Pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter has found herself in the crosshairs of social media users for allegedly mocking a fan who performed a ‘zaghrouta’, a high-pitched sound used to symbolise joy in Arab and African cultures, during a show at Coachella.

A zaghrouta (or zaghareet) is a traditional, high-pitched, trilling sound made by women in West Asia and North Africa to express intense joy and celebration, often described as a “tongue-wag” or ululation.

It is commonly heard at weddings, graduations, and festivals to signify, honour, and share joy.

On Sunday, the singer addressed the situation on X and wrote, “My apologies I didn't see this person with my eyes and couldn’t hear clearly. My reaction was pure confusion, sarcasm and not ill intended. Could have handled it better! Now I know what a Zaghrouta is! I welcome all cheers and yodels from here on out.”

The development comes after a clip showing Carpenter seemingly confused and allegedly “disrespecting” the Zaghrouta, which was let out by an audience member.

In the video, Carpenter is about to begin a song when an audience member was heard letting out the Zaghrouta, which left the singer visibly confused. She said, “I think I heard someone yodel. Is that what you’re doing? I don’t like it.”

The fan explained that it was “from her culture”. However, Carpenter said, “Is that your culture? It’s so weird.”

This led to netizens slamming Carpenter on social media, with many calling her islamophobic and insensitive.

Criticising the singer, an X user wrote, “You clearly heard them and said “this is your culture?” with that weirded-out face… if there hadn’t been backlash, you wouldn’t have even apologized.”

“She could have been more cordial after the fan's explanation,” another netizen commented. “What a sadness! Arab and African cultures are so rich but still so undervalued by people who should use their voices and spaces to acclaim these manifestations. It's lamentable to see artists who only use their fans,” came another comment.