It is a “Nonsense” Christmas this year for Sabrina Carpenter, who released her Christmas extended play (EP) on Nov. 17 titled “fruitcake.” The EP caps off a successful year for the 24-year-old, who concluded her sold-out international tour this past August in support of her 2022 album, “emails i can’t send.”

Although she debuted in 2014 with the single “Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying,” Carpenter has only recently gotten praise for her unique fashion sense and writing style across media platforms like TikTok. She has also made her mark on music charts, with “Nonsense” peaking at number 56 on Billboard Hot 100 on Feb. 4, 2023.

I first witnessed Carpenter on screen for her role as Maya Hart on the Disney Channel show “Girl Meets World.” Despite her reappearance in the Netflix movies “Tall Girl” and “Work It” over the past few years, I never thought of her outside the typical Disney actor image embodied by actresses like Debby Ryan or Hilary Duff.

Then, the song “Nonsense” from her “emails i can’t send” album came out. The song’s quality and success, along with the whole album, has altered her image from a Disney actress to a beloved pop princess. She truly encapsulates her pop star brand not only with her catchy songs but also through her distinctive outfits that include ‘90s and Y2K elements. 

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The fame of “Nonsense” can also be attributed to the witty improvisation of lyrics at the end of the song that she does for each live performance. Along with many other fans, I anticipate each of her new outros that often cater specifically to the location where she performs.

Carpenter’s public appeal only increased with the release of the song “A Nonsense Christmas” in 2022, a spin-off of “Nonsense.” The spin-off was also the first song on her EP, “fruitcake.” 

The EP is an excellent representation of how Carpenter incorporates her own vibrant and bold personality into every song. The six songs are not the typical rendition of classic songs like “White Christmas.” Instead, the songs “cindy lou who” and “buy me presents” introduce new holiday tunes that are true to Carpenter’s style and perfectly display her beautiful vocals and writing talent that often uplifts her listeners.

Yet, what makes Carpenter particularly special are the visuals she pairs with her songs. On Dec. 7, she released her music video for “santa doesn’t know you like i do,” another song on her EP. As she dances around the kitchen, bakes cookies, and ice skates, she showcases another side of herself with each new song.

Carpenter constantly surprises me as an artist with her music and design choices that are uniquely her. She has come far from a young Disney actress, and I am excited to see her continue making a space for herself in the music industry next year. I am especially anticipating her opening performances for Taylor Swift on “The Eras Tour” in February and March. Until then, I will keep replaying every track on “fruitcake.”