If you’ve spent more than five minutes on TikTok lately, you’ve probably seen the phrase Sabrina Carpenter just the Empress floating around in comment sections. It sounds like one of those weird, niche internet theories. Or maybe a secret lyric you missed while screaming "Espresso" at the top of your lungs in your car.
Honestly? It’s a bit of both.
The "Empress" label isn't just about Sabrina wearing a crown or acting like pop royalty. It's deeper. It’s about the specific energy she’s cultivated during the Short n' Sweet era and her follow-up 2025 masterpiece, Man's Best Friend. People are obsessed with the idea that Sabrina isn't just a pop star—she's a literal archetype.
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The Tarot Connection You Probably Missed
The term "The Empress" actually comes from the Tarot.
In the deck, The Empress represents femininity, creation, and absolute abundance. She’s the boss. But she’s not the "stiff corporate" kind of boss. She’s the "I’m having a cocktail while you do my chores" kind of boss.
Does that sound like anyone we know?
Sabrina has been leaning into this heavily. If you look at the lyrics for "Lie to Girls," she literally name-checks the girl "getting her tarot cards read." Fans caught on fast. They started connecting her "blonde bombshell" aesthetic—the big hair, the vintage lace, the unapologetic sexiness—to the Empress card.
It’s about "seeing femininity as your superpower." Sabrina said that herself in an interview with Vogue.
Why the Empress Label Stuck
Most pop stars try to be "relatable" by being messy. Sabrina does the opposite. She’s polished. She’s witty. She’s slightly untouchable but in a way that makes you want to be her best friend.
- The Aesthetics: Think back to the 2025 Grammys. She descended those stairs in a black sequin suit before transforming into a powder blue leotard. It was a direct nod to Goldie Hawn, but the vibe was pure Empress. High-effort, high-reward.
- The Lyrics: "I can't relate to desperation." That’s the Empress's tagline. She doesn't chase; she attracts.
- The "Just The" Part: This is the funny bit. In fan culture, saying someone is "just the [blank]" is a way of saying they own that specific identity. Sabrina isn't trying to be the Empress; she just is.
The Shift from "Girl Next Door" to Sovereign
It’s weird to think that just a few years ago, Sabrina was primarily known as a Disney kid. The transition wasn't an accident. It was a calculated, brilliant rebrand that took her from "Maya Hart" to a global phenomenon.
Basically, she stopped asking for permission to be sexy and funny.
The Emails I Can't Send era was the transition. It was vulnerable. It was "The High Priestess"—internal, emotional, a bit dark. But with Short n' Sweet, she stepped into the sunlight. She became the Empress.
She started using humor as a shield and a weapon. The "Nonsense" outros? Pure Empress energy. It takes a massive amount of confidence to stand on a stage in front of 20,000 people and make a dirty joke about the city you're in without missing a beat.
What the Critics Get Wrong
Some people look at the "Empress" persona and think it’s shallow. They see the heart-shaped cutouts in her dresses and the "coquette" aesthetic and think it’s just fluff.
They’re wrong.
Being "The Empress" in the music industry—especially in 2026—is about reclaiming the narrative. For years, Sabrina was caught in the middle of tabloid drama she didn't ask for. People tried to paint her as a "villain" or a "side character."
The Empress doesn't play a side character.
By embracing this role, she’s essentially saying, "I’m the one in control of the story now." When she sings "Juno" and talks about falling so hard she wants to have someone's baby, she’s doing it with a wink. It’s "unserious" but deeply powerful.
How to Channel "Sabrina Carpenter Just The Empress" Energy
You don't need a record deal or a stylist to tap into this. The whole point of the Empress archetype is that it’s an internal state.
It's about the "My give-a-f*cks are on vacation" mindset.
If you want to live the "just the Empress" life, start with your boundaries. Sabrina’s music is full of them. Look at "Good Graces." The message is simple: I’m nice, but don’t mistake it for being naive. If you mess up, you're out. Practical Steps to Embrace the Vibe:
- Master the "Unserious" Pivot: When things get stressful, find the joke. Sabrina’s career reached a new level when she stopped being "perfect" and started being "funny."
- Invest in Your "Signature": For Sabrina, it’s the hair and the platform boots. Find the thing that makes you feel like the main character and lean in hard.
- Stop Explaining Yourself: The Empress doesn't need to justify her presence. You’re there because you belong there.
Whether you’re a "Short n' Sweet" stan or just a casual listener who can't get "Espresso" out of your head, the "Sabrina Carpenter just the Empress" phenomenon is a lesson in self-sovereignty. It’s about more than just music. It’s about a young woman deciding she’s the one wearing the crown, regardless of what the tabloids say.
The next time you see her on screen, look past the glitter. Look at the confidence. That’s the real Empress.
To truly understand this evolution, go back and listen to "Lie to Girls" immediately followed by "Espresso." You can hear the exact moment she stops lying to herself and starts owning her power.