Sabrina Carpenter reflects on Grammy wins, No. 1 album and growing up in public

Sabrina Carpenter is closing out one of the biggest years of her career, marked by Grammy wins, a global tour and the release of her acclaimed album Man’s Best Friend.

In a new interview, the 26-year-old pop star looks back at her rapid rise, her bold new artistic identity and the challenges of outgrowing her Disney past.

Carpenter kicked off 2025 with six Grammy nominations, taking home two awards for Short n’ Sweet. Her first arena tour sold out worldwide, including a five-night run at Madison Square Garden, where her playful, chaotic stage persona drew huge fan praise. Even mid-tour, she launched a new era with her single “Manchild” and the August release of Man’s Best Friend, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and sent all 12 tracks to the Hot 100.

The album’s provocative themes sparked conversation, especially its controversial cover, which Carpenter says reflected feeling “emotionally yanked around” by past relationships. Critics accused the imagery of being degrading, but Carpenter maintains it was a commentary on control and power. “You can be in control and not in control at the same time,” she said.

Her collaboration with Taylor Swift on The Life of a Showgirl marked another high point. Carpenter, who once opened for Swift on The Eras Tour, called hearing their voices together “surreal.”

As she confronts lingering expectations from her Disney days, Carpenter is firm: “It’s not my fault I got a job at 12 and you won’t let me evolve.” She plans to take a short break after touring but remains focused on pushing pop forward with humor, honesty and confidence.