Sabrina Carpenter

Biography

Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter (born May 11, 1999) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her accolades include two Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, three American Music Awards, a Brit Award and six MTV Video Music Awards. She was recognized by Time in their Time 100 Next list in 2024. Carpenter first gained prominence starring as Maya Hart on the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World (2014–2017). She signed with Hollywood Records and achieved limited success with her studio albums, Eyes Wide Open×Eyes Wide Open14 April 2015 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Eyes Wide Open3:132Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying2:493The Middle of Starting Over3:334We’ll Be The Stars3:075Two Young Hearts3:546Your Love’s Like3:297Too Young4:148Seamless3:069Right Now3:3510Darling I’m a Mess2:5911White Flag3:1812Best Thing I Got3:19 (2015), Evolution×EVOLution14 October 2016 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1On Purpose3:582Feels Like Loneliness3:203Thumbs3:364No Words3:325Run and Hide3:296Mirage3:257Don’t Want It Back3:018Shadows2:529Space3:0610All We Have Is Love3:02 (2016), Singular: Act I×Singular: Act I9 November 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Almost Love3:322Paris3:383Hold Tight2:554Sue Me2:595prfct2:466Bad Time3:047Mona Lisa2:188Diamonds Are Forever3:49 (2018), and Singular: Act II (2019).
Carpenter joined Island Records in 2021, releasing her fifth album, Emails I Can't Send (2022), featuring the multi-platinum singles "Nonsense×Nonsense10 November 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Nonsense2:51" and "Feather×Feather4 August 2023 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Feather (sped up)2:33". Her sixth studio album, Short n' Sweet (2024), topped the US Billboard 200 and won two Grammy Awards. It produced the global number-one singles "Espresso×Espresso11 April 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Espresso2:55" and "Please Please Please×Please Please Please6 June 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAPlease Please Please3:06BPlease Please Please - Acoustic2:55", the latter becoming her first to top the US Billboard Hot 100. Her seventh studio album, Man's Best Friend (2025), also topped the Billboard 200 and spawned the US number-one single "Manchild×Manchild5 June 2025 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Manchild3:34".
Carpenter has acted in films such as Adventures in Babysitting (2016), The Hate U Give (2018), The Short History of the Long Road (2019), Clouds (2020), and Emergency (2022). She has also starred in the Netflix films Tall Girl (2019), Tall Girl 2 (2022), and Work It (2020). She has served as both a host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live, hosted the Netflix special A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter (2024), and guest starred in the Disney+ variety sketch special The Muppet Show (2026), the later of which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award as an executive producer. On Broadway, she played Cady Heron in the musical Mean Girls (2020).

Early life

Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter was born on May 11, 1999, in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, to David and Elizabeth (née Sneidar) Carpenter, and raised in East Greenville. Her oldest sister, Shannon, is a dancer. Her older sister, Sarah, is her creative partner and a photographer. They have an older paternal half-sister, Cayla, who is a hairdresser and makeup artist. Their father is a step-brother of actress Nancy Cartwright.
Carpenter was homeschooled and moved to Los Angeles when she was thirteen. She began studying voice at age six. Around age ten, she began posting videos on YouTube of herself singing Christina Aguilera and Adele songs. When Carpenter was 10, her father built a recording studio for her to fuel her passion for music.

2008–2014: Breakthrough with Disney

In October 2008, Carpenter was one of 7,000 to enter the online singing contest The Next Miley Cyrus Project, run by Miley Cyrus. She placed third in 2010. Around this time, Carpenter signed with manager Bill Perlman.

