Since the 2021 release of SOUR, critics and listeners alike have touted Olivia Rodrigo for her knack to eloquently pen the relatable woes of adolescence and the pitfalls of falling in love too hard. Her latest single, "vampire," is no different.

Despite trading in her "drivers license" teenage loverboy for an older man, the perfectly executed expression of agony remains. As Rodrigo wails on the chorus, "You made me look so naïve/ The way you sold me for parts/ As you suck your teeth into me/ Bloodsucker, famef—er/ Bleeding me dry like a g——n vampire."

But before there was Rodrigo, there was Avril Lavigne, Taylor Swift, and Alanis Morissette — none of which would be where they were without pioneers of diaristic songwriting, Carole King and Carly Simon. Thanks to the immortalization of their music, we can relive the shift from poetic disclosures of hurt, which King exemplifies on "It's Too Late," to more unrepentant, straightforward jabs (like Kate Nash says on "Foundations," "Don't want to look at your face 'cause it's making me sick") and harrowing battle cries (as Miley Cyrus roars, "I came in like a wrecking ball"). 

Below, revisit 15 songs by empowered women, from 1971 all the way to 2021, who reclaimed the breakup narrative with their fervent sentences of damnation — because, as the age-old saying goes, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Carole King — "It's Too Late" (1971)

When Carole King released "It's Too Late" in 1971, it marked a new era of songwriting. Discussions about divorce were generally unheard of, but even more so when initiated by a woman. Yet, King carried on to unapologetically release "It's Too Late," which later won a GRAMMY for Record of the Year and is lauded by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

On this folky track, King and her husband's inevitable parting is on the horizon, but she isn't resentful per se. Instead, she's more troubled by the embarrassment of her husband's growing discontent, admitting, "I feel like a fool." And at this point, she's ready to move on and can be grateful for the times they've shared. 

Carly Simon — "You're So Vain" (1972)

In her '70s chart-topper, Carly Simon narrates the tale of an arrogant man who believes every woman is enchanted by his aura. But the folk songstress wants to make it very clear she's not impressed by his embellished stories or luxurious closet.

Usually, it's easy to guess the subject of a breakup song, but "You're So Vain" has led to decades of speculation. Many have assumed it could be about James Taylor, who Simon married in 1972 and divorced in 1983, or Mick Jagger, who provided vocals to the track (a theory that was later debunked). To this day, she has only revealed the track's inspiration to a select few, including Taylor Swift, who names Simon as one of her role models.

Joan Jett And The Blackhearts — "I Hate Myself For Loving You" (1986)

Joan Jett might not give a damn about her bad reputation, but she despises nothing more than her ex-lover making her look like a lovesick fool.

On "I Hate Myself for Loving You," the '80s chanteuse wraps herself around a classic glam rock beat, unveiling her contempt for a man who's neglected her. Stripped of her pride, Jett begins to resent herself for holding onto her feelings — as evidenced by the song's title. 

She tries to hide her dwelling desires ("I want to walk, but I run back to you") but ultimately fails to rid herself of the emotions, leaving her to fantasize about the sweet justice of one day roping him back in, just to leave him. 

Alanis Morissette — "You Oughta Know" (1995)

It's impossible to talk about scathing breakup songs without acknowledging Alanis Morissette's quintessential heartbreak anthem, "You Oughta Know." At the time of its release, the Jagged Little Pill single contained some of the most honest and vitriolic lyrics in existence.

Morissette begins with an illusive statement, "I want you to know that I'm happy for you," which, by the second verse, crumbles into a revelation, "I'm not quite as well, you should know." As she culminates into her most confessional, the instrumental rises into an addicting ruckus, with Morissette revealing the thoughts most of us would be too ashamed to admit: "It was a slap in the face how quickly I was replaced/ And are you thinkin' of me when you f— her?"

Shania Twain — "That Don't Impress Me Much" (1997)

Shania Twain has a particular superpower of delivering each of her lyrics with an air of lightheartedness and confidence. So, when you hear a track like "That Don't Impress Me Much," her disappointment and irritation becomes undetectable.

A quick examination of Twain's story proves — despite the song's bouncy melodies — she's jaded by her ex's preoccupation with his vehicle, appearance and intelligence. Sure, he might be perfect on paper, but he lacks the qualities of a forever lover, and his unmerited ego should be reserved for true big shots like Elvis Presley and Brad Pitt.

Michelle Branch — "Are You Happy Now?" (2003)

In the opening verse of "Are You Happy Now?," Michelle Branch pleads, "No, don't just walk away/ Pretending everything's okay, and you don't care about me." At first, she is in disbelief that her once admirer would swiftly brush her off, but as she reaches the chorus, she begins to question whether his actions were a lie all along.

Her mind racing, Branch teeters between shameless questions of "Do you really have everything you want?" and "Could you look me in the eye and tell me you're happy now?" But by the song's end, she gets the most satisfying payback of all — peace without him: "I'm not about to break/ 'Cause I'm happy now."

Avril Lavigne — "My Happy Ending" (2004)

"My Happy Ending" finds 2000s pop-punk maven Avril Lavigne grasping onto the shards of a broken relationship and trying to pinpoint where everything went wrong. She could have said the "wrong" thing, or her partner's misfit friends might have spoken negatively about her. But there is one thing she does know with certainty: there is no way to pick up the pieces.

Coming to terms with the truth, Lavigne repositions her anger toward the other person for stripping her of her fairytale ending, sarcastically acknowledging him for their time spent together over a somber piano: "It's nice to know you were there/ Thanks for acting like you care/ And making me feel like I was the only one."

Kelly Clarkson — "Gone" (2004)

Kelly Clarkson has traversed almost every emotion in love, from her epic breakup anthems like "Behind These Hazel Eyes" to her most recent LP chemistry. But "Gone" may just be her most unrelenting to date.

Introduced by its Breakaway counterpart "Since U Been Gone," the mononymous "Gone" extends Clarkson's journey of healing — this time, with a more explicit and mature diatribe against her ex's character. Rather than using trivial attacks, Clarkson instead chooses to call out his assumption she'd run back into his arms, later declaring an end to her toleration: "There is nothing you can say/ Sorry doesn't cut it, babe/ Take the hit and walk away, 'cause I'm gone."

Lily Allen — "Smile" (2006)

With "Smile," Lily Allen gets her sweet revenge through the sight of her former flame's tears and misfortune. But the lyrics of Allen's breakthrough single doesn't exactly clarify the specifications of her antics, only an explanation for its origins.

After a cheating scandal ends her relationship, her mental health plummets — until he comes crawling back for her mercy. Upon hearing his pleas, she comes to a realization: "When I see you cry, it makes me smile." And as the conniving music video shows, anyone who cheats on her will get their karma — perhaps in the form of organized burglary, beatings, and a laxative slipped into their morning coffee.

Kate Nash — "Foundations" (2007)

Following in the footsteps of her mentor Lily Allen, Kate Nash vividly paints the tragedy of falling out of love, made prismatic by her plain-spoken lyrics ("Your face is pasty 'cause you've gone and got so wasted, what a surprise!") and her charming, thick London accent.

