Was ‘Emails I Can’t Send’ the true gateway to Sabrina Carpenter’s career success?

Dior Homme: Photocall - Paris Fashion Week - Menswear Spring/Summer 2026 - Source: Getty
‘Emails I Can’t Send’ the true gateway to Sabrina Carpenter’s career success - Source: Getty

Three years ago, Sabrina Carpenter released an album that, at the time, felt deeply personal raw, honest, and unapologetically her. Titled Emails I Can’t Send, it wasn’t just another project for the singer-songwriter; it was a diary turned into music. Fast forward to today, the album has become a defining moment in her journey, one that shifted her from being just a former Disney star to a powerful voice in the pop scene.

On July 15, Sabrina marked the third anniversary of the album with a heartfelt post on Instagram. Sharing the album cover on her story, she reflected on how Emails opened doors to moments she never saw coming. “I will never take this chapter for granted,” she wrote, adding how much closer the album brought her to her fans. And for anyone who’s followed her story, that connection is clear both in the lyrics and in how her audience continues to grow.

Was Emails I Can’t Send the true gateway to Sabrina Carpenter’s success? Absolutely. It was the turning point, the album that gave her the space to be fully seen and heard. And in doing so, it became more than just a collection of songs. It became the foundation for everything that followed. From vulnerable voice notes to viral hits, Sabrina Carpenter’s journey proves that when you tell your truth, people really do listen.


How ‘Emails I Can’t Send’ became the gateway to Sabrina Carpenter’s success

Sabrina’s post quickly gained attention, with fans flooding social media to express how much the album meant to them too. Her words didn’t just celebrate an anniversary; they reminded everyone of how far she’s come. Emails I Can’t Send, released in July 2022 under Island Records, wasn’t a chart-topper at first but it was a breakthrough. It debuted at No. 23 on the Billboard 200 and featured songs like Nonsense and Feather, which eventually gave her some of her first Billboard Hot 100 entries.

The project was different from her earlier work: more vulnerable, more mature. Sabrina Carpenter herself once shared how she had to “unlearn and relearn” parts of herself to make this album. It resonated. People didn’t just hear her, they saw her. And that transparency sparked a shift. From packed headline shows to opening for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, Sabrina’s stage presence only grew stronger.

What followed was even bigger. Earlier this year, she dropped Short n’ Sweet, her sixth studio album, which landed at No. 1 in the U.S. for the first time. Featuring chart-smashers like Espresso and Please Please Please the album built on everything Emails started and then some. It earned her first Grammy wins and solidified her place in pop culture.

Now, with a new album Man’s Best Friend on the way and the Hot 100-topping single Manchild already out, Sabrina Carpenter’s evolution is still very much in motion.

Edited by Sarah Nazamuddin Harniswala