Carpenter's first acting role was in 2011 in a guest role on the NBC drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Around the same time, she performed as part of the Hunan Broadcasting System's Gold Mango Audience Festival program in China, singing "Something's Got a Hold on Me". In the summer of 2012, Carpenter had a recurring role in the Fox sitcom The Goodwin Games. She appeared as young Merrin Williams in Horns (2013) and recorded "Smile" for the compilation album Disney Fairies: Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust, inspired by the Disney Fairies film series; the song charted on Radio Disney. She had a recurring role as Princess Vivian in Sofia the First from 2013 to 2018, for which she recorded various songs, including "All You Need" with Ariel Winter.
In January 2013, Carpenter was cast in a Disney Channel series Girl Meets World, a spin-off of Boy Meets World, as Maya Hart. The show consisted of 72 episodes, and concluded on January 20, 2017. Carpenter recorded the show's theme song alongside her co-star Rowan Blanchard. From 2010 to 2013, Carpenter released various independent promotional singles before signing a five-album deal with Disney label Hollywood Records in 2014.
In March 2014, Carpenter released her debut single, "Can't Blame a Girl for Trying×Can't Blame a Girl for Trying18 April 2014 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Can't Blame a Girl for Trying2:522The Middle of Starting Over3:343White Flag3:214Best Thing I Got3:17", which was co-written by Meghan Trainor. The single received positive reviews and titled her debut EP of the same name that was released in April 2014. In July 2014, Carpenter contributed lead vocals to the Disney Channel Circle of Stars cover version of "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?". She recorded "Stand Out×Stand Out12 August 2014 · Single · SoundtrackSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Stand Out3:29" for the Disney Channel movie, How to Build a Better Boy, which premiered in August 2014. She released her first Christmas single, "Silver Nights×Silver Nights10 November 2014 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Silver Nights2:27", that same year.

2015–2017: Eyes Wide Open and Evolution

In January 2015, Carpenter released the song "We'll Be the Stars". It served as the lead single for her debut studio album Eyes Wide Open×Eyes Wide Open14 April 2015 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Eyes Wide Open3:132Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying2:493The Middle of Starting Over3:334We’ll Be The Stars3:075Two Young Hearts3:546Your Love’s Like3:297Too Young4:148Seamless3:069Right Now3:3510Darling I’m a Mess2:5911White Flag3:1812Best Thing I Got3:19, which was released on April 14, 2015, and peaked at number 43 on the Billboard 200. According to Billboard, it sold over 12,000 copies in its first week. Upon release, the album received positive reviews and went on to win two Radio Disney Music Awards. The album was followed with a second single, "Eyes Wide Open". In August, Carpenter performed at the D23 Expo. In December, Carpenter released her second Christmas single, "Christmas The Whole Year Round×Christmas the Whole Year Round13 November 2015 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Christmas the Whole Year Round2:59".

In February 2016, Carpenter released the standalone single titled "Smoke and Fire×Smoke and Fire19 February 2016 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Smoke and Fire3:45". She performed the song at the 2016 Radio Disney Music Awards. In June 2016, Carpenter starred as Jenny Parker in the Disney Channel Original Movie Adventures in Babysitting (2016) alongside Sofia Carson. For the film, the two performed the theme track, "Wildside", together. Later that year, she appeared in a Pasadena Playhouse production of Peter Pan and Tinker Bell: A Pirate's Christmas. In August, Carpenter headlined the Bethlehem's Musikfest festival. She began voicing Melissa Chase on Milo Murphy's Law.
In October 2016, Carpenter released her second studio album, Evolution×EVOLution14 October 2016 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1On Purpose3:582Feels Like Loneliness3:203Thumbs3:364No Words3:325Run and Hide3:296Mirage3:257Don’t Want It Back3:018Shadows2:529Space3:0610All We Have Is Love3:02 which debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 28, selling 13,000 copies in its first week. The album included two singles: "On Purpose×On Purpose29 July 2016 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1On Purpose3:58", which was nominated for a Radio Disney Music Award, and "Thumbs×Thumbs7 October 2016 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Thumbs3:36", which peaked at number one on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart and was later certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Two promotional singles were released from the album including "All We Have Is Love×All We Have Is Love23 September 2016 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1All We Have Is Love3:02" and "Run and Hide×Run and Hide30 September 2016 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Run and Hide3:29". Carpenter performed "Thumbs" on The Today Show and The Late Late Show with James Corden. She embarked on her first headlining concert tour, the EVOLution Tour, in autumn of 2016.
In March 2017, Carpenter performed the theme song for the Disney Channel show Andi Mack. In May, Carpenter featured on the single "Hands×Hands19 May 2017 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Hands2:47" with The Vamps and Mike Perry. In July, Carpenter released the single "Why", which received positive reviews, and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100, becoming her second entry on the chart. It was nominated for a Radio Disney Music Award. In the summer of that year, Carpenter embarked on her second headlining concert tour, the De-Tour. She opened for Ariana Grande on her Dangerous Woman Tour in São Paulo.
In December, Carpenter released a cover of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas×Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas27 October 2017 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas3:47". That same year, she released covers of "Sign of the Times×Sign of the Times2 June 2017 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Sign of the Times4:13" and "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" with British singer Jasmine Thompson and violinist Lindsey Stirling respectively.