In this story, Nash has not quite removed herself from the shackles of her failing relationship. In fact, she'd like to salvage it, despite her boyfriend's tendency to humiliate her and her irresistible urge to sneer back with a sarcastic comment. By the end of the track, Nash, becoming more restless, packs on new ways to inconvenience him — but in the end, still wonders if there's any saving grace to preserve their once blazing spark out of a fear of loneliness.

P!nk — "So What" (2008)

The year P!nk wrote "So What," she already had a bevy of platinum singles under her belt. With a gleaming social status and peaking career, she was apathetic to the temporary separation from her now husband, Carey Hart. Feeling the highs of newfound singlehood, P!nk was ready to incite personal tyranny, whether that meant not paying Hart's rent, drinking her money, or starting a fight.

Ironically, Hart appears as the antagonist in the music video, which P!nk revealed via her official fan website was a testament of their growth: "Carey hadn't heard the song before he did the video. That's how much he trusts and loves me [...] He gets it. He gets me," she said.

Taylor Swift — "Picture To Burn" (2006)

Taylor Swift has long solidified herself as the reigning queen of love songs, from ballads honoring the most committed relationships to diss tracks of heartbreaking adolescent flings. The latter houses one of the earliest (and most twangy) hits in Swift's sweeping catalog: "Picture to Burn."

In this deceivingly upbeat tune, Swift vows to seek vengeance on a boyfriend after he leaves her to date one of her friends — from getting with his friends to having her father give him a piece of his mind. And along the way, she will gladly dish out a few insults: "You're a redneck heartbreak who's really bad at lying/ So watch me strike a match on all my wasted time/ As far as I'm concerned, you're just another picture to burn."

Miley Cyrus — "Wrecking Ball" (2013)

Closing the door on her Hannah Montana days, Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" saw the childhood pop star in her most grown-up and vulnerable state to date. Months before the release, Cyrus had called off her engagement to her longtime boyfriend, Liam Hemsworth, paving the way for her thunderous performance on the Bangerz single.

Just as affecting as Cyrus' belting vocals is the track's iconic music video. Cyrus climaxes with a deafening cry — "All you did was wreck me" — as she swings across the screen on an actual wrecking ball, breaking down all her physical and metaphorical walls. 

Halsey — "You should be sad" (2020)

By the mid-2010s, the industry had put angst on the back burner in exchange for feel-good EDM and trap beats. Well, that is, at least, until Halsey entered the picture.

After just two years in the limelight, Halsey had cultivated a vibrant assortment of sonic melodrama — from the dirt and grime of toxic, failed love on tracks "Bad at Love" and "Colors" to the Bonnie and Clyde-esque heated passion of "Him & I."

In 2020, Halsey rounded out her discography with the genre-bending, introspective Manic, where a track like "You should be sad" commands your attention with matter-of-fact, vindictive comments: "I'm so glad I never ever had a baby with you/ 'Cause you can't love nothing unless there's something in it for you."

GAYLE — "abcdefu" (2021)

Unlike most love songs, GAYLE refuses to point her fury on "abcdefu" solely toward her heartbreaker. The then-16-year-old singer, instead, rages against his mother, sister and pretty much anyone (and anything) he's associated with — other than his dog — across a searing melody with a bewitching bassline.

Earlier this year, GAYLE revealed to GRAMMY.com that she was "angry at him and was angry at the people who enabled him and his behavior." That animosity was palpable in "abcdefu," creating a magic as empowering as it is cathartic — and, like many songs that came before it, proving that there can be power in pain.

Behind The Scenes Of The Eras Tour: Taylor Swift's Opening Acts Unveil The Magic Of The Sensational Concert

Blink and 2024 will be over — that's the feeling when you realize the tenth month of the year is just around the corner. With falling leaves and jack-o-lanterns, October also brings with it an infusion of new music by icons and new artists, from country to EDM.

Right out the gate, stadium experts Coldplay will release their tenth LP, Moon Music, and FINNEAS (Billie Eilish's brother and creative partner) will come forth with For Crying Out Loud! on October 4. In the following week, new records from Becky G, The Offspring, Jelly Roll, and Justin Moore will hit the streaming platforms (and shelves) with the best of Mexican music, punk rock, and classic country.

The month will also feature the return of MC5 after 53 years with Heavy Lifting, Halsey's confessional The Great Impersonator, and Joe Jonas' sophomore solo, Music for People Who Believe In Love. Rapper Drake has also announced Untitled with PARTYNEXTDOOR — although there's no further info yet.

To make the best of this exciting season, GRAMMY.com compiled a list of 15 inspiring albums dropping in October 2024.

Coldplay — 'Moon Music' (Oct. 4)

October opens up with the arrival of Coldplay's tenth studio album, the Max Martin-produced Moon Music. Dropping Oct. 4, the LP is a sequel to 2021's From Earth with Love and part of their Music of the Spheres project and ongoing tour.

The band raised expectations with singles "feelslikeimfallinginlove" and "We Pray" featuring Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna, and Tini, and also with a series of immersive listening pop-up events, which will happen in cities like San Juan, London, Beijing, Auckland, and Santiago between October 1–7.

As one of the most sustainably focused bands in the business, Coldplay maintains their commitment in making this record as eco-friendly as possible. Moon Music touts itself to be the world's first album to be released as 140g EcoRecord vinyl and EcoCD, originating from recycled PET-plastic bottles and polycarbonate, and providing an 85% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to usual productions.

Thee Sacred Souls — 'Got A Story To Tell' (Oct. 4)

With their sophomore record, Got A Story To Tell, San Diego-based Thee Sacred Souls want to show that they aren't just a fad. Following their 2022 self-titled debut and a lengthy tour through North America and Europe, the upcoming 12-track LP finds a "darker, more mature" tone to their music, according to a press statement.

Read more: Thee Sacred Souls' Self-Titled Debut Is A Sweet Soul Love Story

"As we got busier, we were all dealing with things back home, trying to balance life and music and touring," said drummer Salvador Samano. Got A Story was mostly written on the road, and vocalist Josh Lane said that all the emotions and personal stories they went through during the tour "were sprinkled into the songwriting to create a potent blend of truth and imagination."

For a preview of those tales, the trio shared the ethereal "Lucid Girl." One week following the release, they will hop back on a new tour through North America and Europe, including stops in New York, Toronto, Mexico City, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

Samara Joy — 'Portrait' (Oct. 11)

Samara Joy, Best New Artist at the 2023 GRAMMYs, will follow up on 2022's otherworldly Linger Awhile with her new album Portrait. Set to release on Oct. 11, Portrait sees the rising jazz star stepping up into the role of co-producer along Brian Lynch, as well as expanding her singing and songwriting skills into arrangements and leading her touring band.

Read more: 20 Live Events at the GRAMMY Museum This October: Experience Kacey Musgraves, Khalid, Tems, Samara Joy & More

"Eight musicians, eight fresh perspectives and musical backgrounds — all joined together in a context designed for growth and exploration," explained Joy of the ensemble in a press release. "I'm often the fifth voice, the fifth horn. I hope listeners will see that I'm a musician too." According to her, the band's work in this project represents "a well of inspiration that never runs dry because of the different streams that flow in."

