Sabrina Carpenter has had quite the year. She released a hit album, sang with Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour, and was recently nominated for six Grammy Awards. The pop star is on a roll, and she isn’t stopping anytime soon. In fact, when she wasn’t topping herself on the Billboard charts, she shot A Nonsense Christmas special for Netflix that features celebrity cameos, beautiful duets, and a lot of sexy holiday cheer. To promote the special, Carpenter sat down with Stephen Colbert for a chat, and even the provocative lyricist was surprised she was allowed to curse for the occasion.
Carpenter and Colbert don’t seem like they have a lot in common, but this interview proved otherwise. When the "Espresso" singer chatted with the host of The Late Show, it was quickly evident that the two had incredible chemistry. They both appreciated each other’s sense of humor, fittingly chugged Espresso martinis, and even enjoyed a second beverage of what appeared to be spiked eggnog.
Espresso is famously Carpenter’s specialty, but with her new special on Netflix's 2024 schedule and the holiday spirit, she was surprised by how much she enjoyed the eggnog version, to which Colbert replied:
Do you not fuck with the nog? It’s a simple question, Miss. Carpenter!
This resulted in Carpenter erupting with laughter at the traditionally buttoned-up host cursing and using slang, as you can see above. Clearly taken aback, she revealed that she was surprised she was allowed to curse on the late-night talk show. She said:
They told me I could curse backstage and I forgot because usually people are telling me not to curse and I came out here and it looks a little bit like a church in here and so I was like ‘Don’t curse the Lord is upon us’ and so I shouldn’t do that. But you just did that!
It’s surprising that Carpenter was originally so scandalized by the language used on the talk show. The singer’s lyrics are famously racy, sexy, and very, very catchy. She has also become known for her provocative stage performances, which are likely inspired by burlesque shows.
Fans have even created more sexy dance moves to correspond with her song "Juno," which is surprising because it’s hard to imagine that song even sexier. However, in this case, Carpenter seemed taken by the cathedral-esque appearance of the Ed Sullivan theater, and thought they would keep things PG for the evening.
Meanwhile, Colbert seemingly was trying to speak Carpenter’s language to make her more comfortable, and it totally worked. Networks actually don’t allow cursing or crass language even on late-night shows, however being able to bleep the host and the guest is an easy way to get around the problem and have a more natural interview.
The whole interaction ended up being great television, and I could watch these two chat forever. Maybe Stephen Colbert can make an appearance in Carpenter’s next music video to keep this great chemistry going.
Now, to keep the festive and fun spirit alive, you can check out Sabrina Carpenter’s Christmas special, A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter with a Netflix subscription. Fans of Stephen Colbert can also check out the entirety of his interview with the "Please, Please, Please" singer and more by streaming The Late Show with Stephen Colbert with a Paramount+ subscription.
