Why Sabrina Carpenter's Longtime Vocal Coach Wasn't Shocked by Her Turn to Sexier Lyrics (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Eric Vetro in October 2024; Sabrina Carpenter in October 2024.Photo:Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock; Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty

Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock; Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty

Eric Vetrois proud ofSabrina Carpenter’s journey.

“She always had a fun sense of humor that was a tiny bit risqué in general,” Vetro tells PEOPLE. “It didn’t surprise me because it didn’t happen all at once.”

The young star skyrocketed to A-list status earlier this year with the singles “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” from her sixth album,Short n' Sweet— her first to reach No. 1 on theBillboard200.

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Eric Vetro and Sabrina Carpenter in BBC Maestro’s ‘Sing Like the Stars’ course.

She’s currently in the midst of her blockbuster Short n' Sweet Tour, which wrapped its North American leg last month and marked her first-ever headlining arena concerts.

From an early stage of her career, Vetro recognized her potential. “I remember the first time I saw her on stage, I was really shocked at how charismatic and confident she was,” he says. “She would strut across that stage like she was an old pro, and this is when she was 16, 17 years old.”

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Eric Vetro.Courtesy of Eric Vetro

Courtesy of Eric Vetro

Spending time with Carpenter in vocal lessons, Vetro says the “cheeky” side of her personality was always on display, so the racy nature ofShort n' Sweettracks like “Bed Chem” and “Juno” felt like a natural progression for the artist.

“I’ve seen it happen so incrementally that it didn’t shock me,” he explains, adding that Carpenter remains “classy” through her tongue-in-cheek moments. “She rides that line really, really well. She never falls into anything that’s trashy… It’s sexy and fun, all the innuendos.”

Vetro recently offered up his skills to the public forBBC Maestro’s “Sing Like the Stars” course, an eight-hour series of videos featuring advice from his star students including Carpenter,John LegendandMarissa Jaret Winokur.

source: people.com