Sabrina Carpenter’s and Chappell Roan’s sexy pop hits have roots in the bedroom ballads of Teddy Pendergrass and Philly soul
- Written by Jared Bahir Browsh, Assistant Teaching Professor of Critical Sports Studies, University of Colorado Boulder
Teddy Pendergrass was known for romantic R&B ballads like the 1978 hit "Close the Door."Michael Putland via Getty ImagesWhen Sabrina Carpenter’s provocative 2024 pop single “Bed Chem” plays on the radio, and I hear the lyrics
“But I bet we’d have really good bed chem / How you pick me up, pull ‘em down, turn...


