Welcome back! This post is a two-parter; we will explore what it takes to be an overnight success while highlighting the careers of two pop princesses. 

Last year was THE year for women in pop. Not only did they dominate the charts, but they owned every stage, screen, and scroll, ultimately redefining stardom. Now, it seems a couple of these pop girlies have risen to fame overnight. So how do you become an overnight success like Sabrina and Chappell? Well, you can’t, and they didn’t. 

What if I told you these artists you added to your playlist last year, who you may have thought rose to fame in a day, have been in the industry branding and shaping their sound for years? I know, crazy. It’s easy to think that Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan popped up out of nowhere or that one song did it for them, but the truth is that they’ve been at this for a while perfecting their sound, building their brand and fandom, and using clever marketing strategies to get their names out there. 

From social media campaigns, strategic songwriting, and rebranding, they and their team have been making moves that helped them stand out. With that being said, in this post, I’ll be using Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan as examples of how the journey of becoming an overnight success is longer than people think. I will be going through how their marketing tactics and loyal fan bases played a huge role in their rise to fame and, of course, give an informed opinion on how those tactics have played out. For today, I’ll be talking about Sabrina and her rise to stardom.

I’ve been following Sabrina’s journey since it first began as I was a hard-core Girl Meets World fan. Her rise to superstardom might seem sudden, but trust me, it’s been years in the making. She got her start on Disney Channel as an actor and signed with Hollywood Records (which is a Disney-owned label) as an artist. Labels like this have more control over the artists’ images, what they do, and what they release. Sabrina released several albums under Hollywood Records and maintained a loyal fanbase. However, she was still overlooked in the mainstream music space— it was time for a change.

So, in 2021, she ended her contract with Hollywood Records and signed with Island Records. With her new contract, she was ready to express and reinvent herself as an artist on her terms. A rebrand, shedding that Disney kid label—  which was a great move on her part as it was time for a new sound and image, and there’s no way she could’ve done that with Disney. She released her first single under Island records doing what many artists fear; she leaned into the controversy.

In 2021, I’m sure we remember the love triangle between Sabrina, Olivia Rodrigo, and Joshua Bassett. Olivia wrote her whole Sour album about it. Well, instead of denying or avoiding it, Sabrina and her team turned the mess of the situation into an opportunity for artistic expression and visibility (absolute brilliance). She released her single Skin, which directly referenced the drama, responding to Olivia’s lyrics “you’re probably with that blonde girl” (Rodrigo) with “maybe you didn’t mean it maybe blonde was the only rhyme” (Carpenter). But instead of just defending herself, she sparked a conversation. Whether you loved it or hated it or maybe even hated her because you were an Olivia stan (a tad unhinged), you were talking about her, which ultimately benefited Sabrina.

Then came her 2022 album, emails I can’t send, where she took that same boldness and added layers— humor, heartbreak, sarcasm, and some of the most memeable lyrics in recent pop. Songs like because i liked a boy directly referenced the backlash she received from the love triangle, but from a lens of honesty and self-awareness. 

Even in her Nonsense outros, where she’d come up with new lyrics for every city she toured in, she had one outro where she actually name-drops Joshua Bassest, which made fans go feral. This era was her reintroduction: no longer a Disney kid, no longer “the other girl”— Sabrina was now writing her own narrative and owning the drama.

2024 was HER year. She turned all that bold energy into real branding. Espresso (happy 1-year anniversary, by the way) mixes her sexy confidence with chaotic her humor. She performed it at Coachella before it even dropped, which, in my opinion, was genius; her team knew the crowd would be huge (because, well, it’s Coachella).

Then came the marketing. I’m sure we remember her TikTok and Instagram takeover. She teamed up with coffee brands, released an espresso-flavored ice cream, and had a collab with Erewhon and Dunkin’. It wasn’t just a song anymore—  it became an experience.

Now, when people hear Espresso, a lot of us think of Sabrina before we think of coffee. Now, that’s powerful branding. She made herself part of something we see and order every day. A word we all already knew now feels like it belongs to her. She didn’t just give us a song (that was in the top 10 on the charts for several weeks); she gave us a vibe.

Then, at the peak of her success, she announced her album Short n’ Sweet and released her second single, Please Please Please, three days later— because why wait, you know? In her album, she did what she does best: addressing the controversy.

Short n’ Sweet references her brief relationship with Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello’s role in it as well (because if you didn’t already know, Camila and Shawn have been on and off for years). She also wrote the song Bed Chem about meeting her then-boyfriend, Barry Keoghan. Short n’ Sweet featured a blend of pop tracks that showcased Sabrina’s evolving artistry and songwriting, which ultimately led her to be nominated for six Grammys and win two. As a fan, this was long overdue, but as someone who studies the industry, it’s a testament to her growth and persistence in the industry.

Now, she’s been touring and documenting her concerts and even released the deluxe version of her album. Most recently, she released a Fortnite skin that many seem to be having fun with.

Why her rebrand works:

• She turned controversy into content: Instead of hiding from the drama, she owned it and then evolved past it. Now it’s just part of her lore.

• Visual + personality branding: Her hyperfeminine, flirty “coquette popstar” look and brilliant branding give us all an image of her.

• Controlled relatability: Sabrina balances vulnerability and satire in a way that feels approachable but still aspirational.

She’s not afraid to be misunderstood or lean into the controversy, and that’s her power. Sabrina Carpenter’s marketing isn’t just about aesthetics and coffee—it’s about reclaiming narratives and turning messiness into magnetism. And in today’s pop world, that’s a superpower.

Rebranding is key to being seen as an “overnight success.” It’s not about starting from scratch—it’s about showing up in a new way that finally clicks. Artists like Sabrina didn’t blow up out of nowhere; they evolved, shifted their image, and used smart strategies to take control of their narrative. In a world that moves fast, rebranding helps you stand out and stay relevant.

In part two, I’ll be diving into Chappell’s journey, her rebrand, and how her loyal fanbase played a major role in it. Unlike Sabrina, Chappell didn’t have the Disney machine behind her—she built her following from the ground up. Her unique style, unapologetic personality, and connection with fans played a huge role in her rise. And in today’s industry, labels are paying attention to that. They want artists who already have a strong, engaged audience—because at the end of the day, fandom equals impact. 

Thanks for reading. <3

– Elise