How “that blonde girl” became a compliment instead of an insult in three years

A lot of pop culture’s defining moments can be traced back to the entertainment empire Disney. The media giant is responsible for the meteoric rise of various pop stars and entertainers, and they’ve been supplying the public with hefty doses of celebrity drama, too.

Quintessential Disney drama comes in the form of relationships between top stars of their respective generations. From Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake to Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, anyone who doesn’t live under a rock can probably name a Disney couple. True to its commitment to entertainment, the network takes things up a notch by being home to love triangles as well. 

Nick Jonas, Miley Cyrus, and Selena Gomez—Aaron Carter, Hilary Duff, and Lindsay Lohan were some famous ones, but the most recent triangulation involved Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett, and Sabrina Carpenter in 2021. This love triangle heavily accompanied Rodrigo’s breakout debut and journey toward explosive success but was also the catalyst for a hate train against Carpenter.

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Fast forward to three years later, both Carpenter and Rodrigo are immensely successful acts loved by the general public. Carpenter released what’s arguably the song of the summer through hit single “Espresso” and recently dropped her newest album “Short n’ Sweet.” This is how she was able to turn things around in her favor and become one of today’s most promising pop stars.

“That blonde girl”

Rodrigo’s debut single “Drivers License” took the world by storm for its encapsulation of teenage angst and heartbreak. However, one of the main things that really got people going with the song were the allusions to celebrities involved in her story of love and loss. In particular, the lyrics “And you’re probably with that blonde girl / Who always made me doubt / She’s so much older than me / She’s everything I’m insecure about” sparked explosive conversation via online spaces.

Naturally, everyone sympathized with Rodrigo’s plights, but this quickly translated into vitriol for the supposed causes of her heartbreak. While rumored ex-boyfriend Joshua Bassett got some heat, Carpenter faced increased scrutiny for the fallout due to her increased prominence in the industry, so-called “homewrecker” status, and general misogyny.

READ: Why are we so obsessed with the alleged homewrecker?

Carpenter was far from a stranger to the public eye, with an early start through music and acting on Disney Channel just like Rodrigo and Bassett. Once best known for her tween protagonist role in “Girl Meets World,” this love triangle essentially pushed Carpenter into mass recognition as a grown celebrity exiting her child actor image.

In the same month as the virality of “Drivers License,” Carpenter released a single called “Skin” after changing record labels. This song was immediately seen as a clapback to Carpenter’s with the “maybe blonde was the only rhyme” lyric among others, attracting more vitriol and discourse about the alleged love affairs.

Sabrina Carpenter and all that nonsense

A year after the love triangle first saw virality, Carpenter’s first album outside Disney-affiliated labels called “Emails I Can’t Send” ushered in a new era of positivity for the blonde singer. “Because I Liked a Boy” initially led the conversation due to Carpenter’s reclamation of the names thrown at her, which was seen as a more unapologetic and direct response to prior events. It was evident that Carpenter chose to embrace her identity instead of cowering at the hate she faced.

While this song gained a good amount of traction, it was the hit single “Nonsense” that catapulted Carpenter into pop stardom. The cheeky anthem talked nothing about the love triangle and instead did a great job of describing the sensation of love and lust at first sight. Its lyrics were entertainingly on the nose, letting listeners feel like they’re in on an inside joke that even takes new forms at each live performance.

“Nonsense” became more than a song for Carpenter, as it grew into an accurate representation of her branding and musicality. “I feel a lot freer and more excited about what I’m making now because I’ve realized that genre isn’t necessarily the most important thing. It’s about honesty and authenticity and whatever you gravitate towards,” said Carpenter in an interview with “Stranger Things” star Maya Hawke.

Fans learned to expect fun, unapologetic songs from the songstress who had a sharp sense of humor that hit all the right marks. Fans also started to look forward to the unique versions of her  “Nonsense” outro, where Carpenter would tailor the lyrics of the song’s final verse to the location she was performing in, adding another catchy, sexy punchline to her growing list.

Through “Nonsense,” it was safe to say that Carpenter finally, significantly got out of the “homewrecker” box she was put into by the media and netizens just a year before her most commercially successful song of the time. She gained more casual fans and positive attention from the general public by being the kind of pop girl that was dearly missed: self-confident and playful. The playfulness in particular was a breath of fresh air, especially considering Carpenter’s Disney girl roots.

Like a shot of espresso

One-hit wonders are an unfortunate but frequent reality in the music industry, but Carpenter was able to escape the curse and sustain her hype for two years and counting. After a successful round of touring and opening for Taylor Swift’s massively successful The Eras Tour, she released more singles and music videos, such as the highly discussed “Feather” that gave us the iconic “And Jesus was a carpenter” quote from Variety. 

But even the highs of Carpenter’s already booming career could not hold a candle to the massive hit we know as “Espresso.” Some would say it feels like a culmination of Carpenter’s steady rise to fame, though it’s definitely just the beginning. 

“Espresso” proves that Carpenter has found a sound and brand formula that simply works in her favor. With earworm-inducing lyricism and riffs, it comes as no surprise that the song almost instantly became a TikTok hit, with a billion streams and counting.

Compared to her contemporaries who succeed in making emotional, angst-driven pop music, Carpenter brings a sing-song flamboyance that refuses to take itself too seriously. For many, this is a breath of fresh air that feels easier to integrate into their daily playlists. While more people likely relate to songs of heartbreak and vulnerability, Carpenter’s channeling of her femme fatale energy where “every boy is obsessed with her” serves as a great ego boost through song for those who need it.

A taste of Sabrina Carpenter

Carpenter continues to cement her status as a main pop girl through the album “Short n’ Sweet,” which to many, feels like a sophomore release despite her already having six albums under her belt. This collective memory (loss) serves as a testament to how effective her rebrand has been, especially after branching out of Disney.

Despite all the new things that await Carpenter, some old habits die hard, such as the tendency of the general public to associate her music with love affairs and triangles. For this album in particular, drama is centered on a triangulation involving her, Shawn Mendes, and Camila Cabello. The story rings familiar, with songs written about one another getting released back and forth. 

Like 2021’s episode, the love triangle is now the talk of the town and the subject matter of multiple fan theories that would require a separate piece entirely. The biggest difference now, though? Death threats don’t seem to be filling up Carpenter’s semi-trucks anymore—and she herself admits “she’s been known to share.”