American singer-songwriter and actress Sabrina Carpenter has apologised for dismissing a traditional Arabic celebratory call as “weird” after facing massive backlash for her comments that were termed “insensitive” and “xenophobic”.
A social media user criticised the remark and wrote on X: “sabrina saying that she doesn’t like a cultural arabic cheer… this is so insensitive and islamophobic. i am very disappointed in her.”
The Grammy-winning singer, who headlined Coachella, quote-tweeted the post and wrote: “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”
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The Zaghrouta is a traditional Arabic ululation or lele central to SWANA culture and is a vibrant expression of Middle Eastern joy. It famously captured global attention during the 2020 Super Bowl Halftime show when Shakira, celebrating her Lebanese heritage, performed the trill mid-set.
In a viral clip from her Coachella set, Carpenter mistook a fan's traditional trilling for yodelling, remarking, “I don’t like it.” When the fan explained it was a cultural expression, the singer retorted, “That’s your culture, is yodelling?”
The fan then explained it was a call of celebration, to which Carpenter responded: “Is this Burning Man? What’s going on? This is weird.”
Avoiding her customary “arrests,” the singer-actress delivered a cameo-filled performance last night featuring Sam Elliott, Susan Sarandon and Will Ferrell. Carpenter is leading the Indio-held music fest alongside fellow artists Justin Bieber and Karol G.
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