She went from being the other girl in Olivia Rodrigo’s Drivers License drama to dating Barry Keoghan, selling out tours with Taylor Swift, and making the Catholic church mad over a song called Feather. Sabrina Carpenter didn’t just survive Disney — she flipped the whole script.
Before she became a famous actress landing roles in films like *Tall Girls* and *The Hate U Give*. Before she blew up as a popular musical artist. Before her music video got 79 million views on YouTube. Before she endorsed Converse’s “Forever Chuck” campaign. Before she made fragrances and partnered with Scent Beauty. Before she became an ambassador for the Ryan Seacrest Foundation and visited children’s hospitals across the country on their behalf.
Who was Sabrina Carpenter?
Chances are, you’ve probably heard something about her. The talented singer and actor has been all over the internet and the globe. She released the hit album *Emails I Can’t Send*. Embarked on a global tour with Taylor Swift. Started dating one of Hollywood’s most eligible bachelors. Starred in the spring campaign for Skims.
Did we mention Sabrina Carpenter is only 25 years old?
Let’s go back to the beginning.
Sabrina was born May 11th, 1999, in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, to David and Elizabeth Carpenter. She was raised in East Greenville. From the moment Sabrina could walk, she had huge dreams of becoming a performer. And from the minute she could perform, she loved to entertain.
She has three older sisters and was homeschooled.
Fun fact: she’s the niece of actress Nancy Cartwright—famously known as the voice behind Bart Simpson.
Around the age of 10, Sabrina began posting videos on YouTube of herself singing Christina Aguilera and Adele songs. She said Christina Aguilera and Rihanna were her biggest musical influences. She’s also named Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Etta James as early inspirations.
Her father saw that she had a gift. So he built a recording studio for her to fuel her passion for music.
In 2009, she placed third in a singing contest called “The Next Miley Cyrus Project,” run by Miley Cyrus herself.
In an interview with *1883* magazine, Sabrina spoke highly about her upbringing and how her unique home life allowed her to be as creative as she wanted.
“I grew up in the middle of the woods, so there was a lot of room and time to be creative and use my imagination,” she said. “My parents always encouraged music and art in my household.”
In 2011, she landed her first role: Paula, a young victim, on *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* alongside fellow Disney star Peyton List.
Sabrina then featured in the odd TV show and film here and there—including *Noobs*, *Orange Is the New Black*, *Austin & Ally*—and even dabbled in voice acting for Disney’s hit show *Phineas and Ferb*.
When Sabrina was 13 years old, her family moved to Hollywood in the hope of striking it big.
In 2014, she landed her biggest role yet: a lead role as Maya Hart in Disney’s *Girl Meets World*. She appeared in a total of 72 episodes of the show, continuing her role until 2017.
Speaking with *Maria Clare*, Sabrina revealed she is grateful for the experience but was glad the show ended so she could pursue other ventures.
“It was a beautiful experience. I wouldn’t have changed it,” she said. “But I was just about to turn 18, and I was really excited about moving on to the next thing.”
While charming audiences on the screen, Sabrina was also fine-tuning her musical skills. She recorded *Girl Meets World*’s theme song alongside her co-star Rowan Blanchard. She signed a five-album deal with Hollywood Records, releasing her debut single “Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying” in 2014.
Since then, she has released five albums: *Eyes Wide Open*, *Evolution*, *Singular: Act I*, *Singular: Act II*, and *Emails I Can’t Send*.
In 2018, Sabrina Carpenter moved into her movie era, popping up in films like *The Hate U Give* and *Tall Girl*. In 2020, she starred in the Netflix dance movie *Work It*.
She is also a producer—which I love for her.
In 2022, with the release of *Emails I Can’t Send*, the singer really came into her own. The album addresses a variety of topics—from infidelity to family dynamics, from first loves to self-love. It gave us bangers like “Nonsense” and “Feather.”
The latter became a point of contention with the Catholic Church.
