Rina Sawayama responded to Sabrina Carpenter’s much-buzzed-about return to “Saturday Night Live” this weekend by offering some words of constructive criticism.
During her “SNL” appearance Saturday, Carpenter drew from Japanese culture while performing the song “Nobody’s Son,” off her latest album, “Man’s Best Friend.”
The two-time Grammy winner wore a sequined kimono-esque top and was flanked by a troupe of dancers, who executed martial arts-like moves.
Sawayama, who is of Japanese and of British descent, shared her reaction to the performance Sunday on her Instagram stories.
“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,” wrote the singer, who made her big screen acting debut in 2023’s “John Wick: Chapter 4.”
She also pointed out one very specific detail that wasn’t culturally accurate.
“Shoes on tatami is jail,” she added, referring to the sneakers worn by Carpenter’s dancers as they strutted across traditional Japanese floor mats.
In accordance with Japanese etiquette, shoes and slippers are taken off before stepping onto tatami mats, which are traditionally constructed out of rice straw and often appear in spaces set aside for praying and other cultural rituals.
Carpenter has yet to respond to Sawayama’s comments.
The Asian theming of “Nobody’s Son,” however, wasn’t the only aspect of her performance to make headlines, as she dropped two F-bombs after taking the “SNL” stage that made it past NBC’s censors before the show aired on the East Coast.
Over the years, pop stars like Madonna and Katy Perry have also been called out after referencing Japanese fashion and other traditions in their music videos and performances.
Perhaps the most egregious example is No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani, who was accused of cultural appropriation after adapting the avant garde styles and attitude of Tokyo’s Harajuku district for her 2004 solo album, “Love. Angel. Music. Baby.”
When Stefani was asked by Allure in 2023 if she’d learned anything from her Harajuku days, the singer ― who is Italian American and Irish American ― stirred controversy by asserting “twice that she was Japanese,” according to the outlet.
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