — except for one fan, who continued to scream.
“I think I heard someone yodel,” Carpenter said, prompting fans to repeat the sound.
“Is that what you’re doing?” she asked. “i don’t like it.”
“It’s my culture,” the fan replied.
“It’s your culture, yodeling?” Carpenter said.
“It’s a call to celebrate,” the fan explained.
Carpenter declined to elaborate further, joking, “Is this Burning Man? What’s going on? This is weird.”
The exchange quickly spread online, with many identifying the sound as “zagruta,” a traditional celebratory vocal expression used at weddings and parties in Arabic culture.
The moment sparked a debate on social media over whether Carpenter’s reaction was appropriate.
“The way Sabrina courageously decided to remain ignorant even after Yodel’s existence was revealed is part of her culture and says a lot about her,” one disappointed fan tweeted.
“Did Sabrina Carpenter call that girl’s culture weird and creepy?” another added.
However, some came to the “Espresso” singer’s defense amid the backlash.
One user wrote: “Obviously I couldn’t hear the girl.” “You have to remember that she’s on stage the whole time.”
Before introducing his next song, Carpenter explained to the audience why there was a slight delay, saying:
Next, she introduced the song “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night” and told her fans, “I wanted to sing the song “Man’s Best Friend,” which I have never sung before.”
“If anyone here has ever experienced a relationship that starts and ends, starts and ends, starts and ends again, and maybe starts and ends again, I sing this song directly to you.”
Carpenter’s Old Hollywood-themed show also featured several surprise appearances.
Susan Sarandon recently appeared in a cameo as an older version of the pop star in a theater corner after saying she was blacklisted by Hollywood for her pro-Palestinian views.
Will Ferrell took to the stage in a comedic role as an electrician dragging cables, Samuel L. Jackson narrated “Juno,” and the performance began with a black-and-white intro featuring Sam Elliott.
