Age Rating: PG-13

This is probably the most kid-friendly of her recent hits, which is why it's the one you've heard 47 times at Target. The video is colorful, beach-themed fun with Carpenter playing a glamorous movie star. The lyrics have mild sexual innuendo ("I'm working late 'cause I'm a singer" is about... well, not actually working late), but nothing explicit. No profanity in the video version.

Parent verdict: Fine for most middle schoolers and up. The innuendo will fly over younger kids' heads.

Age Rating: PG-13 to TV-14

Starring her real-life boyfriend Barry Keoghan as a criminal, this video is styled like a Bonnie and Clyde crime drama. There's fake violence (bank robberies, someone getting knocked out), but it's clearly theatrical and campy. The song itself is about begging a partner not to embarrass you—relatable teen content, honestly. Some mild profanity in the lyrics.

Parent verdict: Appropriate for 13+ with some context about the theatrical nature of the violence. Good conversation starter about relationship red flags.

Age Rating: TV-MA

This is where things get spicy. The video was literally filmed in a church (causing a real-world controversy where the priest got removed), and features Carpenter in lingerie at a funeral for men who wronged her. The lyrics include the f-word multiple times ("I feel so much lighter like a feather with you off my mind"). The video shows men dying in cartoonish, violent ways—hit by cars, falling off buildings—as Carpenter celebrates her freedom.

Parent verdict: 16+ only. The combination of sexual imagery, profanity, and dark humor about death isn't appropriate for younger teens, even though it's clearly satirical.

Age Rating: TV-MA

Possibly her most violent video, "Taste" is a horror-comedy featuring Jenna Ortega in a bloody, campy fight sequence. Think "Kill Bill" meets "Mean Girls." There's fake blood everywhere, weapons, and the whole premise is about two women fighting over a man. Heavy profanity throughout. Sexually suggestive lyrics about intimate encounters.

Parent verdict: 17+ or mature 16-year-olds who can handle horror-comedy violence. The gore is fake and over-the-top, but it's still a lot. Not for sensitive viewers.

Age Rating: TV-MA

The most explicitly sexual of her recent videos. The lyrics are entirely about physical attraction and chemistry ("How you talk so sweet when you're doing bad things"). The video features bedroom scenes, suggestive choreography, and adult themes throughout. Multiple instances of profanity.

Parent verdict: 17+ only. This is adult content about adult situations. No ambiguity here.

The disconnect between Carpenter's sound (bright, catchy pop) and her content (increasingly mature themes) creates a perfect storm for parents. Kids are drawn to the music because it's genuinely fun and everywhere in their social media feeds, but the videos and lyrics are telling stories about adult relationships, sexuality, and revenge fantasies.

This isn't a "corrupting the youth" panic—it's about age-appropriate content. A 10-year-old singing "Espresso" at a school talent show is different from that same kid watching the "Taste" video unsupervised.

Let's be real: Carpenter is writing about sex, breakups, and toxic relationships with more sophistication than many parents realize.

None of this is bad art—it's actually pretty clever pop songwriting. But it's written from an adult perspective about adult experiences.

Ages 8-11: Stick to just listening to "Espresso" if they're fans. Skip the videos entirely. The lyrics will mostly go over their heads, but the visuals in other videos are too mature.

Ages 12-13: "Espresso" and "Please Please Please" videos are okay with parental context. Use them as conversation starters about healthy relationships. Skip "Feather," "Taste," and "Bed Chem."

Ages 14-15: "Espresso," "Please Please Please," and potentially "Feather" (if your teen is mature and you discuss the satire). Still skip "Taste" and "Bed Chem" unless your teen is particularly mature and you're comfortable with graphic content.

Ages 16+: Most content is fair game with context. "Taste" and "Bed Chem" are still mature, but teens this age are likely already encountering this level of content. Focus on media literacy conversations about how violence and sexuality are portrayed.

Ages 17+: All content is age-appropriate, though you might still want to discuss the themes.

Here's the thing: if your teen wants to watch these videos, they probably already have. YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are full of clips, reactions, and recreations. The videos have millions of views. Blocking access entirely is both difficult and potentially counterproductive with older kids.

Better approach: watch together and talk about it.

Some conversation starters:

If you want more control over what younger kids access, YouTube Kids doesn't include these videos, but that only works until about age 10-11 when kids start demanding regular YouTube access.

For context, Carpenter's content is:

She's firmly in the "pop music for adults that kids love" category, similar to where Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were in the early 2000s. If you let your kids watch those artists' videos back then, Carpenter is roughly equivalent.

The church controversy: The "Feather" video caused real drama when it was filmed in a Brooklyn Catholic church. The priest was removed from his position after allowing the filming. Some families have religious objections to the imagery—that's valid and worth considering for your household.

The Barry Keoghan connection: Her boyfriend appears in "Please Please Please," and their relationship is very public. Keoghan is known for edgy, sometimes disturbing film roles. Kids are interested in the celebrity relationship aspect.

TikTok dances: Many of the songs have viral dance trends that are more innocent than the actual videos. A kid doing the "Espresso" dance doesn't mean they've seen the video or understand the lyrics.

Spotify vs. YouTube: The clean versions of songs on Spotify remove profanity but not the suggestive content. The videos add another layer of mature content beyond the lyrics.

Sabrina Carpenter makes smart, catchy pop music for adults that happens to be really appealing to kids and teens. Her recent videos range from PG-13 to solidly mature content, with profanity, sexual themes, and stylized violence that aren't appropriate for younger viewers.

For elementary schoolers: Just the music (clean versions), skip the videos.

For middle schoolers: "Espresso" and "Please Please Please" with context, skip the rest.

For high schoolers: Most content is appropriate with media literacy conversations.

The good news? Unlike some pop stars, Carpenter's content is clearly satirical and theatrical. She's not pretending the violence is real or glorifying toxic relationships—she's making art that comments on them. That actually makes these videos better conversation starters than some "cleaner" content that romanticizes unhealthy dynamics.

Want to dig deeper into age-appropriate music for your kids? Check out our guide to music streaming services for families or learn more about setting up YouTube parental controls.