2018–2020: Singular and film projects

In March 2018, Carpenter released the song "Alien×Alien16 March 2018 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Alien2:55" with English DJ Jonas Blue. The song reached number one on the US Dance Club Songs chart and number 12 on the US Dance/Electronic Songs chart. The duo performed it on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. In May, Carpenter was included in Nylon magazine's "25 Gen Z'ers Changing The World". In September, Carpenter appeared in The Hate U Give (2018), based on the novel of the same name.

On November 9, 2018, Carpenter released her third studio album, Singular: Act I×Singular: Act I9 November 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Almost Love3:322Paris3:383Hold Tight2:554Sue Me2:595prfct2:466Bad Time3:047Mona Lisa2:188Diamonds Are Forever3:49, which received positive reviews. Originally set to be released as one album, Carpenter announced that the album had been split into two acts with second act set for release in early 2019. The album spawned three singles, "Almost Love×Almost Love6 June 2018 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Almost Love3:32", "Paris×Paris25 October 2018 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Paris3:38" and "Sue Me×Sue Me16 November 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Sue Me3:07", the first and latter both reached number one on the US Dance Club Songs chart. A promotional single preceded the album a week before it's release titled "Bad Time×Bad Time2 November 2018 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Bad Time3:04". Carpenter promoted the album on The Today Show, as well as Live with Kelly and Ryan.
In March 2019, Carpenter embarked on her third headlining concert tour, the Singular Tour. That month, Carpenter featured on Alan Walker's single, "On My Way", alongside Farruko. In June 2019, she starred in the drama film The Short History of the Long Road. The film had had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and was released by FilmRise. It received positive reviews with Carpenter's role being praised.
On July 19, 2019, Carpenter released her fourth studio album, Singular: Act II×Singular: Act II19 July 2019 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1In My Bed3:10A2Pushing 202:46A3I Can’t Stop Me3:42A4I’m Fakin2:55A5Take Off All Your Cool3:04B1Tell Em4:40B2Exhale2:45B3Take You Back2:49B4Looking at Me3:01. The album received positive reviews upon release and found Carpenter exploring more personal topics than her previous works, including themes of anxiety and self-reflection. Various promotional singles were released for the album including "Pushing 20×Pushing 208 March 2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Pushing 202:46", "Exhale×Exhale3 May 2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Exhale2:45" and "In My Bed×In My Bed7 June 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1In My Bed3:09". To promote the album, she performed on Good Morning America's Summer Concert Series and released a promotional single titled "I'm Fakin×I'm Fakin12 July 2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1I'm Fakin2:55" ahead of the album's release. The album features Carpenter's most successful song released under Hollywood Records, "Looking at Me". In September 2019, Carpenter appeared in the Netflix film Tall Girl. She was cast in an adaptation of The Distance From Me to You.
In February 2020, Carpenter released a Valentine's Day-themed R&B single titled "Honeymoon Fades×Honeymoon Fades14 February 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Honeymoon Fades3:15", which was received positively by critics. A month later, she made her Broadway debut in Mean Girls. The show closed the day after Carpenter's debut due to the COVID-19 pandemic closing Broadway and never reopened. She performed in two performances of the show. In May 2020, she performed "Your Mother and Mine" on the ABC broadcast television special, The Disney Family Singalong Volume II. She had a recurring role in Royalties for which she performed "Perfect Song" for the soundtrack.
In July 2020, Carpenter released the song, "Let Me Move You×Let Me Move You24 June 2020 · Single · SoundtrackSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Let Me Move You2:27", for the Netflix film Work It, in which she starred and executive produced. Her role received generally positive reviews. The film's soundtrack featured Zara Larsson's "Wow", which led to Carpenter featuring on the remix of the song, released in September of that year. In October, Carpenter starred in the Disney+ film Clouds, based on the life of Zach Sobiech. She contributed to the film's soundtrack. In December 2020, Carpenter was listed under Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in the Hollywood and entertainment category.

