Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter’s recent song “Thumbs” was approaching 40 million views on YouTube at press time. Carpenter, whose acting career includes Disney Channel’s “Girl Meets World” and Fox’s “The Goodwin Games,” is following a path more in sync with Ariana Grande. In fact, she was on her way to South America to join Grande on some dates as this article went to press.

CBS Broadcasting / Terence Patrick – Sabrina Carpenter

“I think one of the most important things I want people to understand about her is she was born to do this,” Carpenter’s music manager, Jared Paul, told Pollstar. “She works eight days a week and uses every minute she can get her hands on to get in the studio or produce music at home. She’s always producing YouTube covers.

“Music is what gets her out of bed in the morning; it’s who she is. Some say, ‘Well of course everybody who has a TV show puts a record out.’  I hate when Sabrina gets painted with that brush.  No disrespect to anyone else who’s pursued that path but she walks around singing; she walks around writing songs in her head. She was born to sing; this is who she is.  She’s most comfortable up on stage doing what she thinks she was put on Earth to do.”

The 18-year-old Carpenter has been signed to Hollywood Records since she was about 11 years old and released the albums Eyes Wide Open in 2015 and Evolution last October.  She performed during the weekends when she wasn’t taping her television shows, then ventured out on about 40 dates last fall that all sold out, according to Paul. Now, she’s kicking off a bigger North American tour in July.

CBS Broadcasting / Terence Patrick – Sabrina Carpenter

“This tour is the culmination for her. She’s been working toward this for a long time,” Paul said. “The last time we played some intimate rooms like The Roxy in L.A. and now she’s going to finally be on a tour with production.

“We’re just excited because the last tour was while school was in session,” he added. “We were out just through Thanksgiving. A secondary market, on a Wednesday, in a GA room? Luckily we sold out but we didn’t feel we were able to play to her full audience.  This will be in the summer when everybody’s out of school, when their families can come.  I think for a lot of people this will be their first concert.”

Paul complimented Live Nation for promoting the tour.

“We’re very happy working with Tara Traub and David Zedeck who have been following her for a long time.”