Sabrina Carpenter Compares Meeting Pop Hero Paul McCartney to Visiting the Upside Down: ‘Like Entering an Alternate Universe’

Musical inspiration comes from so many different places. And while many pop musicians will tell you that some portion of their desire to write songs stems from an obsession with the Beatles, not many of them cite the country jamboree “Rocky Raccoon” as their guiding light.

“When I was very, very young, my dad played me ‘Rocky Raccoon’ for the first time and I was so mesmerized by that song and the songwriting of it all that I fell in love with Paul McCartney,” Sabrina Carpenter told Stephen Colbert on The Late Show on Thursday night (Dec. 12). “I was convinced that was my husband, my future husband,” she added of the now-82-year-old pop icon.

“But he was quite old and I was so young I didn’t understand that he was much older than me because I was looking at all these photos,” she recalled thinking. “No, he’s young, he’s only like 10 years older than me. I didn’t understand math… I was a child.”

Then, when she grew up, Carpenter said she fell in love with McCartney’s songwriting, and, eventually, she met Sir Paul, as evidenced by an awards show candid of the two Colbert pulled out from behind his desk. So, Colbert wondered, what was it like meeting her lifelong musical hero.

“I just formed tears in my eyes and he was just so normal and casual and was so charming,” she said. “It felt like I was entering an alternate universe… like the Upside Down vibes? Like Stranger Things, but a lot happier than Stranger Things.” What isn’t strange, Carpenter noted, is that in every room McCartney enters he makes everyone feel “seen and heard,” which was inspiring to see from someone she’s “obsessed” with.

To celebrate Carpenter’s six Grammy nominations, Colbert offered the singer an espresso martini in honor her Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 hit “Espresso,” which was nominated for record of the year and best pop solo performance; her No. 1 hit “Please Please Please” was nominated for song of the year and her album Short n’ Sweet is up for best pop vocal album and album of the year and she is also nominated for best new artist.

“I would love that,” Carpenter said as Colbert read off the list of noms and she challenged him to a boozy caffeine chugfest. “This truly is my first time [attending the Grammy Awards]. I always told myself I never wanted to go until I was nominated and I didn’t think it would be for all those categories, which is really special. So I’m excited.”

Carpenter said that, for now, she’s just trying to “vibe it out” and enjoy the ride, but predicted that “in five years [I’ll] look back on this moment be like ‘wow, so much happened at once.’ It’s hard to process it in the moment.” That said, Carpenter, 25, added that she feels incredibly lucky because music is all she’s ever wanted to do. “Writing songs is my favorite thing in the world, so the fact that I could do it and people listen is sentimental but it’s a gift so I’m very grateful,” she said.

Talk eventually turned to Carpenter’s entertaining new Netflix holiday special, A Nonsense Christmas, with Lord of the Rings obsessive Colbert mentioning that none other than Samwise Gamgee — actor Sean Astin — plays Santa in the singer’s holiday variety show. “Do you know him as Samwise Gamgee?” Colbert asked as Carpenter covered her face and blushed.

“Have you ever seen a Lord of the Rings movie? Answer the question,” Colbert asked with rising alarm. “Do you want to know how I know him? From Stranger Things,” Carpenter giggled. “For me he’s Bob… So for me, I was like, ‘Bob wants to be Santa?! That’s epic.’ But you are from a different generation,” she added as Colbert threw his head back and guffawed, grabbing Carpenter’s hand for a sweet kiss.

Watch Carpenter on The Late Show below.