As if her starpower couldn’t get any brighter this year after releasing her sixth album Short n’ Sweet to critical acclaim (and earning her six 2025 Grammy nominations), pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter is bidding farewell to her most successful year with a thank you gift for us all. In collaboration with Netflix, Carpenter has released a Christmas special, ‘A Nonsense Christmas’, featuring appearances from iconic musicians and notable comedic actors. The special also includes performances of some 2023 Fruitcake Christmas EP songs, plus various other favourite Christmas tunes.
With 50 minutes of pure Christmas magic, flirty n’ fun comedy skits, major fashion moments, a live band, backup dancers, and perfect duet pairings – this special is not to be missed!
Warning – Spoilers ahead.
Slay Bells and Skits
Throughout the Christmas special, Carpenter’s acting and comedy skills are a cheerful reminder of her Disney star roots. There were plenty of skits throughout the show, with the first seeing Sabrina play Debbie, a woman who’s introducing her new boyfriend to her friends – the boyfriend being a man called Nick who is Mr Naughty or Nice himself. Other notable skits include Carpenter rapping a Christmas song in autotune about her brother-in-law – played by SNL actor Kyle Mooney – and as a girlfriend of ghosted past named Annie, who comes to haunt an ex-boyfriend for Christmas (featuring appearances from Quinta Brunson and Cara Delevigne).
Each skit ends with a gag consisting of Carpenter’s guests trying to convince her to use their ideas for a nonsense outro, with Carpenter kindly rejecting their poorly written suggestions. At the end of the day, nobody could pen a nonsense outro like her.
A Duet of 2 Breakthrough Stars
A certain midwest princess visited the Netflix Christmas special to sing Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’ with Carpenter. Both Chappell Roan and Carpenter have been 2024’s major breakthrough pop sensations, with both being nominated for Grammys such as Best New Artist and Song of The Year, to name a couple. With their duet set depicting a post-party late night karaoke session, it’s a fun yet emotional moment seeing these two finally singing together. Please, please, please girls – put this cover on music streaming services immediately!
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Ho-ho-ho, Ha-ha-ha – Comedy Galore
If you’re well-acquainted with Carpenter, you’ll know she’s prone to incredible innuendo comedy with her ‘Nonsense’ outros on tour. She also brought the nonsense to her comedy special, and within 5 minutes she changed the lyrics to ‘It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year’ by Andy Williams into “ it’s the ho ho ho-iest special of all / the champagne is bubbling, entendres are doubling when I deck your halls.” No stranger to a great joke (search the lyrics to her song ‘Bed Chem’), Carpenter’s naughty n’ nice take on comedy is perfect for such a cheerful time of year.
Rockin’ Around This Christmas Set
The special feels intimate and warm, as all Christmas situations should feel (apart from us Kiwis who of course have Christmas during Summer). The set is a cozy home on a soundstage with warm-toned lighting, pink walls, a Christmas tree, and Christmas lights all over (see below).
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Christmas Goes Country With Shania Twain
One of Carpenter’s skit characters, Debbie, said all she wanted for Christmas at 15 years old was a duet with the one and only Shania Twain, and because she’s just that girl – her Christmas wish was granted. That’s right: Shania made an appearance to sing a duet of Eartha Kitt’s ‘Santa Baby’. With twanging guitars and their velvety voices entwined, it’s a major moment to not only witness, but for Carpenter too. We can only begin to imagine what a bucket list moment this collaboration must’ve been for her.
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Serving Magic (and Looks)
Forever sparkling like the star on top of a Christmas tree, Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet tour outfits weren’t present during the special. However, they were instead swapped out for Christmas glamour. Still sparkling and fluffy in Christmas themed outfits, the first fit resembled Marilyn Monroe’s ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ dress. Another notable outfit choice is a chic and elegant purple dress she wears to sing her Christmas ballad ‘Cindy-Lou Who’ – named after a character from the 1957 Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! To end the special, Carpenter sings her Christmas remix of ‘Nonsense’ in a sparkly red and white one-piece, which sparkles reminiscent of her current tour outfits. There were many other major fashion moments; yet what Carpenter proves time and again is that she truly is as hot as a Christmas pudding.
Sensuality and Snow
A couple of the special’s musical guests brought a sensuality to the naughty n’ nice special. Singing ‘This Christmas’ by Donny Hathaway together, Carpenter’s duet with pop and amapiano singer Tyla is an enigmatic and hot touch to the show, with both dancing together with the live dancers and honestly just looking unreal the entire time (it’s an absolute serve). Another soulful duet was gifted to the viewers, this time with Carpenter and Kali Uchis singing Jimmy Boyd’s ‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus’. The duet is set on a fur rug in front of a fire, and I’m convinced they were both flirting with me through song.
Christmas Time Nostalgia
Little Sabrina Carpenter makes an appearance through old VHS videotape recordings. It’s a wholesome moment to not only hear what Christmas was like for Carpenter as a child, but to also see what she’s describing. Many of us who grew up around tape recorders will have the nostalgia for childhood VHS tapes, so Carpenter (who’s a 1999 baby) incorporating her childhood Christmas VHS tapes into her performance of ‘santa doesn’t know you like i do’ is a tearjerker moment within the comedy of it all.
Get into the festive spirit by streaming Sabrina Carpenter’s 2023 Fruitcake EP below!
