Former teen star Sabrina Carpenter has blossomed into a multifaceted artist, captivating audiences with her talents in both music and acting. First gaining recognition on the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World (2014-2017), the now 25-year-old has since carved a unique space in the entertainment industry, transitioning from a young actress to a fully-fledged pop idol.
Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter was born on 11 May 1999 in Pennsylvania and raised in a creative environment, inspired by family, including her aunt Nancy Cartwright, the actor who voiced Bart Simpson. Homeschooled alongside her three elder sisters, she discovered her passion for music at a young age. By 10, she was posting covers of Christina Aguilera and Adele songs on YouTube, showcasing an impressive vocal range.
Her early efforts paid off when she came third in the US-wide singing contest, The Next Miley Cyrus Project, in 2009. This exposure, combined with her father’s support in building a recording studio, set the stage for her future success. In 2014, she signed with Hollywood Records, releasing her debut single, Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying, which marked the beginning of her musical journey.
Plan A
A decade later, an espresso served during one of her European trips spawned another hit song. Released this spring, Espresso is a catchy pop jam full of cheeky quotables, including a chorus built around the unlikely phrase, ‘That’s that me espresso’.” Carpenter has confessed to having the song stuck in her head and then “decided to put that burden on other people”.
“I’m just annoying. I’m literally just annoying,” she says of her climb to pop stardom. “I never had the plan B, and it wasn’t even a thought in my mind that it wouldn’t work out. I just always knew it was about not if it would happen but when it would happen.”
Carpenter’s music reflects a diverse range of styles, incorporating elements of folk-pop, R&B and dance-pop. Influenced by powerhouse vocalists like Christina Aguilera and Rihanna, she has embraced her identity as an artist, creating authentic and relatable anthems. Beyond her music she has made a name for herself in movies, headlining notable projects such as Adventures in Babysitting (2016), The Hate U Give (2018) and Clouds (2020). The Netflix comedies Tall Girl (2019) and Work It (2020) showcase her versatility and commitment to storytelling. Broadening her artistic repertoire, she also took her talents to Broadway, starring in the musical Mean Girls (2020).
Adventures in Chart-topping
Carpenter’s early discography includes four studio albums: Eyes Wide Open (2015), Evolution (2016), Singular: Act I (2018) and the following year, Singular: Act II. Hits like Alien, Almost Love and Sue Me saw her topping the US Dance Club Songs chart, establishing her presence in the pop landscape. In 2021, she made a bold move to Island Records and released Skin, her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100.
Her fifth album, Emails I Can’t Send (2022), received critical acclaim, with singles Nonsense and Feather climbing the US Pop Airplay charts. The latest venture, this year’s Short n’ Sweet, debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 in September, marking a significant milestone in her career. Featuring the chart-topping Espresso as well as Please Please Please, it further solidifies her status as a pop sensation.
“Obviously, I write songs about exactly how I feel, so I guess I can’t be so surprised that people are interested in who and what those songs are about. That’s something that comes with the territory,” she says.
On Stage for Society
Carpenter is not only a talented performer but also a passionate advocate for various causes. Since 2016, she has supported the Ryan Seacrest Foundation to inspire today’s youth and participated in initiatives promoting mental health and LGBTQ+ rights. Her partnership with the nonprofit PLUS1 during her Short n’ Sweet Tour aims to uplift marginalised communities, emphasising her commitment to social change.
In a recent collaboration with US ice-cream parlour chain Van Leeuwen, Carpenter introduced an espresso flavour, with profits benefiting the New York-based Ali Forney Center, which supports homeless LGBTQ+ youth. Her dedication to philanthropy highlights her desire to make a positive impact through her platform.
Dividing her time between New York and Los Angeles, she likes sketching and visits Disney World with her Irish actor beau, Barry Keoghan. She’s not a club girl but enjoys eating at a beautiful restaurant. “As much as people want to believe you’re tuned into every little thing, I’m not because I’m constantly working,” she notes.
Before her concert tour, which kicked off in September in the US and ends next March in Italy, she did get a little downtime. She arrived at the Met Gala wearing a gorgeous bespoke Oscar de la Renta bustier gown, and made her debut on Saturday Night Live, performing Espresso and a Nonsense/Feather mashup, as well as playing Daphne in a Scooby-Doo-themed segment.
Meeting the World Head On
Whether she’s on stage, in front of the camera or championing important causes, Carpenter embodies the spirit of a modern-day icon. Her journey is just beginning and she’s feeling more ambitious and determined than ever.
“I feel really grateful that this has happened over the course of a lot of time of me figuring it out because it doesn’t feel like it was sprung up on me,” she says. “It’s almost like I can just relax and be excited about it. I say Sabrina wasn’t built in a day.”
From her Disney roots to her current status as a pop phenomenon, Sabrina Carpenter is a testament to the power of perseverance and creativity, lighting the way for aspiring artists everywhere. As she continues to evolve as both an artist and an individual, she remains a beacon of inspiration for her fans. With her unique blend of talent, authenticity and advocacy, she is poised to influence the entertainment industry for years to come.
“I don’t know how to describe it,” she says. “When you’re a child and you just have a feeling of, I know I’m going to do this someday. I know I’m going to do this for the rest of my life. I know this is the path I need to follow, whatever that means for me, and whatever success that means for me is what I’m destined for. I have dreams and goals, and I will say I’m a little bit of a freak manifester sometimes, which is a blessing and a curse depending on how you look at it. I always knew deep down that this was something I would do with my life, and I didn’t ever really doubt that, even when shit was hitting the ceiling fan,” she says, quoting her own “Please Please Please” lyrics. “No pun intended. I don’t think I ever doubted it.”