Sabrina Carpenter has proven to be so much more than a Disney star over the last five years. Since landing her breakout role on the Boy Meets World sequel series Girl Meets World in 2013, Carpenter has filled her résumé with a handful of other acting roles — but almost more notably, the 18-year-old has established herself as a earworm-making pop singer.
Starting with her first single “Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying” in 2014, Carpenter has released two albums filled with some serious jams. Her latest release, “Alien” — a collaboration with dance producer Jonas Blue — dropped last month, and it’s just as catchy as the rest of her catalog.
Billboard revealed Tuesday (April 10) that Carpenter will take the stage at this summer’s Hot 100 Fest, alongside the likes of Rae Sremmurd, Future, DJ Snake, Daya, Kehlani and more. Before catching her at the festival on Aug. 18 and 19, take a look at some of our favorite Sabrina Carpenter songs below.
8. Sabrina Carpenter — “We’ll Be the Stars”
Though Carpenter’s voice is clearly great for dancier tracks, this track from her first album shows the vulnerable side to her sound — and it’s just as awesome as the more upbeat tunes.
7. Sabrina Carpenter — “Mirage”
Carpenter followed up her first album, Eyes Wide Open, with an LP full of more club-friendly tracks like this one, which features breathy vocals and a scandalous beat that make listeners realize she’s not as innocent as she may have seemed on her first go.
6. Sabrina Carpenter — “Smoke and Fire”
In between albums, Carpenter unveiled this non-album single to hint at the sassier vibe she’d be channeling on her sophomore release, perfectly setting the scene for the more dynamic sound that was to come.
5. Sabrina Carpenter — “Your Love’s Like”
For a girl that just entered her teens, Carpenter’s more lovey-dovey songs on her debut album weren’t as cheesy as one would think. Case in point, this track, which is just the right balance of sugary-sweet pop star and clever singer/songwriter.
4. Sabrina Carpenter feat. Jonas Blue — “Alien”
With all the dance-influenced songs Carpenter issued on her own, it’s almost shocking that she’s only collaborated on one dance track prior to this year (Lost Kings featured her on their track “First Love” last year). But now that Jonas Blue has shown the world just how flawlessly her voice complements a heavy dance beat with this bumping tune, surely this is just the beginning for her dance team-ups.
3. Sabrina Carpenter — “Thumbs”
If there was any doubt that Sabrina Carpenter songs have catchy hooks before she released her 2016 album EVOLution, “Thumbs” certainly proved any haters wrong. The entire chorus is impossible to get out of your head, and whether you’re happy about it or not, you’re likely finding yourself singing and dancing along.
2. Sabrina Carpenter — ?”Eyes Wide Open”
After Carpenter started off her career with some sweeter tracks, “Eyes Wide Open” served as her declaration of independence that showed the world she was ready for what was to come despite her young age. The lyrics in themselves are powerful enough (“All I have is just this moment/ And I don’t want to miss a second/ ‘Cause it could all be gone in an instant”), but with the anthemic beat she put behind it, Carpenter seems unstoppable with this track.
1. Sabrina Carpenter — ?”Why”
Though Carpenter has yet to reveal plans for a third album, she set herself up for a seriously solid next release with her latest solo single. The yin-and-yang love story of “Why” is captivating both lyrically and musically, with a cleverly skipping beat that makes you want to bounce along once the beat drops. Her voice sounds as smooth as ever on the undulating verses and chorus, with the bridge also allowing her to show off that she has the chops to nail a power note. “Why” ultimately proves that Carpenter has plenty of talent — and catchy-as-hell pop tracks — left to share with the world.