Among their creations are new interpretations of "You Stepped Out Of A Dream" and "Autumn Nocturne," as well as fresh lyrics to music by Charles Mingus, Sun Ra, and more. Joy will tour the U.S. for the remainder of 2024, including stops in Florida, New Jersey, California, Arizona, South Carolina, and New York, followed by her A Joyful Holiday Tour in December.

The Offspring — 'Supercharged' (Oct. 11)

Four decades deep, punk rock pros The Offspring are still Supercharged — or so goes their forthcoming album title. "We wanted this record to have pure energy," said frontman Dexter Holland in a press statement. "From the height of our aspirations to the depths of our struggles, we talk about it all on this record."

A celebration of "the life that we share and where we are now," Supercharged surges ahead with "Make It Alright," a single about relying on your "partners in crime," and "Light It Up," which channels punk rock's cathartic aggressions. Produced by Bob Rock, the album was recorded in Maui, Vancouver, and in the band's studio in Huntington Beach, California. "I feel like this is the best we have ever sounded!" added Holland. "We've been rocking out and headbanging to it for months! And we can't wait for you guys to hear it!"

After performances at festivals Louder Than Life and Oceans Calling in September, the band will head to San Diego's Punk in the Park on November 16, and then to a sold-out show in Melbourne, Australia, on November 24.

Jelly Roll — 'Beautifully Broken' (Oct. 11)

Following a nomination for Best New Artist at the 2024 GRAMMYs, a slew of CMA awards, and the record-breaking success of his country music debut, Whitsitt Chapel, Jelly Roll will keep the momentum going with his new album, Beautifully Broken.

Set to release on Oct. 11, the tracklist includes hits "I Am Not Okay," "Liar," and ESPN's 2024 College Football Season anthem, "Get By." "I'm looking for songs that have purpose," said the multifaceted singer in an interview with New York Times Magazine. "When I go to put out a song under the name Jelly Roll, I think to myself, Why? Because for the first time in my life, it has nothing to do with a financial decision. I'm well past putting out anything for money."

Beautifully Broken was named after Jelly Roll's ongoing tour, which launched Aug. 27 in Salt Lake City, UT, and will cross more than 30 cities in the U.S. before wrapping up on Nov. 23 in Jacksonville, FL.

Justin Moore — 'This Is My Dirt' (Oct. 11)

This Is My Dirt is an album about appreciating your hometown and the simple things in life. "There are some home sentimental, family value type songs on it but also of course some humor, beer drinking hell raising, stone cold country music on there!" shared Arkansas-born singer Justin Moore on Instagram. "It's also the first album that my touring band has recorded with me which is exciting for us, and something I'm very proud of."

Featuring collaborations by Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, and Randy Houser, This Is My Dirt is one of Moore's "most confident records to date." Through 12 tracks, he "still sings about his small town USA," and keeps "true to his roots, honoring the military and even adding a fun, light-hearted tune or two" that put life as both a dad of four and touring artist in a nutshell.

Moore has been on the Country Round Here Tonight tour with Randy Houser since September, but still has a few dates scheduled for October and November, including stops at Indianapolis, Saint Louis Place, and Myrtle Beach.

The Blessed Madonna — 'Godspeed' (Oct. 11)

The Blessed Madonna's (aka Marea Stamper) debut studio album has been a long time coming, but Godspeed will finally see the light of the day on Oct. 11. The 24-track collection also features appearances from Kylie Minogue, A-Trak, Jamie Principle, and Shaun J. Wright.

The word Godspeed "marks the beginning of a journey and sometimes the end of one," Stamper explained on instagram. "After nearly a year in lockdown, when I signed the paperwork and knew that I was going to be allowed to make this album, I called my dad in Kentucky to tell him the good news. He could not contain his pride and in a way his relief. I was going to be ok. He says it better than I do at the beginning of the record."

Stamper lost her dad shortly before the first recording session, but states "his voice will live in Godspeed forever and make a million more journeys to everyone who hears it." The rest of the tracklist continues to balance "the twin flames of rave and religion" with personal themes, as can be seen in pre-releases "Godspeed" featuring DJ E-Clyps, "Serotonin Moonbeams," "Mercy" with Jacob Lusk, "Happier" with Clementine Douglas, and "Edge of Saturday Night" featuring Kylie Minogue.

MC5 — 'Heavy Lifting' (Oct. 18)

It's not everyday that a band releases a new record after 53 years, which makes MC5's posthumous Heavy Lifting even more anticipated. Plus, the album features the final studio recordings of founding guitarist Wayne Kramer and drummer Dennis Thompson, who both passed away earlier this year.

"It's very heavy," producer Bob Ezrin said in a statement. "It has a revolutionary message but also a good sense of humor. There's a little bit of heavy metal. There's quite a bit of funk. But it is a heavy record, and it's a guitar record left, right and center. Just a wall of guitars most of the time, and mostly driven by Wayne and his ethos." Ezrin also mentions that they feel "a responsibility to make sure his work is heard, and he is celebrated."

The LP is spearheaded by single "Boys Who Play With Matches," and features stellar guest appearances, such as Slash, William DuVall, Tim McIlrath, and Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello, who features on the title track.

Shawn Mendes — 'Shawn' (Oct. 18)

After the announcement of his much-anticipated fifth studio album, Shawn, Shawn Mendes shared on Instagram: "Music really can be medicine. 2 years ago I felt like I had absolutely no idea who I was. A year ago I couldn't step into a studio without falling into complete panic. So to be here right now with 12 beautiful finished songs feels like such a gift…Life can be brutal but having a small group of people you deeply trust to walk you through makes it so much better."

The Canadian star has always been honest about his struggles with anxiety, which led him to cancel his 2022 tour after just seven shows. Shawn was crafted in that aftermath, drawing "deeply from his travels and experiences over the last few years," per a press statement. "It represents his most musically intimate and lyrically honest work to date, guiding listeners through a profound self-dialogue with each song."

So far, Mendes has shared "Isn't That Enough," "Why Why Why," and "Nobody Knows" off the project, where country-leaning riffs and soulful lyrics reflect his internal growth journey. To celebrate the beginning of a new chapter, the singer announced a series of intimate concerts in North America, taking place from Oct. 14 to Nov. 25.

Joe Jonas — ‘Music for People Who Believe In Love' (Oct. 18)

The first and last time Joe Jonas released a solo album was in 2011, with the club-ready Fastlife. "I have so much love for those songs — they actually aged pretty well!" Jonas told Billboard in a recent interview. "But it feels like a different person."

Since then, the Jonas Brothers' resident middle child founded the pop collective DNCE, reunited with the JoBros for the release of "Sucker," got married to actress Sophie Turner, welcomed two kids, and went through a turbulent divorce in 2023. "I was going through a lot of life changes," he reflected. "Finding out who I was as a person and father and friend, and living under the microscope of what the music industry can be. And I think, at such a crazy time in my life, I looked to music as an outlet."

