Honestly, if you only know Sabrina Carpenter from her Coachella sets or the "Espresso" music video, you're missing the weirdest, most fascinating era of her life. Before she was a global pop phenom, she was basically carrying the Disney Channel on her back.
People love to act like she appeared out of thin air in 2024.
She didn't.
Sabrina spent years as the "it girl" of the Mouse House, but not in the way most stars do. While others were playing "perfect" characters, Sabrina was usually the edgy best friend or the sarcastic teenager with a secret heart of gold. She was a professional long before most of us knew how to use a curling iron.
The Girl Meets World Era (2014–2017)
Most fans started their journey here. Girl Meets World was a massive gamble for Disney. How do you follow up Boy Meets World without ruining everyone's childhood? You cast Sabrina Carpenter as Maya Hart.
Maya wasn't your typical Disney lead. She was a bit of a troublemaker, lived in a messy family situation, and had this dry, cynical wit that felt way too advanced for a 13-year-old. She was the "Shawn Hunter" of the new generation. While Rowan Blanchard’s Riley was all sunshine and rainbows, Maya brought the grit.
It’s where she really honed that comedic timing. You can still see flashes of Maya's sarcasm in Sabrina's onstage banter today. During the show's three-season run, she wasn't just acting; she was also the voice behind the theme song "Take On The World."
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Those Random Guest Spots You Forgot About
If you go back and watch Austin & Ally, you'll find a very young Sabrina playing Lucy Gluckman in the episode "Moon Week & Mentors." She was 14. She sang a song called "Who I Am" that, looking back, was a total foreshadowing of her future career.
Then there's the voice work.
She wasn't just on camera. Sabrina voiced Princess Vivian in Sofia the First for several episodes. She even had a recurring gig as Melissa Chase on Milo Murphy’s Law, which was created by the same minds behind Phineas and Ferb.
Did you know she was in a Disney XD show called Wander Over Yonder? She voiced a character named Melodie. It’s a deep cut, but it proves she was everywhere in the Disney ecosystem. She was a workhorse.
Adventures in Babysitting: The 100th DCOM
The peak of the Disney Channel Sabrina Carpenter movies and TV shows era has to be the 2016 remake of Adventures in Babysitting. This was a big deal. It was the 100th Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM).
She starred alongside Sofia Carson, playing Jenny Parker. It was your classic "type-A overachiever vs. rebellious artist" trope, but it worked because the chemistry was actually there. They even did a rap battle called "Wildside" on the soundtrack.
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It’s campy. It’s silly. It’s 100% Disney.
The Music Nobody Listens To (But Should)
While she was filming these shows, she was signed to Hollywood Records. This is the part that kind of breaks your heart if you’re a fan. She released four albums under Disney’s label:
- Eyes Wide Open (2015)
- Evolution (2016)
- Singular: Act I (2018)
- Singular: Act II (2019)
The Singular albums are actually hidden gems. They aren't the bubblegum pop the label usually pushed. You can hear her trying to break out of the "Disney kid" mold. She’s experimenting with R&B and dance-pop. She eventually split Singular into two parts just to finish her contract faster. She wanted out.
She’s been very open recently about feeling "disconnected" from that music. She told Variety that she feels a "sense of separation" from her pre-pandemic work. Basically, that wasn't the real Sabrina—it was the Disney version.
Transitioning to the Big Screen
Before she fully left the Disney orbit, she started taking "serious" roles. She was in The Hate U Give (2018) as Hailey, a character who was... let's be real, pretty unlikable. It was a brave choice. She didn't want to be the "good girl" anymore.
Then came the Netflix run: Tall Girl, Work It, and the tear-jerker Clouds.
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Clouds is technically a Disney+ original, so it still counts as part of that lineage. She played Sammy Brown, the real-life best friend of Zach Sobiech. It’s a brutal watch if you aren't prepared to cry. It showed she had real dramatic chops, not just sitcom energy.
Why This Era Still Matters
We tend to mock the "Disney Pipeline," but Sabrina used it as a training ground. She learned how to handle a press tour, how to record in a professional studio, and how to command a camera.
She isn't an overnight success. She's a 15-year veteran who happens to be having a massive moment right now.
When you see her performing "Espresso," you're seeing the result of a girl who spent her Friday nights on a soundstage in Burbank. She paid her dues in denim vests and glitter.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Watch the "Wildside" Rap Battle: If you want to see pure 2016 Disney energy, find the music video from Adventures in Babysitting. It’s a time capsule.
- Listen to Singular: Act I: If you think she only started making good music with Emails I Can't Send, listen to "Paris" or "Almost Love." You'll see the bridge between her old self and her current sound.
- Check out Clouds on Disney+: If you want to see her best acting performance from her Disney years, this is the one. Just keep the tissues nearby.
The journey from Maya Hart to a Grammy nominee wasn't a straight line. It was a decade-long grind through the halls of the Disney Channel, and honestly, that’s why she’s so good at being a star now. She’s been doing it since she was a kid.