Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan's "Please Please Please" Video Was Inspired by Bennifer and Quentin Tarantino

Hers. I would never suggest this. I felt like it was overstepping. It feels like a personal decision and I wanted the choice to be his. But obviously, I was hoping for it from the start. This seems like the most obvious thing because he is one of the greatest actors of this generation and the chemistry is there.

What was Barry like to direct?

He is incredible. Super receptive, super open, takes direction very well. I think because it’s his girlfriend and it’s his video, he was very conscious of it and wanted to make sure it didn’t take away her energy or attention. It was really nice – he wanted to succeed, give everything and do his best, but also always try to stay away. You could tell he was trying to be really respectful and let this be his moment. He also had a specific way of playing it. He knew the character exactly, his mannerisms, even his wardrobe – he knew very precisely what he wanted to wear.

I love the open polo shirt and the matching crosses. Do you have any fun behind-the-scenes stories?

The day I got the track I wasn’t sure if I would go for it as it was a busy time for me and I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. But it turns out that on the same day, I saw (this person) wearing a Sabrina Carpenter t-shirt right in front of me. So it was like it was destiny.

Pop culture loves the good girl and bad boy pairing. Were there any pop culture references or cinematic inspirations that you drew from?

Yeah, Pam and Tommy. Madonna and Dennis Rodman. Tarantino was a great reference. Born killers. Bonnie and Clyde, obviously. Even Thelma and Louise. We were really looking for cinematic references more than anything else and pop culture references in terms of what we wanted the spirit of that moment to be. Even J-Lo and Ben Affleck, not to reference, but to capture that spirit. It’s similar in the sense that they’re a really exciting young couple, both having big moments in their respective careers, coming together and creating a work of art. But it’s really not real life, it’s a story.

At the end of “Espresso,” Sabrina is arrested. Was this part of a larger universe, are they connected? Or is it its own thing?

I think it’s fun when there’s a direct line; I think she feels that way. I don’t think we ever saw this as a direct continuation. It’s a different film, a different artistic direction, almost a different era. But “Espresso” ends with a sample of “Please Please Please” playing over the police car radio, and we also have “Espresso” playing in the opening scene of this film. So there are Easter eggs and a thread, but it’s not a part two. I think it just shows that she is very consistent as an artist. It’s thoughtful, but it’s not a continuation.

Reminds me a bit of “Bitch Better Have My Money” by Rihanna?

This clip changed my life. I remember exactly where I was when I watched it. It was really a video that had (an) impact. It was so badass, if not afraid to take risks, this ferocity…