The result is Music for People Who Believe In Love, Jonas' sophomore solo album, set to drop on Oct. 18. "It was scary at times, and also freeing," he said of the experience. "I'm not trying to come for anyone on this album. I'm not trying to put stuff on blast. I have a beautiful life that I'm grateful for. I've got two beautiful kids. I'm a happy person, and the music needed to resemble that — but also, the journey to get here."

Halsey — 'The Great Impersonator' (Oct. 25)

"I spent half my life being someone else. I never stopped to ask myself: Is this a person you're proud to leave behind? Is it even you?" singer/songwriter Halsey asks in the album trailer for her upcoming fifth LP, The Great Impersonator.

Described as a "confessional concept album," The Great Impersonator sees Halsey time-travel through the decades, reimagining what her sound and life could have been like. "I really thought this album might be the last one I ever made. When you get sick like that, you start thinking about ways it could've all been different," she says in the video, recalling her Lupus SLE and T-cell disorder diagnoses. "What if I debuted in the early 2000s, the '90s, the '80s, the '70s… am I still Halsey every time, in every timeline?"

She dares to find out in the Britney Spears-inspired "Lucky," the moody new metal of "Lonely Is the Muse," and, most recently, the pop rock of "Ego." The Great Impersonator follows Halsey's 2021's If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power.

Kelsea Ballerini — ‘Patterns' (Oct. 25)

Country popstar Kelsea Ballerini is also gearing up to release her fifth album, Patterns, out Oct. 25. Recently, she told The Associated Press that the album is an "accurate snapshot" of her life as a whole — not just its good parts. "I think that people probably expect this really happy-go-lucky, love, mushy, gushy record from me. That's not the case, and I'm really proud of that." Patterns is a record about "analyzing yourself and the people that you love the most in order to grow," Ballerini added. 

In the album trailer, she also reflects that "we have the ability to look at our patterns and find the ones that serve us, and then we look at the ones that we don't want to carry with us, and…change them. I think that we make patterns so they don't make us."

That perspective appears in singles "Two Things," "Sorry Mom," and "Cowboys Cry Too" with Noah Kahan — the only feature in the album. Ballerini will celebrate the release with a sold-out performance at New York's Madison Square Garden on Oct. 29.

Pixies — 'The Night the Zombies Came' (Oct. 25)

Just in time for Halloween, veteran indie band Pixies will drop their tenth studio album, The Night the Zombies Came. Following 2022's Doggerel, this is their first release with new vocalist and bassist Emma Richardson, formerly of Band of Skulls, who replaced Paz Lenchantin in March of this year.

Off the 13-track project, Pixies have shared an eclectic bundle of singles, including "Oyster Beds," "Chicken," "You're So Impatient," "Que Sera, Sera," and the recent '90s rock of Berlin-inspired "Motoroller." Of the track, vocalist Black Francis explained in a statement: "This is one of those kinds of songs where there's little threads you can follow and they take you somewhere, but they're not required for the experience. You can just start fishing around in the lyrics, and maybe you won't find exactly what the story is, but you'll find a story related to the city of Berlin. So just have fun with the clues that are there."

The band will go on tour with Pearl Jam in Australia and New Zealand this November, and announced a 2025 European tour kicking off on April 25 in Utrecht, Netherlands, and concluding on May 24 in Manchester, UK.

Amyl and the Sniffers — 'Cartoon Darkness' (Oct. 25)

Australian punk rock quartet Amyl and the Sniffers are gearing up to release their third LP, Cartoon Darkness, on Oct. 25. Recorded at Foo Fighters' 606 Studios in Los Angeles, it follows 2021's Comfort to Me, and sees the band take a layered approach to the world's current status.

"Cartoon Darkness is about climate crisis, war, AI, tip-toeing on the eggshells of politics, and people feeling like they're helping by having a voice online when we're all just feeding the data beast of Big Tech, our modern-day god," vocalist Amy Taylor shared in a statement. "It's about the fact that our generation is spoon-fed information. We look like adults, but we're children forever cocooned in a shell. We're all passively gulping up distractions that don't even cause pleasure, sensation or joy, they just cause numbness."

Singles "Big Dreams," "Chewing Gum" and "U Should Not Be Doing That" give a taste of Taylor's words, kicking the door open to the band's new era. "The future is cartoon, the prescription is dark, but it's novelty. It's just a joke. It's fun," Taylor adds. Following the release, AatS will embark on a European tour in November.

Soccer Mommy — 'Evergreen' (Oct. 25)

For her upcoming fourth LP, Evergreen, Nashville singer Sophie Allison — better known as Soccer Mommy — wanted a new approach to her delicate music. "I wanted to change things up a bit on this one and play around with some more organic textures," she wrote on Instagram. "It was really important for me that the songwriting shone through everything and came to the forefront."

Allison revealed "Lost," "M," and "Driver" out of the 11-track collection, showcasing that she's as atmospheric and poignant as ever, crafting even more intricate songs. The album was recorded at Atlanta's Maze Studios with the help of producer Ben H. Allen III, and will be out Oct. 25. 

Starting 2025, Allison will hit the road with a comprehensive tour across North America, including cities like Chicago, Toronto, San Francisco, Dallas, and her hometown of Nashville.

"I think collaboration boils down to the core belief that something can work," Jack Antonoff recently told GRAMMY.com. "When I make an album with someone, I'm filled with faith that much more in my life or the universe can work, which is definitely a reason why I do this."

The 11-time GRAMMY-winning singer, songwriter and producer has worked with many of the biggest modern pop stars — from Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and Lorde, to St. Vincent and Sabrina Carpenter — but his core focus has never changed. Antonoff simply wants to make music he loves with people he loves, and perform it live.

Antonoff not only holds many peoples' dream job of being Swift's go-to collaborator, but he's been having a banner year filled with notable creative projects and big wins. At the 2024 GRAMMYs, he won Producer of the Year, Non-Classical for the third year in a row. He also earned two more GRAMMYs that night, sharing Best Pop Vocal Album and Album Of The Year with Swift for his extensive production work, co-writing and instrumentation on Midnights. In March, he released his fourth album as Bleachers and launched a lengthy world tour with the band, which will wrap with their biggest-ever (sold-out) gig at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 4.

His 2024 production credits include Swift's The Tortured Poets Department, four of breakout star Carpenter's Short n' Sweet tracks including No. 1 hit "Please Please Please," and even one of Kendrick Lamar's Drake diss tracks, "6:16 in LA." He also curated and produced the soundtrack for Apple TV's WWII couture period drama "The New Look," featuring modern renditions of classics by Lana Del Rey, Florence Welch, Nick Cave and others. He was also tapped by Tony-winning director Sam Gold to create the soundtrack for a modern reimagining of "Romeo and Juliet," debuting on Broadway later this month.

Before Antonoff became one of the most in-demand producers in pop, he spent his time in bands. As a high school senior in 2002, he formed indie rock outfit Steel Train with several classmates, who'd have a decade-long run playing big festivals including Bonnaroo, SXSW, Warped Tour and Lollapalooza. Afterwards, he played guitar in the power pop trio fun. with whom he earned his first six GRAMMY nods and won his first two in 2013, for Best New Artist and Song of the Year for their anthemic hit "We Are Young" featuring Janelle Monáe.