2021–2023: Emails I Can't Send and wider recognition

In January 2021, Carpenter announced that she had signed to Universal Music Group's Island Records. She released her first single under the label, "Skin", on January 22, 2021. The song peaked at number 48 and 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Global 200, becoming her first entry on both charts. Carpenter performed the song on The Late Late Show with James Corden and at the 32nd annual GLAAD Media Awards. In September, she appeared in the third volume of Prime Video's Savage X Fenty Show. On September 9, 2021, Carpenter released "Skinny Dipping×skinny dipping9 September 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1skinny dipping2:57", the lead single from her then-forthcoming fifth studio album. She released "Fast Times×Fast Times18 February 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Fast Times2:55" on February 18, 2022, as a follow-up single. That same month, she appeared in Tall Girl 2. In May 2022, Carpenter appeared in Amazon Studios' film Emergency which had premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival that January.

On July 15, 2022, Carpenter released her fifth studio album, Emails I Can't Send, which debuted and peaked at number 23 on the Billboard 200 with 18,000 album equivalent units sold. The album was further promoted with the singles: "Vicious×Vicious1 July 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Vicious2:29" "Because I Liked a Boy", and "Nonsense×Nonsense10 November 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Nonsense2:51". The Emails I Can't Send Tour began in September of that year. "Nonsense" went viral on TikTok due to Carpenter performing newly improvised outros for the song on tour. The song peaked at number 56 on the Hot 100, was certified Platinum by the RIAA, and reached the top-10 on the US Pop Airplay chart.
In March 2023, Carpenter released a deluxe edition of Emails I Can't Send. One of the bonus tracks, "Feather×Feather4 August 2023 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Feather (sped up)2:33", became the final single in August 2023, peaking at number one on the US Pop Songs chart and number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. She performed the song at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards pre-show and at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. The song's music video, released in October 2023, drew polarized reactions due to its violent imagery and was filmed at the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Brooklyn, New York. The pastor apologized for allowing the shoot, unaware of the content. Carpenter responded, stating advance permission was granted and noting, "Jesus was a carpenter." Bishop Robert J. Brennan relieved the pastor of his administrative duties in the diocese and held a Mass of reparation to "restore the sanctity of this church". The investigation into the priest who granted permission uncovered evidence that led to the indictment of New York City mayor Eric Adams.
Carpenter was the opening act for the Eras Tour by Taylor Swift for a number of its Latin American, Australian and Singaporean shows throughout 2023 and 2024. She released a cover of Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble" as a Spotify special and said that opening for Swift was a "childhood dream come true". Carpenter described her experience at the Eras Tour as "unlike any crowd I've ever played to before". On November 17, 2023, Carpenter released a Christmas-themed EP, Fruitcake×fruitcake17 November 2023 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracksA1A Nonsense Christmas2:33A2buy me presents2:57A3santa doesn’t know you like i do3:10B1cindy lou who2:01B2is it new years yet?2:39B3white xmas2:26, featuring "A Nonsense Christmas×A Nonsense Christmas7 December 2022 · Single · RemixSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1A Nonsense Christmas2:332Nonsense2:44" which was released a year earlier.

