Sabrina Carpenter just offered aspiring songwriters the most counterintuitive advice they’ll hear all year.
At Variety’s annual Hitmakers event on Saturday, the pop superstar accepted her Hitmaker of the Year honor and dropped wisdom that contradicts everything the music industry typically teaches.
Her secret? Stop trying to write hits.
For someone riding an unprecedented wave of success—including six Grammy nominations and a blockbuster arena tour—Carpenter’s approach might seem surprising.
The Counterintuitive Formula Behind Carpenter’s Success
Speaking before an audience packed with industry executives and fellow artists, Carpenter revealed the mindset that transformed her career from Disney starlet to chart-topping force.
The easiest way to write a bad song is to try to write a hit. Write the opposite of what you think a hit is. Write what speaks to you, write something that only you can write.
The artist, who began writing songs at just 10 years old, encouraged authenticity over calculation. Her advice continued with signature Carpenter sass.
Write the music you want to listen to yourself. Add the weird chord progression and key change, and call men stupid in as many ways as you can.
Jack Antonoff Explains What Makes Carpenter Different
Longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff presented Carpenter’s award, offering insight into what separates her from countless other pop artists competing for attention.
The really crazy thing is that she can write like that.
The mega-producer and Bleachers frontman praised Carpenter’s instincts as both tunesmith and performer, noting how well she’s handled sudden superstardom.
Antonoff highlighted a crucial element of Carpenter’s approach: respecting audience intelligence.
She starts out with the assumption that people are smart. If you really believe people are smart, you can get away with things. That key change in ‘Please Please Please’ that is so thrilling — that is the kind of stuff that matters and is interesting.
Building A Support Network That Encourages Risk-Taking
Reading from a diary, Carpenter emphasized how essential collaboration has been to her creative process.
She specifically praised songwriter Amy Allen, who was present at the event, along with others who form a support network encouraging her wildest creative impulses.
Carpenter expressed gratitude for the artistry that emerges “every time we get the privilege to be in a room with things that make noise.”
She also thanked Island Records for trusting her instincts rather than imposing industry formulas.
Thank you for not trying to tell me what a hit is. That’s rare.
Fans Make Hits, Not Executives
Carpenter concluded her acceptance speech by redirecting credit toward listeners who transform songs into cultural moments.
Thank you to the fans that makes these hits. Thank you to the fans that learn the lyrics and sing the songs and make them hits — whatever that means.
This sentiment echoed comments from numerous other Hitmaker award recipients, acknowledging that songs only become hits after audiences embrace them.
A Blockbuster Year By Any Measure
Carpenter’s Hitmaker of the Year honor caps an extraordinary 12 months that saw her evolution from rising star to mainstream phenomenon.
In February, she claimed her first two Grammy Awards for best pop solo performance (“Espresso”) and pop vocal album (“Short n’ Sweet”).
Current Grammy nominations include:
- Album of the Year
- Record of the Year
- Song of the Year
- Best Pop Vocal Album
- Best Pop Solo Performance
- Best Music Video
“Manchild,” released in June, became an immediate blockbuster. Her album “Short n’ Sweet” followed in August, debuting to enthusiastic critical reception.
Her first arena tour launched in September 2024, eventually expanding into the European market before returning stateside as the “Man’s Best Friend” tour this fall.
The Lesson For Aspiring Artists
Carpenter’s philosophy represents a radical departure from traditional music industry thinking, which often prioritizes market research and trend-following over artistic authenticity.
Her success proves that audiences respond to genuine artistic vision rather than calculated commercial appeal.
By trusting herself—and trusting listeners to appreciate complexity, weird chord progressions, and unconventional choices—Carpenter created music that stands out in an oversaturated market.
The singer’s journey from 10-year-old songwriter to Hitmaker of the Year demonstrates that writing what only you can write isn’t just artistic idealism. It’s a viable path to commercial success.
Variety’s Hitmakers event featured numerous other honorees, including Rosé, Tyler the Creator, Megan Moroney, Tate McRae, and fellow collaborator Jack Antonoff, with presenters including Laufey, Benny Blanco, and Jimmy Jam.
But Carpenter’s message stood out: authenticity isn’t just good for the soul—it’s good for business.