Sabrina Carpenter. Marleen Moise/Getty
Sabrina Carpenter is officially ready to take the desert by storm. The “Espresso” singer, who has been tapped to headline the California music and arts festival alongside Justin Bieber and Karol G, recently revealed that fans should expect her most intensive production to date.
Speaking with designer Marc Jacobs for Perfect magazine, Carpenter shared that this performance is the result of nearly a year of planning.
“It’s the most ambitious show I’ve ever done,” she told Jacobs. “Most of the time, you’re really quickly thrust into physical rehearsals, but this time around we started this process around seven months ago. It’s been a long journey. It will be very special.”
A Full-Circle Moment in the Desert
For the 26-year-old pop star, returning to Coachella as a headliner is a “surreal” milestone. It was only two years ago that she performed a sunset set on the main stage—the very same day her global hit “Espresso” was released.
“I got to play that for the first time at Coachella. And now, two years later, we’re back,” she recalled. “I think that’s what makes this show feel really, really surreal: getting to celebrate all the songs that have come after it, and just how many lives they’ve lived.”
Inspirations and “Electrifying” Tech
When asked about the icons who shape her sound, the Manchild star listed a powerhouse roster including Madonna, Stevie Nicks, Dolly Parton, Stevie Wonder, and ABBA.
Her appreciation for ABBA recently took her to London for the ABBA Voyage avatar concert. Despite initial doubts about the technology, Carpenter admitted she was floored by the experience. “I was skeptical until I went, and then I actually could not believe that I was watching a hologram show,” she said. “I felt so electrified by this performance.”
With her own “ambitious” show kicking off this Friday, fans are eager to see if Sabrina incorporates any of that high-tech inspiration into her own headlining debut.