2024–present: Short n' Sweet and Man's Best Friend

In March 2024, Carpenter featured on Norwegian singer-songwriter Girl in Red's single "You Need Me Now?×You Need Me Now?22 March 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1You Need Me Now?3:06". On April 11, Carpenter released the single "Espresso×Espresso11 April 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Espresso2:55", and performed at the 2024 Coachella Music Festival the following day. "Espresso" topped the Billboard Global 200, peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and went on to win the MTV Video Music Award for Song of the Year. At the end of the year, "Espresso" became the second most streamed song of the year on Spotify at 1.6 billion. Carpenter followed with a second single, "Please Please Please×Please Please Please6 June 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAPlease Please Please3:06BPlease Please Please - Acoustic2:55" on June 6, 2024, which became her second global chart-topper and her first US Hot 100 number one single. With these songs, she became the first female artist to hold the number one and two positions on the UK singles chart for three weeks in a row.

Carpenter released her sixth studio album, Short n' Sweet, on August 23, debuting at number one the Billboard 200 with 362,000 units sold in its first week. All tracks charted in the top 50 of the Hot 100. At the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, Carpenter earned six nominations, including Best New Artist, while the album was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year. It won Best Pop Vocal Album, and "Espresso" won Best Pop Solo Performance. The third single, "Taste×Taste23 August 2024 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksATasteBTaste (demo)", debuted at number two on the Hot 100, making Carpenter the first act since the Beatles to chart their first three top-five hits within a single week. The first three singles stayed in the top ten for seven consecutive weeks, a record for any female artist. Carpenter also became the first artist in 71 years to spend 20 weeks atop the UK singles chart in a calendar year, with "Taste" as the longest-running UK number one of 2024. A deluxe version with five additional tracks including a duet of "Please Please Please" with Dolly Parton, was released on February 14, 2025.
In September 2024, Carpenter appeared on Christina Aguilera's live Spotify-exclusive special celebrating the 25th anniversary of Aguilera's self-titled debut album, duetting on "What a Girl Wants", which was later nominated for a Webby Award. That month, she embarked on the Short n' Sweet Tour, her first arena tour. Carpenter produced and starred in a Netflix holiday special, A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter, released on December 6 and featuring duets with Chappell Roan, Tyla, and Shania Twain, among others.
On June 5, 2025, Carpenter released the single, "Manchild×Manchild5 June 2025 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Manchild3:34", which debuted at number one on the Hot 100, marking her first debut number one and second number one song overall on the chart. She performed it for the first time at Primavera Sound 2025 and then at BST Hyde Park. Her seventh studio album, Man's Best Friend, was released on August 29, 2025. The reveal of the cover art–depicting Carpenter on her hands and knees with an out-of-frame man grabbing her hair while she "paws" at his leg–divided both critics and fans. Some found it degrading to women, while others found it provocative and satirical. The album debuted atop the US Billboard 200, selling 366,000 equivalent album units in its first week, marking the highest-selling week for an album by a female artist in 2025 and third highest-selling week for an album overall that year.
In August 2025, Carpenter performed as a headlining act at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago, where she was joined by Earth, Wind & Fire. She featured on the title track of Taylor Swift's album The Life of a Showgirl, released on October 3, 2025. Carpenter was a headlining act at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in October, performing with Shania Twain and the Chicks. She headlined several festivals throughout 2026, including Lollapalooza Chile, Brazil and Argentina; Asunciónico; Festival Estéreo Picnic; and Coachella. Madonna made a guest appearance at Carpenter's second weekend Coachella performance, where they debuted their new duet "Bring Your Love" from Madonna's upcoming album Confessions II and performed "Vogue" and "Like a Prayer". At the 2026 Met Gala, Carpenter performed with Stevie Nicks. She executive produced and guest starred in the Disney+ variety sketch special The Muppet Show (2026), for which she earned the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded). In 2026, she was cast as dancer and actress Ginger Rogers in an upcoming Fred Astaire film biopic directed by Paul King starring Tom Holland as Astaire and Margaret Qualley as Adele Astaire.

