Rina Sawayama isn’t holding back her thoughts on Sabrina Carpenter’s recent Saturday Night Live performance of “Nobody’s Son.”
The Japanese-British artist took to her Instagram Story on Sunday to call out what she saw as cultural insensitivity in Carpenter’s martial arts-themed set.
“Big love to Sabrina but fellow artists’ creative teams … if we are clearly referencing a culture, please can you do so with the research, respect and care it deserves,” Sawayama wrote.
She also added a pointed follow-up: “Shoes on tatami is jail,” alongside a crying emoji.
For her SNL performance, Sabrina Carpenter wore a short white robe and black belt styled like a dress—resembling a dogi, the traditional martial arts uniform, and an obi, the belt that signifies rank. Her background dancers sported more traditional versions of the outfit but kept their shoes on as they performed a choreographed fight scene.
As noted by Billboard, wearing shoes on tatami—Japan’s traditional floor mat—is considered a breach of etiquette. While Carpenter herself wore shoes during the performance, she didn’t step directly onto the tatami flooring.
Over the weekend, Sabrina Carpenter made her Saturday Night Live hosting debut, performing her hit tracks “Nobody’s Son” and “Manchild.” During the episode, she also poked fun at the controversy surrounding her Man’s Best Friend album cover and took part in a parody of Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia.”
Man’s Best Friend, which dropped in August, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The album’s standout singles, “Manchild” and “Nobody’s Son,” peaked at No. 1 and No. 12, respectively.
