SABRINA CARPENTER: A Child Star to Main Pop Girl Success Story

Jojo Siwa should take notes

Very few child stars successfully make the transition from adolescence to adulthood in the public eye. Think, Jojo Siwa. However, Miss Sabrina Carpenter has gracefully made the jump, giving a masterclass in delayed gratification. 

Though Sabrina has been part of the entertainment industry since the early 2010s, first appearing on Law & Order: SVU in 2011 and Orange is the New Black in 2013 before making her Disney debut on an episode of Austin & Ally later the same year. She landed her role on Girl Meets World in 2014, which ran for 3 seasons, meanwhile appearing in the DCOM “Adventures in Babysitting” in 2016. 

Her music career spans back to 2014, when she released her first single “Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying,” followed by her debut album of the same name. Over the years, she released several more albums and EPs, including “emails i can’t send,” "Eyes Wide Open," "Evolution," and "Singular." While recent singles off her previous album performed successfully like “Feather” and “Nonsense”, her latest hit, “Please Please Please,” has rocketed to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, replacing her previous release, “Espresso,” setting the stage for the release of Carpenter’s album Short n’ Sweet, scheduled to drop on August 23.

She has built a dedicated fan base largely due to her live performances on the Latin American leg of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour in addition to an iconic festival run including Bonnaroo, Gov Ball and Coachella.

While some child stars seek to leave behind their childhood like a shedding of a skin, comparable to a debutante “coming out,” Sabrina has played the long game. By sticking out the Disney run through the entirety of her youth, she had the time and resources to dedicate to finding her sound, experimenting with songwriting, and developing her on-stage persona. The Sabrina Carpenter we see now might be new to this level of stardom, but she’s a seasoned professional with a well thought out approach to her music, aesthetic and public image.

Just a few years ago, Sabrina was at risk of forever being “that blonde girl” that Olivia Rodrigo referenced in “drivers license,” an instant classic breakup ballad written about the love triangle between Carpenter, Rodrigo and their fellow Disney alum, Joshua Bassett.

Released in January 2021, the hit song's lyrics reference a breakup and mention a "blonde girl," which many fans speculated was about Sabrina Carpenter, who was dating Joshua Bassett at the time. Shortly after “drivers license” gained popularity, Sabrina released a song called "Skin," which many interpreted as a response to Rodrigo's song. Joshua Bassett also released his own music around the same time, further fueling the speculation and drama among fans and media. 

The songs and the surrounding media coverage led to a lot of public interest and discussion about the relationships and perceived drama between the three young stars. However, Rodrigo’s “drivers license” massively outperformed the others’ music, which could have set Sabrina’s career back, in terms of public perception.

Thanks to her laid back demeanor and light sense of humor (plus some backup in the form of Taylor Swift), Sabrina managed to turn lemons into lemonade. After all, who doesn’t love some healthy scandal?

Tickets to the 33-date Short n’ Sweet Tour have sold out within 9 days of going on sale, including major bookings such as Crypto.com Arena and Madison Square Garden.

Going from Disney’s it girl to the main pop diva is no easy feat, but she’s made it happen. Congrats, Sabrina! You’ll always be famous.