Influences

Songs of female pop artists such as Madonna, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, and Christina Aguilera acquainted Carpenter with pop music. Carpenter named R&B as a genre that often influences her work, and cited Aguilera and Rihanna as early major musical influences. She has credited Aguilera's song "Beautiful" (2002) with helping her "showcase and develop [her] own voice". She has cited Taylor Swift and Lorde as her songwriting influences, while also taking inspiration from Beyoncé's genre-bending works. She claimed Swift's live performances and work ethic have inspired her. She has said that she listened to Dolly Parton's Heartbreaker "every morning" and has called Parton "one of [her] biggest idols". Carpenter has also named ABBA, Aretha Franklin, the Beatles, Whitney Houston, and Etta James as musical influences. She also shared admiration for Ariana Grande, being inspired by her live performances and the resilience and positivity she shares in her music. Carpenter's music and image have often been compared to Grande's by critics and the media.

Musical styles

Early in her career, Carpenter was described as a "teen pop singer". Later on in her career, Carpenter began to embrace pop music, with i-D writer Barry Pierce noting that after the release of Emails I Can't Send, she "can rightfully claim the title of fully fledged popstar". Variety writer Thania Garcia noted that while Carpenter was "considered a Disney princess for years, her transition from child actor to pop star [...] has been slow, steady and intentional". Carpenter felt that her transition from a Disney-star was hard, with Pierce noting that she has since had more autonomy over her work. Carpenter noted in an interview with Vogue that her "prior music put forth a facet of herself that she didn't feel was authentic at the time". Her stage presence has also been praised with Vogue writer Chelsea Sarabia noting that "as an artist and performer, [Carpenter] wields the full range of human expression as if it were an instrument of its own".
Carpenter's albums often incorporate pop, dance, and R&B, with elements of folk-pop, acoustic, country, electropop, and house. Her albums post-Singular: Act I×Singular: Act I9 November 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Almost Love3:322Paris3:383Hold Tight2:554Sue Me2:595prfct2:466Bad Time3:047Mona Lisa2:188Diamonds Are Forever3:49 have delved into styles such as dance-pop, trap, hip-hop, and R&B. On her sound, Carpenter noted that her music has "elements of everything". In an interview with Variety in 2024, Carpenter noted that she felt separated from her albums pre-Emails I Can't Send, noting that it was "largely due to the shift in who I am as a person and as an artist, pre-pandemic and post-pandemic". Alex Hopper of American Songwriter remarked storytelling as a motif of Carpenter's songs. Carpenter's voice has been described as a soprano.

Songwriting

Carpenter has co-written most of her songs, with sole lyricist credits for two tracks on Emails I Can't Send; she has stated in interviews that she is the main songwriter on her songs. Her preferred songwriting process is to start writing by deciding the song's title and building on from there, documenting her life experiences confessionally. Producer Jack Antonoff, who collaborated with Carpenter on the production of her sixth album Short n' Sweet, commended the way she weaved humor into her music and her songwriting voice, naming ABBA as a reference point for Carpenter when creating music. Antonoff mentioned that he worked solely on the music of "Sharpest Tool" with Carpenter handling the lyrics. Of Emails I Can't Send, Carpenter said "I would hope that if someone had never listened to my music before, and they listened to this album, they would leave it feeling like they know me better as a person."
Carpenter also worked on the compositions of some of her songs, including "Espresso×Espresso11 April 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Espresso2:55" and "Please Please Please×Please Please Please6 June 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAPlease Please Please3:06BPlease Please Please - Acoustic2:55". She also performs her own musical accompaniment, with musical knowledge of the piano, bass, ukulele, guitar, and drums. She played the guitar during her set on the Short n' Sweet Tour, and played the piano and electric guitar during her Coachella set in 2024.