It’s no surprise that Carpenter has a Taylor Swift connection. Her songwriting and vocals are just as heart-wrenching and captivating. But before Sabrina was widely known in pop culture for her expert songwriting and A+ vocals, she was involved in some messiness with another Disney star turned pop singer.
Olivia Rodrigo.
Then relatively unknown outside of Disney, Olivia released her first single “Drivers License” in 2021.
A song about me.
It was an instant hit. Teen love lost. Centered around a guy who left Olivia for that blonde girl. At the time, many fans of Olivia assumed the song was about her co-star Joshua Bassett, who she was previously linked to—and who Sabrina was then currently involved with.
Naturally, fans assumed Joshua Bassett had broken Olivia’s heart, dumping her for Sabrina.
To say fans took their theory to the next level is an understatement.
The song not only launched Olivia’s music career but led to tons of traffic toward Sabrina, who would go on to detail her experience in the song “Because I Liked a Boy.”
You are nothing in Hollywood if you don’t have a steamy romantic connection—at least in the eyes of the tabloids.
When it comes to romance, Sabrina Carpenter has been linked to several stars. In addition to her rumored relationship with Joshua Bassett, the singer has been linked to actor Dylan O’Brien.
In January 2023, she was photographed out and about in Los Angeles with Canadian singer Shawn Mendes.
In a March 2023 interview, Shawn Mendes shot down the speculation, claiming he was not dating.
Fans were not buying it.
In any case, in late 2023, Sabrina was rumored to be dating Irish actor Barry Keoghan after allegedly meeting at a show in Paris. By December of that year, the couple were photographed out for dinner together. Since the start of 2024, the couple have seemingly confirmed their relationship status to be true—popping up together everywhere from museum dates in Los Angeles to concerts in Singapore.
On June 10th, *People* reported that Sabrina Carpenter is partnering with niche New York ice cream brand Van Leeuwen on an espresso-flavored ice cream.
Genius, honestly.
Sabrina is so loved worldwide. People who meet her have only had nice things to say. Apparently, she’s a fun person to be around. She’s kind. People can tell she’s just genuinely a cool person.
I, for one, can’t wait to see the new successes that come her way. New future projects. Whatever cool things she gets up to next.
She worked hard to get to where she is. All of her joy is well deserved.
Let’s talk about that 79 million view milestone for a moment. That wasn’t luck. That was years of posting covers from a bedroom in Pennsylvania while her friends were at regular school. That was her father building her a recording studio because he believed in her before anyone else did.
That was a 10-year-old girl singing Christina Aguilera into a webcam, not knowing that a decade later she’d be opening for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour.
The transition from Disney to pop stardom is notoriously difficult. For every success story, there are a dozen child stars who fade into obscurity. Sabrina didn’t just survive the transition. She thrived.
“Because I Liked a Boy” was her masterstroke. Instead of hiding from the “Drivers License” drama, she leaned into it. She flipped the narrative. She said, yes, that happened. And here’s my side. And by the way, the song slaps.
The Catholic church controversy over “Feather” is pure Sabrina Carpenter energy. For those who missed it: she filmed a music video in a church. In the video, she dances around in a short dress while a priest looks on disapprovingly. Then she literally buries her ex-boyfriends.
The church was not amused.
Sabrina’s response? She donated money to the church. Classy. Petty. Perfect.
This is who she is now. Not the innocent Disney sidekick. Not the girl who got dragged into Olivia Rodrigo’s breakup saga. She’s a woman who knows exactly what she’s doing and exactly what she wants.
Her partnership with Skims came at the perfect moment. Kim Kardashian’s brand doesn’t just pick anyone. They pick cultural moments. Sabrina is a cultural moment.
The Van Leeuwen ice cream collaboration? Espresso flavor. Because of course. Her song “Espresso” had been stuck in everyone’s head for months. The line “I can’t relate to desperation / My give a f*cks are on vacation” became a mantra for an entire generation of young women tired of explaining themselves.
