The year she turned 12, she made her TV debut in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The year she turned 15, she starred as Maya Hart in the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World, having signed with Hollywood Records at 14. The year she turned 16, her first album, Eyes Wide Open, entered the Billboard 200 at No. 43. The year she turned 17, she starred in the Disney Channel movie Adventures in Babysitting.
The year she turned 18, Girl Meets World was canceled after three seasons, and she was cast in The Hate U Give. The year she turned 19, she released “Alien” with Jonas Blue and the album Singular: Act 1. The year she turned 20, she was cast in the teen drama Clouds.
The year she turned 21, she made her Broadway debut in Mean Girls and starred in the Netflix film Work It. The year she turned 22, she signed with Island Records, and “Skin” became her first Hot 100 entry. The year she turned 23, she released Emails I Can’t Send, which debuted outside the top 20 on the Billboard 200. The year she turned 24, she began opening for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
The breakthrough yearThe year she turned 25, “Espresso” spent four straight weeks in the Hot 100 top 10 after the best Hot 100 debut of her career. In June, “Please Please Please” became her first Hot 100 No. 1, and in August Short n’ Sweet debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
The year she turned 26, she won two Grammys, released “Manchild,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, and put out the album Man’s Best Friend. The year she turned 27, she headlined Coachella, performed at the Met Gala and won her first Primetime Emmy, for The Muppet Show. In September she was cast as Ginger Rogers in a Fred Astaire biopic.
Sabrina Carpenter made her TV debut in 2011, the year she turned 12, starred in Girl Meets World from 2014, the year she turned 15, and became known in 2024, the year she turned 25, when she released “Espresso” on Apr 11, 2024. Her first Hot 100 No. 1 came in 2024, the year she turned 25.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Made her TV debut playing a young victim in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which aired on NBC at 9 p.m.
Source 36 · The Morning Call · Lower Milford girl on Law and Order SVU today · opens in a new tab The Morning Call described her as 11; the age shown is 2011 minus 1999.Signed with Disney Music Group’s Hollywood Records right before Girl Meets World began. Her debut EP, Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying, reached No. 16 on Heatseekers Albums and sold 17,000 copies by April 2015.
Source 03 · Billboard · 10 steps to her breakthrough · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Billboard · Chart Moves, April 2015 · opens in a new tab Billboard says she signed at 14, right before Girl Meets World began in 2014; the year shown follows that. The EP figures are as of April 2015.Played Maya Hart, best friend of the lead character Riley, in the Boy Meets World spinoff. Variety later described the series as a launching pad for her and Rowan Blanchard.
Source 01 · Zap2it · “Girl Meets World” premiere date · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Variety · “Girl Meets World” canceled · opens in a new tab The press release sets the June 27 premiere; Variety refers to the show’s June launch.Her first full-length album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 43 with 12,000 equivalent album units in the week ending April 19.
Source 04 · Billboard · Chart Moves, April 2015 · opens in a new tab Release day is not given in the article.Starred with Sofia Carson in the Disney Channel original movie.
Source 05 · Teen Vogue · Adventures in Babysitting reunion · opens in a new tab Month is from Teen Vogue, which says it premiered in June.Disney Channel canceled the series after three seasons. The third season was set to end on Jan. 20.
Source 02 · Variety · “Girl Meets World” canceled · opens in a new tabCast in Fox 2000’s adaptation of the young adult novel The Hate U Give.
Source 06 · The Hollywood Reporter · Carpenter joins The Hate U Give · opens in a new tabReleased the single with London-based producer Jonas Blue.
Source 07 · Billboard · “Alien” with Jonas Blue · opens in a new tabSource 35 · Wikipedia · Sabrina Carpenter · opens in a new tab Billboard called it a brand new single on April 3, 2018. Month from Wikipedia; not confirmed in news reports.Released the eight-track album and performed the single “Sue Me” on Live With Kelly & Ryan. The second half was planned for early the next year.
Source 08 · Billboard · “Sue Me” on Live With Kelly & Ryan · opens in a new tabCast with Steffan Argus and Madison Iseman in Justin Baldoni’s teen drama, with shooting set to begin the next month in Montreal.
Source 09 · The Hollywood Reporter · Clouds finds its stars · opens in a new tabPlayed Cady Heron, taking over the role from Erika Henningsen. Her run was planned to last until June 7.
Source 10 · Teen Vogue · Broadway debut in Mean Girls · opens in a new tab Teen Vogue’s article is dated March 11 and refers to Tuesday night.Starred as Quinn in the Netflix dance comedy Work It, alongside Liza Koshy.
