Sabrina Carpenter and the Rebirth of Pop

Graphics by Claire Arveson

I have been through many phases in my life. As a kid, I was exactly what you’d expect. Justice clothing (the matching sets shaped me as a person), pink, bicycles, roller skates, art, and most importantly, music.

I grew up with 2010’s pop music, which was arguably the peak of the genre. Carly Rae Jepson’s “Call Me Maybe,” Taylor Swift’s music, Bruno Mars (ugh I love him), Lady Gaga, and all of One Direction. “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz? It didn’t get better than that.

Since this magical era, my music tastes have changed, as you’d expect. I went through a short, albeit hardcore alternative music phase (I wanted to be goth; it was middle school, I don’t know what to tell you), rock music, rap, classic rock, and finally, pop again. All of these genres hold a special place in my heart, mostly because I adore music, but also because I grew up in it. I played piano, I took singing and guitar lessons, and even my tennis coach played music during practice. It was, and always will be, a major part of my life.

That being said, I genuinely believe that there has been a decline of pop music. The end of the 2010s and 2020-2022 were largely made up of dull COVID era songs. Thankfully, I’d say we are starting to reignite that classic pop sound, and I’m so excited.

Obviously, you can give credit for the rebirth of pop music to many artists. I won’t bother trying to name them all because I’ll definitely forget one, but I would like to showcase an artist who is rising up to be the next “pop princess:”

Sabrina Carpenter.

I ADORE Sabrina Carpenter. I knew her from Disney, followed her to her alternative-ish music phase, and searched for her when she disappeared. Emails I Can’t Send made its debut in 2022, which was great, but it still felt like it didn’t quite fit her. “Nonsense” and “Feather” were gems, although I’ve come to love the whole album (especially, “Because I Liked a Boy”).

Finally, to really cement her role in the pop industry, she released “Espresso.” Was it overplayed? Sure. Is it an incredible pop song? Absolutely. The album that followed, Short n’ Sweet is perfect. I love it. The extended version? Even better.

Man’s Best Friend is the most recent release. Surprise surprise, I love it too. It got a lot of hate because of the sexual tones, but I say let a girl live. Her whole brand is her femininity and her sexuality, and I love it so much. I believe she has brought back the pop music I have been missing. It’s classic, upbeat, dancing music that brings me right back to listening to music on my iPod Touch.

She’s fabulous, in looks, attitude, and sound. I’m excited to see what is coming next for her.