The music marketer

Sabrina Carpenter’s Viral Moment

There’s no doubt that Sabrina Carpenter has taken the world by storm with her album Short and Sweet, especially with her single Espresso, which was played in almost every café around the globe. But did we underestimate just how well Sabrina knows her target audience? And is she the artist who has mastered this skill better than anyone else?

Hosting and Performing on SNL

Recently, Sabrina both hosted and performed as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live (SNL), showcasing her humour, charm and undeniable talent. She appeared in several sketches and performed two tracks from her newest album Man’s Best Friend: Manchild and Nobody’s Son. Out of the two, her performance of Manchild stood out online, quickly dominating social media with fans recreating the moment.

A Performance That Feels Personal

On SNL, Sabrina sang in a bedroom-inspired set, using a hairbrush as her microphone, a small but genius creative choice that perfectly mirrors what her fans do daily while listening to her music. Through this performance, she proved the importance of knowing your audience, not just for artists but for brands and businesses too.

Relatable and Right on Brand

By presenting herself as effortlessly relatable, Sabrina reinforced her connection with fans who see her as the “girl next door”, someone who, despite global fame, still sings in her bedroom about heartbreak and growing up. The performance also subtly silenced recent backlash surrounding the cover and title of Man’s Best Friend, which some had labelled as “male-centred”. With Manchild, she reclaimed her narrative, showing that her storytelling remains authentic, playful and true to her brand, a girl who turns her life experiences into pop.

Perfect for the Internet

What made this moment so clever is how naturally it worked online. Within hours, clips of the performance were everywhere on TikTok, with fans recreating the scene using hairbrushes, mirrors and fairy lights. It felt like Sabrina knew exactly what people would do the moment they saw it. She understands that relatability and virality go hand in hand, especially with Gen Z, who care way more about authenticity than perfection.

Consistent Branding and Aesthetic

The bedroom setup also fit perfectly with her brand. From her music videos to her social media, she’s always had that dreamy, feminine and slightly self-aware vibe. It’s consistent, it’s intentional and it feels real – which is something a lot of artists lose once they get this big.

What Marketers Can Learn

For marketers, this performance is a reminder that sometimes the most powerful ideas are the simplest ones. By reflecting what her audience already does in their own bedrooms, Sabrina made an SNL stage feel personal and familiar. She didn’t just perform for her fans, she performed with them – and that’s exactly why it worked.