2013 was a pivotal year for the "Tiny Moves" artist, as it also marked his first time he worked with Swift, who then enlisted him to support her transition away from country music on Album Of The Year winner 1989. Antonoff has said that she was the first artist to trust him as a producer, and that their work together, understandably, opened many other doors for him.

GRAMMY.com recently caught up with the prolific producer and artist for a dive deep into his collaborative magic, the latest Bleachers album, and why he thinks pop is whatever you want it to be. 

This interview has been edited and condensed.

There's a lot to talk about just from this year, it's pretty crazy. 

When the Bleachers album came out and I was starting to do interviews, I had this really weird experience. Interviews recap things that have happened, so [they make me] realize how little I think about the past. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. 

I think it's a symptom of how much my life is future-focused — which is something I really like and fear about my life at the same time. The studio is such a forward place. You're thinking about the next thing, how to find this next feeling in literal and esoteric ways. [Being on] the road is one of the most literally forward places — every day you're somewhere new and you're thinking about the next day and the tour. 

I feel like I'm trapped in the future. It's nice and I've designed it that way. But sometimes I get a little scattered or emotional when I talk about things that have happened because I'm thinking about them for the first time. I don't have canned answers. 

You're often called a super-producer, which is valid; you've worked with so many big artists and on so much music that everyone hears. But what are you desiring as an artist and a producer lately?

The grand desire that I have has never changed, because it's so much bigger than any amount of success. That desire is to write and produce things and play live. That's a big part of why I love this work so much is because nothing can really help you with that besides your soul. You could be in the most expensive studio in the world with all the best engineers, but there's no proof that [that setting] equals a better song than just sitting in your room.

That fleeting feeling of knowing that it comes and it goes, and you just have to be there to grab it, is such a deep connected-to-the-cosmos feeling.

When you're working on music, at what point do you get excited about a song or know that it's going in the right direction?

When it does happen is when I start to push it forward in a real way. There's an amazing amount of f—king around in search of that feeling, and you never know where you're going to get it. It's sometimes just moving around instruments or lyrics or thoughts with no direction until one thing feels exciting, and then you follow that thing. 

It's a really fun process, and it can be anxiety-producing. It's a different kind of fun when you do it with someone else, because you're on this weird adventure together. When you're in a room with other people and everyone has that feeling off of one idea or one sound, it's a very connecting feeling. 

When you're working on your own music, particularly with Bleachers, it's mostly just you in the studio, right? 

Yes. But the Bleachers process is oddly similar [to my producing], just sort of flipped. I work with producers on Bleachers because I need it sometimes. I've always had these two sides of writing my music and having my own band and needing help with that in various ways. I've learned so much on either side. 

Being on the road with Bleachers, remarkably, keeps me connected to everything that matters the most when I'm making records with other artists because I can very easily visualize real fans, the people who live and die by this music. To be acquainted with them every night is a very powerful experience. It always just reminds me who I'm in conversation with, because I think it's easier than ever to get lost.

You've had a busy summer on the road with the Bleachers. How has it felt performing this album live?

It's really my favorite ever. It's the first album I've made with Bleachers that feels like a response to this thing that happens at the shows. Somewhere during the Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night [tour in 2021], the shows got really crazy and loose and kind of off the wall. There was something about it where I was kinda like, Okay, you want to play chicken? [Laughs.] I went into the studio and I tried to one up them. I never felt that before. This time I was talking right at [my fans], which is a luxury of being known by them.**

The first song we ever released was "I Wanna Get Better," which is almost a Wikipedia page of my life, it rattles through everything I'm going to be talking about [forever]. It feels like now I can wax on about something, and they know what I'm talking about.

Is that why you decided to self-title this album?

The actual decision to self-title is a gut feeling. But the real reason is it felt like an earned moment, like we had arrived somewhere where everything had completely formed.

Every reference point [while] making this album became about our own history and our own mythology. In the past, I would have said, Make it like a Mick Fleetwood or Ringo kind of feel. Now the reference point would be Play it like you do at this point in the set when the wheels have blown out for you. You tour and spend enough time with people where it becomes almost like conversations with your best friends, the reference points become your own shared history. 

What called you back into the studio to make your own music? 

I never know. My life is a lot less structured than people would think. The way I make Bleachers records — and even in everything I make with other people — there's a real looseness to it because I like to be [in the studio] when I feel incredibly excited to be there. I schedule things, just not terribly far out.

For example, Lana and I or Taylor and I have never once been like, "Let's book out a month here." It's sort of like, "What are you doing today? I got this idea, come over." And then if that's feeling good, it's like, "What are you doing tomorrow? Let's keep this going." It's very [much] catching it when it's happening. Some days I'm in the studio for an hour, some days for 16 hours; it's all based on how I feel. 

Are you always working on music or ideas — is there always something that's coming out of you? 

Lately — the past couple years — I've been feeling the need to create a lot. I feel connected to something, and I feel a lot of joy and that good buzzy anxiety of having these ideas and wanting to hear them, which reminds me of my earliest memories of writing and producing music. When you hear the thing in reality — you can press play on a thing that was a thought — it's the most incredible experience.

"Alma Mater" is such a poetic way to refer to an ex. How did that track come together? Did you have Lana del Rey in mind for it? 

No, we were just f—ing around. I think a lot about where you put people [when listening to a song]. On that song, I wanted to put you in a room with me and her, so I left a lot of the elements of us being in the room writing it, messing around. We kept singing back and forth like, "She's my alma mater, f— Balenciaga." [Chuckles.] The lyrics were just making us smile. 

As it started to come together, this idea of referring to an old relationship as an alma mater, that excited me and made me want to write that story. That's kind of what an old relationship is: a school that you go to where there's a whole set of friends, and a whole culture, and when it's over, poof, it's gone. 

Obviously, you worked with Sabrina Carpenter on some of her new music… 

How brilliant is she?

Read more: How Sabrina Carpenter Became A Pop Queen: Tracing Her Journey To 'Short N' Sweet'

She's around the same age Taylor Swift was when you started working with her. Do you see any parallels with Sabrina where Taylor was at then? Sabrina has said it was a really big deal to get to work with you. What was it like working with her? 

It was a big deal for me to get to work with her. The great parallel is brilliant writing and being able to write about one's life in the most vulnerable and powerful way. It sounds so simple, but it's the rarest thing to be able to write about your life and to be able to make it so specific and also so poetic. You know it as soon as you hear it.

Can you talk a little bit about the sonic landscape on "Please Please Please"?

We were thinking a lot about joy and the kind of fantastical nature of ABBA, Dolly [Parton] and ELO that I felt would fit her voice and lyrics so well. She [does] this quick vacillation between really cheeky then really emotional, back to really sarcastic, and then she smacks you over the head with something so serious and real that you're stunned. It's my favorite kind of music.

One of the reasons it's so thrilling to me that so many people have responded to it is because it doesn't sound like anything that's going on at all, it almost sounds like the opposite of everything going on. Those are my favorite moments; when something out of left field grabs everyone's attention.