She performed “Espresso” at Coachella. The crowd lost their minds. This wasn’t the same girl from *Girl Meets World* singing theme songs.
Let’s rewind to something Sabrina said about her childhood.
“I grew up in the middle of the woods, so there was a lot of room and time to be creative and use my imagination.”
That detail matters. She wasn’t raised in Hollywood. She wasn’t a stage parent horror story. She was a girl from Quakertown, Pennsylvania, population 8,500, who happened to have an uncle who voiced Bart Simpson and a father who built her a recording studio.
Her family moved to Hollywood when she was 13. That’s a massive risk. Uprooting your entire life for a teenager’s dream. Most of those stories end in disappointment. This one didn’t.
She booked *Girl Meets World* at 14. Seventy-two episodes. Four years of her life. And when it ended, she didn’t panic. She said she was “excited about moving on to the next thing.”
That’s rare. Most Disney stars cling to the machine because they don’t know anything else. Sabrina had already been building her music career alongside her acting career. She had options.
Her five-album deal with Hollywood Records gave her a platform. But it was *Emails I Can’t Send* that proved she wasn’t just a Disney girl making music. She was an artist.
The album’s opening track, “Emails I Can’t Send,” is about a father who cheated. Sabrina has never publicly named names, but the song is devastating. “I have no idea what she looks like / But I hate her just the same.”
She followed that with “Read your Mind,” a song about a toxic situationship. “Nonsense” became a TikTok sensation because of its improvised outros. Every live performance, she changes the last line. Sometimes it’s about the city she’s in. Sometimes it’s about the crowd. Sometimes it’s completely unhinged.
“Feather” is the one that got her banned from a church.
She’s funny. That’s the secret weapon. Pop stars are supposed to be serious about their craft. Sabrina is serious about her craft, but she’s also willing to look ridiculous. She’s willing to be messy. She’s willing to make a music video where she dances in a cemetery in a mini dress.
That’s confidence. That’s the result of growing up in the middle of the woods with nothing but time and imagination.
The Taylor Swift connection is worth exploring. Sabrina opened for Taylor on the Eras Tour. She’s been seen at Taylor’s apartment in New York. They’ve been photographed hugging at awards shows.
Some people call it a mentorship. Some people call it a strategic alliance. Either way, it’s smart.
Taylor Swift has a history of supporting young female artists who remind her of her younger self. Sabrina Carpenter writes her own songs. She plays instruments. She’s been in the industry since she was a child. She’s dealt with public feuds and media scrutiny.
The parallels are obvious.
But Sabrina isn’t a Taylor Swift clone. Her voice is lighter. Her humor is darker. Her aesthetic is more playful and more overtly sexual. She’s not trying to be the next Taylor Swift. She’s trying to be the first Sabrina Carpenter.
And it’s working.
Her song “Espresso” peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. “Feather” went platinum. She sold out her own headlining tour. The Eras Tour exposure introduced her to millions of people who had no idea she existed.
Now she’s dating Barry Keoghan, an Oscar-nominated actor known for intense roles in *The Banshees of Inisherin* and *Saltburn*. They’re an unlikely pair. He’s Irish. Brooding. Indie film royalty. She’s a former Disney star turned bubblegum pop princess with a sharp edge.
But they make sense. Both of them are weird. Both of them are talented. Both of them seem completely unbothered by what anyone thinks.
Sabrina’s partnership with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation often gets overlooked in her biography. She’s visited children’s hospitals across the country on their behalf. She doesn’t post about it for clout. She does it because she means it.
That’s the thing about Sabrina Carpenter. She’s been famous for a decade. She’s been through the wringer. Death threats after “Drivers License.” Tabloids dissecting every relationship. The Catholic church coming after her music video.
And she’s still standing. Still smiling. Still making bangers.
She turned the worst moment of her career—being cast as the villain in Olivia Rodrigo’s origin story—into the best thing that ever happened to her. “Because I Liked a Boy” is a masterclass in taking control of your own narrative.
