While sending “lots of love” to the pop star who pulled double duty over the weekend, Sawayama highlighted the lack of cultural research, noting: “Shoes on mats is prison.”
Rina Sawayama has some observations after the participation of Sabrina Carpenter node Saturday Night Live. In a post on Stories Instagram about the pop star’s performance “Nobody’s Son”, Sawayama highlighted a distinct lack of cultural research behind the studio’s setting, which was inspired by a karate studio and featured mats.
“Much love to Sabrinabut creative teams of fellow artists… if we are clearly referencing a culture, please do so with the research, respect and care it deserves,” he wrote Sawayamawho is Japanese-British. “Shoes on the mat is prison.”
Carpenter He only stepped onto the mats for a moment, but during his performance two red belt opponents fought wearing sneakers with their uniforms.
Sawayama has previously spoken about the role pop music played in connecting her with peers at school after her family immigrated to London from Japan. “If you’re new to that school or whatever, it can really connect you with the rest of the students,” she said in 2022. She was inspired by Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani and Lady Gagaall of which influence his work now. “I still feel the same excitement when I hear music from that era that inspired me,” she said.
Her own Stefani has a long history of evoking Japanese imagery throughout his career and walking the fine line between appreciation and appropriation, typically leaning more towards the latter. In 2023, she told Allure: “My God, I’m Japanese and I didn’t know… If [as pessoas] They’re going to criticize me for being a fan of something beautiful and sharing it, so I guess that doesn’t feel right. I think it was a beautiful moment of creativity… a moment of ping-pong between Harajuku culture and American culture.”
Carpenter doesn’t fall into this category, at least. Everything that Sawayama is suggesting is that the Louboutins and Adidas stay off the mats next time.
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Rina Sawayama
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sabrina carpenter
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
