One of the standout moments at this year’s Lollapalooza was the unexpected and electric collaboration between Sabrina Carpenter and legendary group Earth, Wind & Fire, a performance that came together in less than a day. In a new interview with Vulture (published August 5), frontman Philip Bailey revealed just how fast the magic was made.
According to Bailey, Carpenter’s team reached out just 24 hours before the set with an invitation for Earth, Wind & Fire to join her on stage. “We had to really turn this thing around,” he said. The group was quickly flown into Chicago on a private jet, squeezed in a tight rehearsal, and prepared for the big moment — all within a single day.
“We hopped a plane at seven in the morning, went in, and had the rehearsal,” Bailey recalled. “It was very quick and kind of sketchy. I was almost concerned about it. But by that evening, they had dialed everything in, and Earth, Wind & Fire says Sabrina Carpenter “put in the work” to nail her Lollapalooza cameo with less than 24 hours to prepare. We went out there and floated on all that energy.”
Bailey also had high praise for the Gen Z pop star. “She’s very cordial, very kind, and very approachable,” he said. Although he admitted he hadn’t heard much of her music before — aside from her viral hit “Espresso” — he was impressed with her professionalism and the energy she brought to the collaboration. “Her energy and our energy were very compatible and complementary to one another. How she puts her show together, in terms of how it accelerates and builds, was fantastic.”
The surprise collab happened during Carpenter’s headlining performance that closed out the 2025 edition of Lollapalooza on Sunday, August 3. Other festival headliners included Tyler, the Creator, Rufus du Sol, and Olivia Rodrigo, with sets from Doechii, Gracie Abrams, KATSEYE, and many others lighting up the weekend.
Midway through her set — packed with fan favorites from her Billboard 200-topping album Short n’ Sweet — Carpenter took a moment to shock the crowd. As the opening notes of Earth, Wind & Fire’s iconic “Let’s Groove” played over the speakers, she teased, “We can just let loose, right? We can just groove.” Then, with a huge grin, she added, “I thought, ‘Why not bring out my friends from Chicago?’ Give it up for Earth, Wind & Fire!”
Together, they performed crowd-pleasers “Let’s Groove” and “September,” making it one of the most talked-about moments of the festival. Reflecting on the performance, Bailey said, “We were honored to be asked and very appreciative to her and to her fans for embracing these moments we were able to share.”
With the buzz from Lollapalooza still going strong, Carpenter is already looking ahead. Her upcoming album, Man’s Best Friend, drops August 29. It follows a year of explosive success thanks to Short n’ Sweet. So far, fans have only gotten a taste of the new music through the lead single “Manchild,” which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 after its June release. The full tracklist has since been revealed, and anticipation is sky-high.
Between surprise performances and chart-topping hits, 2025 is shaping up to be a milestone year for Sabrina Carpenter.
