Staff Writer Isabella Zbucki examines Sabrina Carpenter’s recent rise to world-wide fame, considering the strategic choices behind her success.
Many know Sabrina Carpenter for having enchanted listeners with viral hits such as ‘Espresso’ and ‘Please Please Please’. But with the current hype surrounding the star, it is often forgotten that the singer has been releasing music for the past decade. Behind what is perceived as an overnight success, are years of clever planning and execution.
Carpenter first started out acting on the Disney Channel show ‘Girl Meets World’ at the young age of fourteen. She later signed with and released four albums under Disney’s Hollywood Records. Ultimately, she left the label after seven years and signed with Island Records in 2021, marking the beginning of her creative rebrand.
Since her Disney Channel days, Carpenter has undergone a huge rebranding to suit her growing audience. Following the likes of Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus, she shifted from the image of an innocent teen actress to a mainstream popstar. However, what really sets Sabrina apart is her unique aesthetic. Instead of following current trends, she sets her own. Carpenter has found her niche: known for the signature 50s-inspired look, sparkly corset-style dresses and rose blush, she has quickly become a style icon that people look up to, with many fans recreating her looks on social media.
Music videos also played a key role in the singer’s success. Instead of adhering to the traditional format where artists lip-sync with a crowd of backup dancers behind them, Carpenter creates what can be deemed as short films where fans are able to follow a storyline retelling the meaning of the song in an entertaining way. The shock element included in those clips generates excitement and anticipation amongst fans. For instance, in the ‘Taste’ music video, Sabrina kisses her co-star and actress Jenna Ortega. This drew immense attention from fans and non-fans alike, significantly increasing the number of views and streams for the song.
Being one of the support acts for Taylor Swift’s American leg of her sold-out Eras Tour was another milestone in Carpenter’s career. Opening for Swift introduced her to an even wider audience, with new audiences growing fond of her explicit and witty ‘Nonsense’ outros which went viral all over social media. This created even more buzz around the star as fans eagerly anticipated the lyric change on a given night. The videos of her opening set reached millions of views online.
The release of ‘Espresso’ in April this year cemented Sabrina’s newly found status as a pop icon. A catchy, synth-pop, retro-infused hit that surpassed a staggering one billion streams on Spotify in just under six months, elevating her career to a whole new level. Carpenter has gone from strength to strength since releasing the song, recently making history as the first female artist to hold both the number one and number two positions on the singles chart for three consecutive weeks. Importantly, Sabrina was the mastermind behind putting ‘Espresso’ out into the world – in a recent interview with Variety, she revealed that her record label was initially unsure about the song, which made her “completely alone in wanting to release ‘Espresso'”. It’s fair to say that this summer would have looked much different had the song not been released.
‘Short N’ Sweet’: An honest review
It is hard to believe that this is already Sabrina’s sixth studio production – even the singer herself stated that she would consider it her second “big girl” album. In the space of twelve songs, Carpenter captivates listeners by cleverly integrating her razor-sharp and witty sense of humour into the lyrics, a bold move that many artists would shy away from. In a year where countless talented artists released albums, this ultimately makes her stand out from an already concentrated market.
Moreover, upon listening to the album, you can’t help but notice how no song sounds the same. ‘Good Graces’ and ‘Bed Chem’ have a feel-good energy to them and draw on influences from established pop stars such as Ariana Grande. At the same time, ‘Slim Pickins’ is reminiscent of Dolly Parton and shows more of a country vibe, while ‘Lie to Girls’ is almost ballad-like. By not limiting the songs to just one genre, Sabrina showcases her dynamic versatility. In this sense, the album is a contrast to her previous works. However, despite this diversity of styles, ‘Short N’ Sweet’ is by no means incohesive, but rather a sophisticated fusion of multiple genres under one roof.
Overall, Short N’ Sweet is a real triumph. The songs feel effortlessly smooth and Carpenter achieves the right balance between humour and musicality, enabling fans to witness the singer’s authentic personality and hit-making ability. With her meteoric rise to stardom, Sabrina is proof that hard work and determination are likely to result in success. Her catchy lyrics and unique aesthetic are what pop music has been missing and she has certainly managed to fill this void.
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