Indonesian - Salah Kaprah Sebut Tradisi Arab Sebagai Yodeling di Coachella, Sabrina Carpenter Minta Maaf

Sabrina Carpenter performing at Coachella 2026 (Instagram @sabrinacarpenter)

JAKARTA - Sabrina Carpenter made a public apology after an awkward incident marred her appearance on the main stage at Coachella, last weekend.

During the performance, the singer of the hit "Espresso" mistakenly thought that zaghrouta - a typical Arab cultural celebration - from fans was a yodeling singing technique.

Through his official account on the social media X, Carpenter clarified that his reaction while on stage was purely based on confusion and inability to hear the audience's voices clearly. He admitted that he did not have any bad intentions when he made comments to his fans.

"My apology, I didn't see the person with my own eyes and couldn't hear clearly. My reaction was purely out of confusion, sarcasm, and not meant to be malicious," Carpenter wrote, quoted Monday, April 13.

"I should have been able to handle it better. Now I know what zaghrouta is. I welcome all the cheers and yodels from now on," he continued.

The incident began when Carpenter was preparing in front of the piano before continuing his performance. In the middle of the moment of silence, a fan performed zaghrouta - a high-pitched voice produced by rapid tongue movements to express joy in the Middle Eastern tradition.

Carpenter, who seemed astonished, then muttered through the microphone, asking if the voice was yodeling and stating that he didn't like it.

Although the fan had shouted explaining that it was part of his culture, Carpenter again replied with a sarcastic comment that sparked a heated debate on social media. Many netizens judged his attitude to be too cold and insensitive to the expression of diverse cultures on an international stage like Coachella.

Beyond the controversy, Carpenter's performance was one of the main highlights of the year. Standing alongside big names like Justin Bieber and Karol G, he brought a number of surprise guest performers including Sam Elliott, Will Ferrell, and veteran actress Susan Sarandon.

With this clarification, Carpenter hopes that the tension related to the cultural issue will subside so that fans' focus will return to the musicality.