Those bubbly sounds right when "Please Please Please" comes in are not in time. You have a LinnDrum ['80s drum machine] and a live drum playing this tight beat and these country-picking acoustic guitars. Then you have these wobbling synths that, in my head, I'm playing the same way someone would play it when it was first invented because you're just playing along to the track, you're not locking it to any MIDI or anything. I was thinking a lot about that time period — I think about [it] all the time — when I was with Sabrina.

How has your creative partnership with Taylor Swift and your trust in each other evolved in the decade-plus you've been working together? And what has been the coolest thing for you to see in your ongoing work?

As far as evolution, we just have our own language. I saw her play last night [at Wembley Stadium in London], and actually played some songs there too. Most of the time when we work it's just her and I in a room, usually my apartment or Electric Lady [Studios]. To see [the songs] in literally the biggest spaces and retain all of [their] importance and soul and feeling like it's that for every single person in that crowd, it's like the absolute coolest.

She's the absolute greatest of all time, with a never-ending hunger to push forward. 

You and Taylor both have such an affinity for witty, nerdy, literary references, and poetic phrasing. How do you pull that out in a way that makes sense in a pop song structure? 

I think that tendency is just inherent in both of us. But I think the concept of pop structure is whatever the hell we want it to be. The worst of pop music is ambulance-chasing. The real inspiration is to be your own loud light-up machine shooting down the street. The things I've loved about pop music have just invigorated me to believe that pop music is whatever the hell the person making it says it is, and then everyone else gets to argue if it is or isn't. 

I don't sit around and think about genre, placement, or who they're going to satisfy. All those thoughts are not just the death of making things. It's pretty easy for me to only consider that gut feeling. I'm just fascinated by how people hear things. There's no genre of music that I think is better or worse than any other one. 

What can you tell us about the upcoming Romeo + Juliet Broadway show you soundtracked? Was it a different creative exercise for you to score such a well-known text; how so?

It was a very different process which is exactly why I wanted to do it. Credit to [director] Sam Gold who really let me fly out to left field and back. I'm about 50 percent through it and I'm going to finish it when I'm home from this tour. It's been something that has opened my world in many ways, to a whole new side of scoring and writing for a musical. 

You have a lot of GRAMMYs, 11 of them — 

People always ask me if it gets normal. No, it doesn't get normal! It's crazy. 

One, where do you keep them? 

That's one thing I've never really figured out, they kind of move around. Everything in my life moves around a lot, so I don't have a satisfying answer for that one.

And going back to 2013 when you won your first GRAMMYs with fun., how did you feel that day? 

F—ing shocked. As I was saying, I don't really sit around thinking about the past because it's the opposite of the job. What's so shocking about those moments is you're surrounded by family and the people you love and work with, and it's this huge moment to think about how you got to that point. 

My biggest takeaway of these experiences that force you to stop and think about the road behind is just how heavy they are. All of us are held up by really special people, whether it's partners or parents or siblings, fans, engineers, managers, loved ones. If you have amazing people around you, it's the best feeling in the world. That's my favorite part about any award, it feels like it's for everyone that got you there.

August has given way to September, and while the leaves may not be ready to start changing quite yet, the fall release schedule promises to be filled with music as colorful and diverse as the soon-to-be autumn leaves.

New albums released this week include Paris Hilton's long-awaited sophomore effort Infinite Icon, Danielle Bradbery's self-titled Danielle and Jackson Dean's On The Back Of My Dreams, while blink-182 and Camila Cabello drop deluxe editions of their latest LPs, ONE MORE TIME…PART-2 and C,XOXO - Magic City Edition, respectively. 

Meanwhile, on the new song front, Post Malone teams up with Dwight Yoakam for their first official recording together, "I Don't Know How To Say Goodbye (Bang Bang Boom Boom)"; Tanner Adell unveils "Silverado"; Toosii gets an all-star assist from Gunna on "Champs Eleysee"; and Above & Beyond reunite with Richard Bedford for "Heart of Stone."

Below, GRAMMY.com details 11 other new releases worth parsing through this weekend, including the surprise reforming of Linkin Park, a full-length 10 years in the making for LL Cool J and a pulsating collaboration between Alesso and David Guetta that will give you one last reason to hit the dance floor before summer is officially through.

Seven years after the devastating passing of Chester Bennington, his bandmates announced on Thursday (Sept. 6) that Linkin Park would be making music again — complete with new co-vocalist Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara and drummer Colin Brittain.

"The Emptiness Machine" serves as not only the two-time GRAMMY winners' first original release since 2017, but it's also the lead single of the band's forthcoming eighth album, FROM ZERO, which is slated to drop Nov. 15 via Warner Records. Armstrong's voice adds a dynamic new counterpoint to Mike Shinoda's vocals as she snarls, "Going around like a revolver/ It's been decided how we lose/ 'Cause there's a fire under the altar/ I keep lying to" before launching into the hard-charging chorus.

It's been more than a decade since LL Cool J last graced the world with a full-length studio set, and he's assembled quite the impressive entourage to help usher in his latest body of work, The FORCE.

In addition to previously released singles with Rick Ross and Fat Joe ("Saturday Night Special") and Saweetie ("Proclivities"), the five-time GRAMMY Awards host's 14th album features a star-studded track list that includes everyone from Snoop Dogg (opener "Spirit of Cyrus") and Eminem ("Murdergram Deux") to Nas ("Praise Him"), Busta Rhymes ("Huey in Da Chair") and trio of hip-hop upstarts Mad Squablz, J-S.A.N.D. and Don Pablito ("The Vow").

"I really thought this album might be the last one I ever made," Halsey confessed just last week in the trailer for her studio set The Great Impersonator. And the mood on "Ego" — which the singer released 24 hours after officially announcing the album's Oct. 25 release date — is just as dire.

On the track, the nonbinary pop savant leans into both '90s alt-rock and 2000s emo as she wails, "I think that I should try to kill my ego/ 'Cause if I don't, my ego might kill me/ I'm all grown up and somehow lately/ I'm actin' like a f—in' baby/ I'm really not as happy as I seem." "Ego" is the latest taste of the decade-jumping concept album, following Britney Spears homage "Lucky" and the hard-rocking "Lonely Is the Muse."

George Strait's 31st studio album — and first since 2019's Honky Tonk Time Machine — is a testament to life and loss.

Dedicated to the memory of his longtime manager Erv Woolsey, fiddle player Gene Elders and road manager Tom Foote, all of whom passed away within a few weeks of each other in the spring of 2024. The LP features the last studio recordings by Elders, who played fiddle on four of its tracks. 

The heartfelt studio set was preceded by singles "MIA Down in MIA," "The Little Things" and "Three Drinks Behind," and includes three songs Strait co-wrote with his son, Bubba. Perhaps the album's most poignant track is its closer, "The Journey of Your Life," which is full of life lessons and a fitting message in the chorus: "You'll need a angel flyin' by your side/ On thе journey of your life."

Queen Naija drapes her silken voice in a dreamy soundscape reminiscent of classic R&B on latest single "Good Girls Finish Last."