Activism and philanthropy

In 2016, Carpenter became an ambassador for the Ryan Seacrest Foundation and visited various children's hospitals on their behalf. That same year, for the release of her single "Smoke and Fire×Smoke and Fire19 February 2016 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Smoke and Fire3:45", Carpenter released a T-shirt, with $10 of every shirt's proceeds going towards American Red Cross's 2Steps2Minutes campaign, which brought awareness to fire safety.
In 2017, Carpenter performed at the We Day California event. That same year, she partnered with DoSomething's Love Letters Challenge, aimed to combat isolation for senior citizens. Throughout her career, Carpenter has been an avid supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. In 2018, she participated in writing a love letter to the community for Billboard, stating that "when [fans] come to my shows with pride flags, screaming the lyrics at the top of [their] lungs, I hope [they] feel an overwhelming rush of love and safety." In April 2020, Carpenter appeared in a charity version of "If the World Was Ending", which supported Doctors Without Borders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Carpenter partnered with the nonprofit PLUS1 on the Short n' Sweet Tour to create the Sabrina Carpenter Fund, focusing on "the issues of mental health, animal welfare, and the LGBTQ+ community". The fund took $1 from every tour ticket sold and reached $1 million faster than any other artist PLUS1 had partnered with. Half of the earnings from Carpenter's 2024 espresso-flavored ice cream collaboration with Van Leeuwen Ice Cream went to the Ali Forney Center, a nonprofit organization focused on supporting homeless LGBTQ+ youth. Carpenter's partnership with HeadCount had more voter engagements for the 2024 United States presidential election than any other artist that year. Amid the mass deportations during the second Trump administration, Carpenter shared an Instagram story that encouraged donations to the National Immigration Law Center. Her "Tears×Tears29 August 2025 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksATearsBTears (extended dance break)" performance at the 2025 VMAs included dancers in drag and signs in the background in support of trans rights.
In December 2025, after the White House used a snippet of her song "Juno" in a video promoting ICE on X, she responded to the post with "this video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda." In response, the White House refused to apologize for deporting "dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles" from the United States. Referencing lyrics from Carpenter's "Manchild×Manchild5 June 2025 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Manchild3:34", they said anyone defending such people "must be stupid, or is it slow?" Shortly after, the White House deleted the tweet Carpenter replied to.

Endorsements and products

In 2017, Carpenter endorsed Converse's Forever Chuck campaign alongside Rowan Blanchard, Alton Mason and Cole Sprouse. In 2018, she became a brand ambassador for Aéropostale. She became a brand ambassador for Samsung USA in 2021, as part of the company's "Team Galaxy" partnership program. She performed at the Galaxy Creator Collective event hosted by Samsung in March 2022. Additionally, following her album's release in 2022, she performed a livestream concert at Samsung and Billboard's Summer of Galaxy annual event.
In September 2022, Carpenter released her debut fragrance in partnership with Scent Beauty, titled Sweet Tooth. The fragrance was nominated as a finalist by the Fragrance Foundation Awards for "Fragrance of the Year". In 2023, Carpenter announced her second fragrance, Caramel Dream. In July 2024, she announced her third fragrance, Cherry Baby.
In April 2024, Carpenter endorsed, and modeled for, new pieces for a campaign for Skims' Fits Everybody and Stretch Lace collections. She noted that "I loved the femininity of the whole creative" and that "I've always been a fan of the brand." That year in July, Carpenter appeared in an NBC advertisement for the 2024 Summer Olympics. In December 2024, Carpenter collaborated with Dunkin' Donuts to release an iced beverage, "Sabrina's Brown Sugar Shakin' Espresso×Espresso11 April 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Espresso2:55", named in honor of her song "Espresso".
In April 2025, Fortnite collaborated with Carpenter to feature her titular skin as the main theme of Fortnite Festival Season 8, along with several other branded in-game cosmetics including emotes and music tracks. In October 2025, Carpenter recorded public service announcements for MTA New York City Transit's subway system.

Personal life

Carpenter was previously in relationships with actor Bradley Steven Perry from 2014 to 2015, and actor Joshua Bassett from 2020 to 2021. She briefly dated singer Shawn Mendes in 2023 and actor Barry Keoghan from early to late 2024.
In June 2026, Carpenter filed a 5-year restraining order against an alleged stalker who tried breaking into her home.