Sabrina Carpenter started her career with a Taylor Swift song

Sabrina Carpenter’s songs don’t sound very similar to Taylor Swift’s. Nevertheless, the “Please Please Please” singer began her career with a cover of one of Swift’s early hits. Notably, the song in question has become more controversial in recent years. These days, it’s a bit difficult to find the original version of the track.

Songs by Taylor Swift and Sinead O’Connor were part of Sabrina Carpenter’s early career

In a 2021 interview with Interview Magazine, the “Espresso” singer was asked how she found her way into the entertainment industry. “I was nine and started posting covers on YouTube, where I started building a following,” she recalled. “I signed to my first label when I was 12.”

The “Nonsense” singer was asked if she could remember the first song she covered for her YouTube channel. “I think it was ‘Picture To Burn’ by Taylor Swift,” she recalled. “I told her that when I met her. She was like, ‘Oh my God, you’re a real fan.’ And then there was a lot of Sinead O’Connor, Patsy Cline and Etta James.” Carpenter’s YouTube channel paved the way for her appearance on Disney Channel’s Life and I, The hate you giveand the stage musical Girls Club – Be careful, they bite!. After that she became a pop star herself.

Sabrina Carpenter felt guilty about participating in the Eras Tour

In a 2023 interview with Grammy.com, Carpenter was asked how she felt about opening for Swift on The Eras Tour. “It’s a really surreal thing,” she explained. “I covered one of her songs when I was nine years old, and she was definitely an artist, songwriter and businesswoman my whole life that I’ve always admired. To call her a friend and to be a part of something as iconic as this tour, I still can’t process that.”

“I’m still on tour until next year, learning as much as I can,” she added. Carpenter was able to watch Swift’s show over and over again. She felt bad because so many people who wanted to see the show couldn’t. How lucky!

The controversy surrounding Taylor Swift’s “Picture to Burn”

“Picture to Burn” is very cheeky, but the original version of the song is dated in some ways. The song originally included a line in which Swift threatened to spread false rumors that a man was gay. Some listeners found this line humorous and frivolous, while others found it homophobic. In later versions of “Picture to Burn,” the lyrics were removed and it was censored from the music video. Versions of “Picture to Burn” with the controversial line are now collector’s items.

“Picture to Burn” was a modest early hit for Swift. It peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the charts for 20 weeks. The song appeared on the album Taylor Swift. It reached number 5 on the Billboard 200 and has been on the charts for 284 weeks. While Taylor Swift is probably not Swift’s defining album, but it paved her path to greatness.

“Picture to Burn” had some questionable word choices, but without the song we might not have Carpenter’s incredible career.