Many early-2000s kids might remember Sabrina Carpenter from Disney’s Girl Meets World. In the past ten years—Carpenter, like many of her Disney predecessors—has made the transition from a teen Disney star to an adult pop star. The singer has soared to a new level of stardom since the release of her sixth studio album Short n’ Sweet. So, what sets Carpenter apart from other Disney alumni?
Demi Lovato, the Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and Brittany Spears, to name a few, are all famous musicians who started as child stars on Disney Channel. All of these stars started their Disney and music careers in the early 2000s and early 2010s. At that time, there was limited social media to help promote their careers. Carpenter, whose success has seemingly taken off in recent years, has utilized TikTok and Instagram as resources to promote her music. Her most recent tour, the Short n’ Sweet Tour, has been particularly popular on social media. Carpenter plays into the fact that her fans record specific parts of the show by making changes and adjustments that give them more to post about. This leaves fans at each show clamouring to be the first to post a new addition to Carpenter’s performance. Whether it is a new bodysuit colour, feather boa, a new pose during her song “Juno,” or a new lyric printed on her tights.
Another factor that separates Carpenter from her fellow Disney star alumni is her albums. Demi Lovato’s first album in 2008 Don’t Forget has over 201 million listens on Spotify, and Miley Cyrus’s first album Meet Miley Cyrus in 2007 skyrocketed after her show Hannah Montana first aired in 2006. While these artists’ albums became instant hits, Carpenter’s initial albums plateaued. Her past albums have not come anywhere near the success her latest album has reached. What held her back may have been her prior signing with the Disney-owned Hollywood Records.
Her two most recent and popular albums, Emails I Can’t Send and Short n’ Sweet, were produced by her new label, Island Records. With her newfound freedom from Disney restrictions, Carpenter has begun including more explicit language and content in her music and overall aesthetic. The singer has seemingly become a more authentic version of herself. Given the sheer increase in success of these two albums when compared to Carpenter’s previous works, newer fans only truly recognize these as Carpenter’s discography. The setlist for the Short n’ Sweet Tour notably also features only songs from these two albums.
Like many past Disney stars, Carpenter has also reinvented her musical style and public persona as she reached adulthood. It is evident that the liberation from Disney has allowed her to grow her fanbase and showcase a version of herself much different than what we previously saw on TV. After her prior five albums, her incredible growth with Short n’ Sweet is commendable and might serve as an inspiration for future artists.