Source 11 · The Guardian · Work It review · opens in a new tabSigned with Island Records and released “Skin,” which reached No. 48 on the Hot 100 as her first entry on that chart.
Source 12 · Variety · Sabrina Carpenter signs with Island Records · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Billboard · 10 steps to her breakthrough · opens in a new tab Day not confirmed in the articles.Released her fifth album, her first since moving to Island Records. It debuted outside the top 20 on the Billboard 200.
Source 13 · Rolling Stone · “Vicious” · opens in a new tabSource 14 · Vogue · Emails I Can’t Send interview · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Billboard · 10 steps to her breakthrough · opens in a new tabMade her Eras Tour debut at Foro Sol as the opening act. She was slated to open all of the Latin America, Australia and Singapore shows.
Source 15 · Billboard · Eras Tour debut in Mexico City · opens in a new tabReleased the single to coincide with her Coachella set. It went on to spend four straight weeks in the Hot 100 top 10 after the best Hot 100 debut of her career, Billboard reported in May.
Made her SNL debut, performing “Espresso” and a medley of “Feather” and “Nonsense.”
Source 18 · Rolling Stone · Saturday Night Live · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Billboard · 10 steps to her breakthrough · opens in a new tab Rolling Stone’s article is dated May 19, the day after the Saturday broadcast.Her first Hot 100 No. 1 came a week after the song debuted at No. 2. “Espresso” had reached No. 3 the week before.
Source 19 · Billboard · “Please Please Please” No. 1 · opens in a new tabSource 20 · Variety · Summer of Sabrina Carpenter · opens in a new tab Date is the chart date, June 29, 2024.The BBC reported she was the first female artist to hold both the No. 1 and No. 2 spots for three consecutive weeks, with “Please Please Please” and “Espresso.”
Source 21 · BBC · UK chart record · opens in a new tabHer sixth album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 with 362,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Aug. 29, her best week ever and first No. 1 album.
Source 22 · Billboard · Short n’ Sweet debuts at No. 1 · opens in a new tabSource 20 · Variety · Summer of Sabrina Carpenter · opens in a new tab“Espresso” won Song of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Source 23 · Billboard · 2024 MTV VMAs winners · opens in a new tabThe holiday variety music special premiered with songs from her EP Fruitcake and duets with Chappell Roan, Tyla, Shania Twain and Kali Uchis.
Source 24 · Netflix Tudum · A Nonsense Christmas · opens in a new tabWon Best Pop Solo Performance for “Espresso” and Best Pop Vocal Album for Short n’ Sweet. She had six nominations, including Best New Artist.
Source 25 · Billboard · 2025 Grammy winners · opens in a new tabSource 26 · USA Today · Grammy wins · opens in a new tabThe single entered the Hot 100 at No. 1, her second No. 1 and first to debut at the top.
Source 27 · Variety · “Manchild” No. 1 debut · opens in a new tabReleased her seventh studio album, about a year after Short n’ Sweet.
Source 28 · The Guardian · Man’s Best Friend review · opens in a new tabSource 29 · Variety · Man’s Best Friend release date · opens in a new tabFeatured on the title track of Swift’s album, as its only guest vocalist. It was the first song the two recorded together.
Source 30 · Rolling Stone · “The Life of a Showgirl” · opens in a new tabHeadlined Coachella, weeks before performing at the Met Gala.
Source 31 · Vogue · Met Gala 2026 · opens in a new tabSource 35 · Wikipedia · Sabrina Carpenter · opens in a new tab Vogue confirms the headlining slot. Date from Wikipedia; not confirmed in news reports.Sang “House Tour,” “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” at the gala. Stevie Nicks closed the night, and the two sang “Landslide” together.
Source 31 · Vogue · Met Gala 2026 · opens in a new tabThe video for the duet was released. The song, out since late April, debuted at No. 74 on the Hot 100.
Source 32 · Billboard · “Bring Your Love” video · opens in a new tabWon as executive producer and performer of the Disney+ special The Muppet Show, which took outstanding variety special (pre-recorded).
Source 33 · Billboard · First Primetime Emmy · opens in a new tabCast in Sony Pictures’ Fred Astaire biopic, directed by Paul King, opposite Tom Holland and Margaret Qualley.
Source 34 · Variety · Fred Astaire biopic cast · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2011–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.
Music · United States
May 11, 1999 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1999: the year of the event minus 1999, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.30 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.