Position Paper 3- Trending Topics

Sabrina Carpenter's Utilization of Trending Topics

The music industry is one of the most popular entertainment industries among modern audiences, especially Gen Z. Artists spend years curating singles, albums, performances, and online presences that consistently appeal to their target audiences. However, the modern industry requires artists to utilize trending topics in order to garner the attention of listeners outside of their regular listeners. Throughout the last few years, the use of trends in the music industry has extended beyond just responding to trending topics, but utilizing them in order to promote content. Sabrina Carpenter is one of the best examples of an artist who uses the internet's habit for creating trends as a way to promote herself both in the United States and Internationally. 

Sabrina Carpenter has been releasing popular music for years, beginning in the late 2000s and continuing with Disney while starring in Girl Meets World. Many of her most popular songs have been released in collaboration with Island Records. Although her initial music style was similar to the sounds of other Disney stars, Carpenter has developed a more mature approach to her lyrics, as seen in the albums Emails I Can't Send and Short n' Sweet. 

One of the most popular rising trends among performers is to personalize the experience for listeners at different shows, and Sabrina Carpenter truly utilizes this to her benefit. Throughout her tour for the Emails I Can't Send album, she consistently changed the outro for her hit song Nonsense. According to Rolling Stone, many of the unique outros referenced the location that Carpenter was currently performing in, such as Atlanta. 

“Come over tonight/ My room is spotless/I’m sorry this outro is so chaotic/Atlanta, it’s official/You’re the hottest.”

Fans of Sabrina Carpenter began to get excited in anticipation of her next unique outro. Many videos of her outros began to circulate around TikTok and Instagram, bringing more attention to the singer. 

@sabrinatourinfo Melbourne, she came, she saw, and she ate! 🫶🏻 — @Sabrina Carpenter ‘Nonsense’ outro at night two of #MelbourneTSTheErasTour! 🎥: @agirlnamedtayla on Twitter #tstheerastour #sabrinacarpenter #theerastour #taylorswift #swifttok #emailsicantsend #nonsense #nonsenseoutro  #tstheerastourmelbourne ♬ original sound - Sabrina Tour Info

Following the success of the outros, Carpenter incorporated even more trends into her performances during the Short n' Sweet tour. 

The Short n' Sweet Tour

At the beginning of each performance, a staged video of Sabrina Carpenter getting out of a bubble bath and running onstage played onscreen. This all led up to the reveal of a sparkly leotard, with different designs for each performance. 

The trend of changing the outfit for each performance extended beyond just the opening bodysuit. Sabrina Carpenter wore a skirt set for her Juno performance during the later part of the show, alongside a pair of her iconic platform boots. 

The outfit alone was a show stopper, but Carpenter took the song to a whole other level through her incorporation of unique choreography for each show. During the bridge of Juno, the singer would walk to the edge of the stage and pose in a suggestive way, mirroring the lyrics of the song. Occasionally, the pose would reference the location of the performance instead.

@goodbye_913 Todas poses de Juno #shortnsweettour #sabrinacarpenter #fyp #Juno #posicões @Sabrina Carpenter @Team Sabrina ♬ som original - Goodbye

In response to Halloween concert dates, Sabrina Carpenter incorporated iconic costumes into her outfit lineup, and allowed her backup dancers to dress as their favorite characters.  

@theviewfromthepit Réponse à @Liv the details in the Sabrina dancer’s costume’s for her Short N Spooky show in New York 🤌 #sabrinacarpenter #msg #shortnspooky #halloween #shortnsweettour ♬ son original - The View From The Pit

Arguably the most posted moment from the tour is the nightly arrest of someone in the crowd who is "too hot." Carpenter took the stage before singing Juno with a pair of comically large handcuffs, usually "arresting" a popular celebrity from the region. Popular arrests include Anne Hathaway, Joe Keery, Nicole Kidman, Marcello Hernandez, and Olivia Dean. Many clips of the interactions went viral across the internet. Marcello Hernandez's arrest was one of the most popular arrests due to it following the Espresso parody on Saturday Night Live just a few weeks prior. 

@nbcsnl

domingooo

♬ original sound - Saturday Night Live

Hernandez dressed as his character "Domingo" from the viral skit and quoted parts of the song to add to the drama of the arrest.  

@billboard IYKYK. 💯 Domingo, aka @Saturday Night Live - SNL’s #MarcelloHernandez, was “arrested for being too hot” by @Sabrina Carpenter at her L.A. Short n’ Sweet tour show #sabrinacarpenter #shortnsweet #espresso #domingosnl #sketch #concert #livemusic #funny ♬ original sound - billboard

In a surprise appearance during final show of the tour in Los Angeles, Miss Piggy from The Muppets was also arrested. The cameo brought together the comparison between the two famous figures and made the ending of the tour even more iconic, catching the attention of fans and news outlets alike. 

 

@people Saving the best for last?! 🤩 #SabrinaCarpenter arrested #MissPiggy of #TheMuppets at her last stop on the #ShortnSweet Tour in Los Angeles on Sunday. 💖 #Juno ♬ Chill and gentle lo-fi/10 minutes(1455687) - nightbird_bgm

For international fans, Sabrina Carpenter incorporated special costumes that mirrored the location of her performance. During her first appearances on the UK leg of the tour, she donned a royal blue bodysuit and unwrapped the bath towel from the beginning of the show, revealing the Union Jack flag. She also wore the same flag on her platform boots during her Juno performance. 

The shows in Glasgow also featured a brand new tartan-pattern bodysuit at the beginning of the show, calling attention to the culture of the region. 

The regionally unique outfits were more than just concert costumes, they were a way to directly connect with foreign audiences. Lots of UK fans consistently reposted the costumes that were showcased at performances in their region because they were able to better identify with Sabrina Carpenter. 

Man's Best Friend

Sabrina Carpenter's newest album, Man's Best Friend, truly capitalizes on the additional attention that she gained throughout the Short n' Sweet tour. The announcement of the album cover was immediately met with criticism due to many fans feeling as though the cover was degrading and a step back from the image that she provides for her female fans. 

@lastinglooks Sabrina Carpenter’s new album cover for “Man’s Best Friend” is causing quite a controversy. #sabrina #sabrinacarpenter #sabrinacarpentermusic #espresso #shortnsweettour #popstar ♬ original sound - Lasting Looks Jules

Upon the release of the album on August 29, 2025, fans quickly realized the intentionally satirical nature of the album's cover. It directly mirrored the pessimistic nature of certain songs on the album, such as Manchild. 

@sabrinacarpenter

♬ Manchild - Sabrina Carpenter

The viral status of the album cover's controversy paved the way for a wider audience to appreciate Carpenter's new album track list. Throughout the end of 2025 and beginning of 2026, countless trends emerged that combined easy choreography with the most iconic moments from the new songs. 

@grandadfrankk I just need a minute 🫡 #fyp #grandad #sabrinacarpenter #whendidyougethot #transition ♬ original sound - ebssssss

The Impact

Sabrina Carpenter's careful use of trends within her own music and performances has led to her audience being composed of long-lasting fans. As of the end of 2025, Sabrina Carpenter is ranked number five on Billboard. Carpenter's production style is the perfect example of how consistently providing a unique experience that can go viral across the internet is highly effective for the modern music industry.