Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

How it takes 10 years to become an “overnight success” 

By Gianna Ucci

Photograph by Diya Kapoor

Sabrina Carpenter, “that girl from Disney Channel,” just earned six Grammy nominations. Songs heard briefly on the radio in 2014 are now being played in Tate McRae’s Opening Act. Hollywood’s “newest” it-girl and the Recording Academy’s latest “Best New Artist” nominee has actually been making music for a decade. In an era where TikTok rewards 15-second attention spans, long-term artistic development often goes unnoticed. Yet, many of today’s biggest names have been building toward their breakthrough for years. 

Sabrina Carpenter is one of the biggest pop stars in the world right now, and nothing about her 10+ year career should be understated. If you remember “Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying” playing every hour on RadioDisney, you know she’s been around. Despite opening for Ariana Grande in 2017, building a strong acting career and releasing four (yes, four) albums before 2022, her mainstream rise didn’t begin until her release of “Emails I Can’t Send.” 

While touring that album, she turned the “Nonsense” outros into a nightly event — making dirty jokes, puns and even referencing controversies. These clips quickly went viral and helped fuel a full rebrand, shifting her from an edgier, stripped-down aesthetic to the bright, colorful pop persona we know now. Her internet-driven momentum — and the massive success of “Espresso” in 2024 — finally positioned her as a true staple of modern pop

Zara Larsson's resurgence, meanwhile, felt like it appeared out of nowhere. Active since 2015, she’s been quietly soundtracking our lives. In 2024, her seven-year-old song “Symphony” exploded on TikTok, attached to a neon, Lisa Frank-coded aesthetic she smartly adopted for “Midnight Sun.” Now, I don’t know if you’ve been on Twitter lately, but her music video is flooding stan accounts, ultimately propelling her into a second wave of recognition. 

Everyone seems to have a different story about how they discovered Chappell Roan. Some found her when she opened for Olivia Rodrigo; others through her chaotic storytime about fracturing her neck. 

In my case, it was from a video of her promoting “Casual” at McDonald’s that I immediately sent to my talking stage like, “omg us.” Most of us remember having a friend recommend “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” an album that felt like everything modern pop had been missing. 

People wanted music that wasn’t afraid to be big, theatrical and fun. Chappell, who had been sending demos to producers since 2016, had many of the songs on that album written as early as 2020–2021. Her rise shows that hard work pays off — and that embracing joy in your craft can push you even further.

Sabrina, Zara and Chappell showcase the clear divide in modern music: seasoned performers finally getting recognition vs. short-lived viral acts often labeled “industry plants” (not naming names, but one rhymes with tombr). With so many new artists emerging at once, it’s easy for genuine long-term creators to get lost in the noise. But the internet can also become the great equalizer — elevating the artists who have quietly put in the work until their moment finally arrives.