Gen Z at Grammys 2025: Five reasons why the only way is up for first-time Grammy winner Sabrina Carpenter

Dubai:  Sabrina Carpenter must be feeling on top of the world. And why shouldn’t she? The 25-year-old American actress and pop star has just won her first Grammy awards: Best Pop Vocal Album for Short n’ Sweet, and Best Pop Solo Performance for Espresso, a ridiculously catchy synth-pop tune that we can never seem to get out of our heads. Here are five reasons why we feel the only way is up for this talented young star:

Child star to pop princess:

Carpenter kicked off her showbiz career as a child star in the Disney series Girl Meets World (2014-2017) and has starred in teen films like Adventures in Babysitting (2016) and Work It (2020), as well as the independent film, The Short History of the Long Road (2019). Alongside establishing an acting repertoire, she also signed up with Disney’s Hollywood Records for her first four albums, breaking free with her fifth, Emails I Can’t Send, which was released on a new label.

Conquering the charts:

An independent direction proved transformative in Carpenter’s pop career, paving the way for a more evolved sound, but without missing out on any fun! Her sixth album, Short n’ Sweet, spawned two huge hit singles in 2024, Espresso and Please Please Please, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart and features award-winning Irish actor Barry Keoghan in the video. Here’s what Pitchfork wrote in its review of Short n’ Sweet: “Sabrina Carpenter sets a high bar for big pop with a refreshingly light album that’s cheeky, clever, and effortlessly executed.”

A double whammy at the Grammys:

Carpenter was nominated in six categories at this year’s Grammys, including the four major ones - Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. While she missed out on the ‘Big Four’, her triumph in the Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Vocal performance categories only magnified the impact of certified-platinum Short n’ Sweet, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 upon its release and was the third biggest debut of 2024. 

Fashion on point:

No matter what the occasion, Carpenter always seems to serve up memorable looks, from turning heads with a vintage Chanel faux fur jacket and cashmere mini-dress at the premiere of her Netflix Christmas special, A Nonsense Christmas, to channelling old Hollywood charm in a baby blue feathered gown (with 80 carats of Chopard diamonds) at Sunday’s Grammys. 

A stunning Grammys performance on stage:

Last year, Carpenter revealed to Time magazine her wish of performing at the Grammys. That dream turned into reality Sunday, with a showgirl-inspired mash-up of Espresso and Please Please Please, a spectacular performance that Rolling Stone described as “Hollywood screwball comedy magic.” 

The 67th Grammy Awards was held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 2.