A Star-Making ‘SNL’ Debut
In the world of pop music, a debut on the hallowed stage of Saturday Night Live is a coronation. For Sabrina Carpenter, currently riding the stratospheric wave of her hit “Espresso,” her recent performance was meant to be exactly that—a victory lap cementing her status as music’s newest darling. Dressed in a vibrant yellow dress, she delivered her hits with characteristic charm and confidence. The set design for her “Feather/Nonsense” medley, however, ended up creating a different kind of buzz, catching the eagle eye of none other than fellow pop icon Rina Sawayama.
And Rina, it seems, had some notes.
A Picture-Perfect Performance with One Glaring Flaw
The set was a colourful, high-energy homage to a retro Japanese variety show, complete with flashing lights and bold Japanese text splashed across the screens. It was visually striking, perfectly complementing the song’s playful energy. But for those who can read the language, one detail stood out—a small but significant typo.
Enter Rina Sawayama. The Japanese-British superstar, whose own work masterfully and authentically weaves her heritage into a futuristic pop tapestry, took to her Instagram stories to offer some friendly, yet pointed, creative consultation.
“love the set but if you’re gonna use katakana at least have a Japanese person on your team check the spelling,” she wrote, circling the error on a screenshot of the performance. The text on the screen, meant to read “Sabrina Carpenter” (サブリナ・カーペンター), had misspelled her surname. Sawayama followed up with a cheeky, entrepreneurial-spirited offer: “dm me for rates!”
More Than a Typo: A Lesson in Cultural Authenticity
This wasn’t a malicious call-out; it was a masterclass in constructive criticism. In one swift move, Sawayama highlighted a persistent issue in Western media: the use of non-Western cultures as a purely aesthetic backdrop. The Japanese writing wasn’t there for Japanese viewers; it was there to signal a certain “cool” or “quirky” vibe. The problem is, when you borrow an aesthetic without involving people from that culture, you risk getting the details embarrassingly wrong.
The typo itself might seem minor, but it’s symbolic of a larger oversight. It suggests that no one on the creative team was a native Japanese speaker, or at the very least, that no one thought to consult one. For an artist like Sawayama, who has built her career on celebrating her identity with intelligence and nuance, this kind of surface-level engagement is impossible to ignore. Her music videos, like “XS” or “Comme des Garçons (Like the Boys),” are layered with cultural commentary, critiquing capitalism and celebrating Japanese fashion with an insider’s perspective.
The Simple Fix: Collaboration and Respect
Sawayama’s comment cuts to the heart of the “appreciation vs. appropriation” debate. It’s not about gatekeeping culture or saying a non-Japanese artist can’t be inspired by Japan. It’s about the due diligence and respect required to do it right. Her offer to help—”dm me for rates!”—is both a joke and a genuine solution. The fix is simple: hire people from the culture you are referencing. Pay them for their expertise. Collaborate.
As of now, Sabrina Carpenter’s team has not publicly responded to Rina Sawayama‘s notes. But the exchange has sparked a vital conversation online. In an era where audiences are more globally connected and culturally aware than ever, authenticity matters. This isn’t just about avoiding a social media blunder; it’s about creating art that is respectful and well-researched. Ultimately, Rina Sawayama’s feedback is a lesson for everyone in the creative industries: before you turn a culture into a cool background, make sure someone who understands its language and context is in the room.