“I’m a bad girl and I’m bad for him / He’s the only one that gets my sense of humor.”
She’s not apologizing. She’s not explaining. She’s just living her life.
The espresso-flavored ice cream collaboration with Van Leeuwen dropped in June 2024. It sold out in hours. That’s not an accident. Sabrina has built a brand that people want to participate in. She’s not just selling music. She’s selling a vibe.
The vibe is: I’m hot, I’m funny, I don’t take myself too seriously, but I take my craft extremely seriously. I’ve been doing this since I was a kid, so don’t tell me how to do my job. Also, here’s a song about burying my ex-boyfriends.
She’s 25. She’s been in the industry for 15 years. That’s more than half her life.
And she’s just getting started.
Her next album is already in the works. She’s hinted at a world tour. There are rumors of an acting project that she’s both starring in and producing. Whatever it is, it’ll be interesting. That’s the only guarantee with Sabrina Carpenter.
She’s not predictable. She’s not safe. She’s not trying to please everyone.
She’s just being herself.
And apparently, herself is exactly what the world wanted.
Let’s go back to that YouTube channel. A 10-year-old girl, posting covers. No guarantee anyone would watch. No guarantee anyone would care. Just a girl and a webcam and a dream.
Seventy-nine million views later, it’s easy to forget how unlikely this all was.
She placed third in a Miley Cyrus singing contest. She didn’t win. Most people who place third in a singing contest go home and never think about it again. Sabrina used it as fuel.
She moved to Hollywood at 13. She booked *Girl Meets World* at 14. She released her first single at 15. She never stopped. Even when the show ended. Even when the “Drivers License” drama threatened to define her. Even when the church came after her.
She kept going.
That’s the real story of Sabrina Carpenter. Not the drama. Not the relationships. Not the Taylor Swift connection.
It’s the girl from Quakertown, Pennsylvania, who refused to quit.
Her fans are fiercely loyal. They call themselves “Carpenters.” They’ve been with her since the *Girl Meets World* days. They watched her grow up. They defended her during the Olivia Rodrigo saga. They streamed “Feather” until it went platinum.
Sabrina rewards their loyalty by being genuinely present. She interacts with them on social media. She brings them on stage. She remembers their names.
In an industry where most celebrities treat fans like ATMs, Sabrina seems to actually enjoy the connection.
“It’s the best part of the job,” she said in an interview. “People showing up and screaming your lyrics back at you. That never gets old.”
She’s right. It doesn’t.
The comparison to Olivia Rodrigo will never fully go away. They’re both Disney alumni. They’re both pop singers. They’re both songwriters. They were both linked to Joshua Bassett.
But they’re also very different.
Olivia is angsty. Her music is about heartbreak and revenge and teenage rage. Sabrina is more playful. Her music is about sex and self-confidence and not caring what anyone thinks.
Olivia’s *Guts* is a masterpiece of young adult fury. Sabrina’s *Emails I Can’t Send* is a masterclass in damage control turned into art.
Neither is better. They’re just different.
And both of them are incredibly successful.
So maybe the “Drivers License” drama wasn’t a curse. Maybe it was a gift. It introduced millions of people to two incredibly talented young women who might have otherwise flown under the radar.
Sabrina Carpenter is not a fluke. She’s not a product of nepotism. She’s not a industry plant.
She’s a girl who worked her ass off for 15 years and is finally getting the recognition she deserves.
She can act. She can sing. She can write. She can produce. She can make you laugh. She can make you cry. She can make you want to dance in a cemetery in a mini skirt.
She’s the whole package.
And she’s only 25.
The next decade is going to be fascinating. Will she go even more mainstream? Will she pivot back to acting? Will she start her own record label? Will she disappear into the woods and never come back?
Probably not that last one.
She’s too ambitious. Too hungry. Too talented.
Sabrina Carpenter is just getting started.
And honestly? I can’t wait to see what she does next.