Over gorgeous strings and vintage production, the Capitol Records signee laments, "No matter what I change/ It's clear I can never change your mind and/ I thought it'd get better with the time, but/ It's finally time to say goodbye" as she walks away from a relationship that's not working despite her best efforts. 

The single marks the one-time "American Idol" competitor's first release since her 2023 YoungBoy Never Broke Again collaboration, "No Fake Love," and should certainly whet fans' appetites as they wait for a full-length follow-up to her 2020 debut album, Misunderstood.

Just days after first teasing another collab with RM, Megan Thee Stallion has reunited with the BTS star for "Neva Play," a chant-ready back-and forth that finds both rappers racking up points in a digital video game and anime-inspired soundscape in the accompanying music video.

"One, two, three, fo'/ Five, six, seven, eight/ Let 'em know we on the way/ Countin' zeros every day/ You know dat we neva play," Meg brags before the K-pop idol steps in to deliver icy, final boss-level flow with his verse: "You know that we neva play/ Yeah, we gon' forever slay/ Me and Megan on the way/ For Asia, man, we paved the way." Consider it a T.K.O. — and for a 2x combo this Friday, check out "BBA," the Queen of the Hotties' brand new song with Paris Hilton on Infinite Icon, too.

Read More: How Paris Hilton Reclaimed Her Narrative With 'Infinite Icon'

Earlier this summer, Alesso and David Guetta each remixed Shaboozey's breakout hit "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" before it began its ongoing reign atop the Billboard Hot 100, and now the two DJs have joined forces on new single "Never Going Home Tonight."

The emotive track features vocals from Madison Love, who recently helped Kesha pen her comeback single "Joyride" and declares early in the first verse, "DJ, play that sad song one more time." From there, the two EDM titans build tension over an undulating piano line before the beat drops and whips the chorus into a whirlwind of hypnotic ecstasy — complete with Love's repetitive refrain of the song's escapist title.

The Alexander Technique , Rex Orange County's fifth studio album, finds the artist born Alexander O'Connor stripped down to his most vulnerable parts. From the very first line of lead single (and album opener) "Alexander," the English troubadour lays bare his innermost thoughts on jealousy, chronic pain, wanderlust, the unrelenting passage of time and much more over understated, introspective soundscapes filled with gentle guitar, plaintive keys and — on the track list's lone collaboration — chill-inducing harmonies with James Blake.

Rex Orange County will bring The Alexander Technique to life in major U.S. cities and London, FINALLY: A Theatre Tour by Rex OrangeCounty. The trek will kick off with two shows in Chicago on Oct. 4 and 5.

With the release of her new album Willson, Ashe completes the personal triptych she began with 2021's Ashlyn and continued on 2022's Rae — with the trio of titles making up the full name behind her stage persona. (Ashlyn Rae Willson…get it?)

However, Willson also marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the indie pop darling's career as her first full-length as an entirely independent artist. It's also the first for Ashe to appear entirely on her own across its 12 gauzy, confessional tracks, with past collaborators like FINNEAS, Niall Horan and Diane Keaton nowhere to be found.

G Herbo's latest mixtape, Big Swerv, may take its title from one of his many alter egos, but the rapper born Herbert Randall Wright III is exploring all kinds of fresh new ground on the 14-track project.

Rather than revisit some of the darker, more tumultuous themes on past albums like 2020's PTSD, 2021's 25 and 2022's Survivor's Remorse, the Chicago MC shifts into party mode with help from collaborators like 21 Savage ("In the A"), Sexyy Red ("Ten") and Chief Keef ("No Pics").

Joss Stone — "Loving You" featuring Shaggy

Fresh off celebrating the 20th anniversary of her 2003 debut album The Soul Sessions, Joss Stone reinvents her latest single "Loving You" with a little help from Shaggy.

On the remix, the two GRAMMY winners ride a sultry groove as the slow jam unfolds into a heartfelt letter full of unrequited love. "Won't you come back to me?/ I'm the girl of your dreams/ I sure try to be/ 'Cause I be loving you," Stone yearns in between Shaggy's spoken word adlibs before tossing the mic to the reggae artist for his own laidback verse.

Sabrina Carpenter is the first to admit that it's taken her a bit of time to find her way to the top of the music industry. She even likens herself to the tortoise in the fable "The Tortoise and the Hare" — even if she didn't want to believe the metaphor growing up.

"Something that my mom always said to me as a little girl that really annoyed me was that I am the tortoise… throughout my life, [I was] being told, 'Sabrina, you're the tortoise, just chill,'" Carpenter recalled while accepting the Variety Hitmakers Rising Artist Award in December 2023. "In moments of frustration and confusion it can feel like a letdown, but it turns out it's actually a very good thing."

It's been a very good thing for Carpenter, indeed. A decade since the release of her debut single, the singer/songwriter isn't just breaking through — she's one of pop's new reigning queens. Over the last year, Carpenter has nabbed her first No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, made a stellar debut at Coachella, and performed on "Saturday Night Live," all the while racking up billions of streams on her music new and old. It's all built excitement for one of the most anticipated pop albums of the summer: Short n' Sweet.

As Carpenter unveils her new album, take a deep dive into her decade-long journey to pop stardom.

Growing up, Carpenter filled the sounds of her family home in Pennsylvania with covers of songs like Adele's "Set Fire To The Rain" and "Picture to Burn" by future Eras Tour companion Taylor Swift (more on that later). After submitting videos for a singing contest spearheaded by Miley Cyrus, Carpenter would get her first taste of success. Placing third, she caught the eye of Hollywood Records, who signed her following the competition.

Simultaneously, Carpenter also began pursuing acting, landing guest spots on series like "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" in 2011 and joining "The Goodwin Games" in 2012. In 2014, she landed a lead role in the Disney Channel series "Girl Meets World," a spin-off of the beloved '90s series "Boy Meets World," which served as a breakthrough moment for the burgeoning star — and a catalyst for her music career.

Just before the show debuted, Carpenter released her debut single, "Can't Blame A Girl for Trying," the title track to her debut EP that arrived a month later. While the four-track EP was the typical output of a teenage Disney star — bubblegum pop sounds with digestible, family-friendly lyricism — it showed off her youthful timbre and offered themes that would become prevalent later in Carpenter's songwriting: love, heartache, and navigating life.

A year later, she released her debut album, Eyes Wide Open. A mix of pop with folk and country influences — a soundscape that remains on Short n' Sweet — Carpenter's debut showed maturity and growth following Can't Blame A Girl For Trying; songs like "Eyes Wide Open" and "We'll Be the Stars" showed a more introspective side, reflecting on the pressures of being in the spotlight and the journey of finding her identity. Eyes Wide Open also hinted that Carpenter was beginning to hone her songwriting skills, penning four of the 12 tracks.

It would be on her 2016 sophomore album, EVOLution, where Carpenter would find confidence as a songwriter, co-writing all but one song on the 10-track project. In turn, the lyrics reflected her growing sense of self and a new perspective on past themes, like embracing non-romantic forms of love in "All We Have is Love," being there for a struggling friend in "Shadows," and learning to assert boundaries in "Space."

EVOLution transitioned Carpenter out of the teen pop aesthetic into a more sophisticated sound, experimenting with dance-pop and techno sonics. Genre versatility would become a throughline of sorts for Carpenter, and EVOLution foreshadowed the multifaceted musicality that was to come.

After "Girl Meets World" came to an end at the beginning of 2017, Carpenter was ready for reinvention. Much like Britney Spears' Britney and Cyrus' Can't Be Tamed before her, as Carpenter grew into an adult, she felt like she needed to shed the Disney-fied image that has become a rite of passage for teen stars. Thus began the Singular era.

Released in 2018 and 2019, respectively, Singular: Act I and Singular: Act II featured songs that were more risqué and mature in nature. A far cry from her tamer work of the past, the R&B track "Hold Tight" is equal parts sultry and evocative with Carpenter singing, "Wanna keep you in, wanna keep you in right/ Wanna feel your skin, wanna feel it on mine."

As she noted in an interview with Billboard, Singular: Act I  was a natural progression for a girl now in her late teens — even if it was against the squeaky-clean image of her beginnings.

"I was known as a fictional character on television with lines that were written for her with an attitude that was portrayed in a way by other people. So for a lot of people, their first impression of me was as a 13-year-old girl [singing] the kinds of songs that she should be singing," she said. "Then, flash forward to 19, and people are asking why I am not singing about the same things that I did when I was 13, as if that's normal."

One of the more notable Singular tracks is from Act I, "Sue Me." Sneakily disguised as a story about a romantic relationship, the song is Carpenter's response to being sued by her ex music managers: "That's my shape, I made the shadow/ That's my name, don't wear it out though/ Feelin' myself can't be illegal." Its tongue-in-cheek and snarky nature would inevitably embolden Carpenter to continue writing more confessional songs with attitude, whether she's responding to media scrutiny in "because i liked a boy" from 2022's emails i can't send, or warning a suitor to be careful in Short n' Sweet's "Please, Please, Please."

Singular: Act I and Act II further helped demonstrate different facets of Carpenter's musicality, with the former leaning into pop tendencies and the latter embracing an R&B flair. And as her final albums with Hollywood Records, she used Singular: Act I and Act II to indicate that she wasn't going to let any sort of previous perceptions hold her back. Their coming-of-age themes showcased Carpenter as an artist coming into her own — regardless of whether listeners wanted to keep her in the Disney box or not.

While the world was going through a period of change amid the COVID-19 pandemic, so was Carpenter. She signed with Universal Music Group's Island Records in 2021, and soon she would be able to fully introduce the world to who Sabrina Carpenter is as an artist.

As she noted herself to Variety earlier this year, her 2022 LP, emails i can't send, "marked the beginning of a really freeing and artistic time for me." Once again, she co-wrote every song on the album; this time, though, she only had one co-writer for each track, and even wrote two songs solo ("emails i can't send" and "how many things") — proving that she was more assured as a songwriter than ever.

As a result, Carpenter's knack for confessional songwriting is on full display. emails i can't send represents a reflective time capsule of sorts; one that brings the curiosity of her earlier work with the perspective and wisdom of a young adult. Her growing fame meant there was more attention on her personal life, and emails i can't send allowed her to reclaim her narrative and express her side of the story.

Carpenter's candidness struck a chord with listeners, and upon the release of emails i can't send in July 2022, it was clear Carpenter was on a new trajectory. The album debuted at No. 23 on the Billboard 200, which marked her highest entry on the chart to date (as of press time); the 2022 stretch of her Emails I Can't Send Tour sold out in less than a day. And once  "Nonsense" was released as a single that November, her place as a rapidly rising star was solidified.

"Nonsense" was initially written as a means to an end after Carpenter was writing a sad song and had writer's block. Now, the track is the epitome of Carpenter's lyricism, weaving together her wit and humor with an infectious hook. First gaining traction on TikTok because of its catchiness, it's become a beloved part of Carpenter's canon thanks to her inventive and bespoke outros during her live shows. It's since become a tradition for fans to check to see what outro she created for each performance, adding to the fan fervor.

Carpenter further satiated fans' taste for her cheeky lyricism in March 2023, when she released emails i can't send fwd:, the deluxe version of her album, which featured a new track called "Feather." She took the playful, flirting energy of "Nonsense" and infused "Feather" with buoyant, airy production that mimics the feeling of self-liberation after moving on from a relationship. Earning Carpenter her first pop radio No. 1, "Feather" proved that the singer's audacious style was taking hold — and it set the stage for an even bigger 2024.

After her own extensive — and very sold out — tour in support of Emails I Can't Send, Carpenter's rising star status was further confirmed by pop's current queen, Taylor Swift. The singer earned a coveted opening slot on Swift's monumental Eras Tour in Mexico, South America, Australia, and Asia.

Just after her last Eras Tour show in March 2024, Carpenter hinted that her own new era was beginning. "I'm starting to feel like I've outgrown the songs I'm singing," she admitted to Cosmopolitan, "which is always an exciting feeling because I think that means the next chapter is right around the corner."

That chapter began with "Espresso," which dropped a day before her debut Coachella performance. Doubling down on the playful, self-assured vibe of "Nonsense," the song immediately hinted that big things were coming for Carpenter, debuting at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 3.

Upon announcing her sixth album, Short n' Sweet, Carpenter released "Please Please Please." Combining her now-signature playful, carefree lyricism with an airy, disco-tinged sound, "Please Please Please" didn't just present Carpenter as a confident superstar —  it became her first Hot 100-topping smash.

Carpenter has referred to Short n' Sweet as the "hot older sister" of emails i can't send. "It's my second 'big girl' album; it's a companion but it's not the same," she explained to Variety, to whom she also admitted she feels a "sense of separation" from her work prior to emails. "When it comes to having full creative control and being a full-fledged adult, I would consider this a sophomore album."

It's apt, then, that her Short n' Sweet collaborators — including songwriters Julia Michaels, Amy Allen and Steph Jones — are largely the same as the team from emails i can't send. "I've really honed in on the people that I love making music with," she told Rolling Stone in June.

Even more telling of the direction she's heading is her work with one of pop's hottest producers — and Swift's right-hand man — Jack Antonoff, for the first time. At a GRAMMY Museum event with Antonoff himself, Carpenter debuted the country-infused "Slim Pickins," presenting yet another pop style from Short n' Sweet. And as "Slim Pickins," "Espresso" and "Please Please Please" indicate, Carpenter's knack for infectious and edgy lyrics isn't just the throughline across Short n' Sweet — it's become the epitome of both her artistry and her stardom.

Just like her metaphorical friend the tortoise, Carpenter's long but steady journey has clearly paid off. As she's figured out who she is on her own terms, she's manifested the bonafide superstardom she's always imagined.

"I never had the plan B, and it wasn't even a thought in my mind that it wouldn't work out," she told Rolling Stone. "I just always knew it was about not if it would happen but when it would happen."

For Carpenter, every chapter of her artistry has built on the last; she's refused to rest on her laurels and continuously pursued new directions. She's creating work that wholeheartedly reflects her, and growing a loyal fan base because of it. Her next album might be named Short n' Sweet, but her time as a pop superstar will be anything but.