Sabrina Carpenter Surpasses Ariana Grande To Become The 7th Biggest Artist On Spotify

Sabrina Carpenter has reached 81.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify, surpassing Ariana Grande, who is at 80.3 million, to become the seventh biggest artist on the platform. Her previous count of 36.5 million, recorded on the day of the release of her single "Espresso," has surged thanks to the success of "Espresso" and "Please Please Please," from her upcoming album "Short n' Sweet," slated for release on August 23.

"Please Please Please" has secured the number two spot on the artist and song radios of Spotify's top 50 artists. The song's unusual prevalence has sparked considerable discussion within the music community about the role of Spotify’s algorithms in Carpenter’s meteoric rise. Additionally, “Please Please Please” humorously ended up in the second position on an intentionally absurd "fart radio" playlist. It has also appeared on playlists for artists like 21 Savage, ABBA, Eminem, Bee Gees, Frank Sinatra, Queen, and Tony Bennett, demonstrating the wide reach of Carpenter's latest hit.

Adding to her achievements, "Please Please Please" reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Sabrina Carpenter’s first number one hit. Part of Carpenter's widespread exposure may be due to her label, Polydor Records, likely investing heavily in Spotify's Discovery Radio ad product, covering many genres with significant spending. Strategic investment could be driving the algorithmic placement of her songs across a diverse range of playlists, ensuring her music reaches a broader audience. Concerns about potential payola practices, where labels pay to have their artists' music played more frequently, have been highlighted by a Forbes article discussing the use of payola within Spotify’s platform.

Despite Carpenter's extensive discography, including five previous albums, she is still eligible for the Grammy's Best New Artist Award. The Grammy's eligibility rules consider the impact and breakthrough into public consciousness within the eligibility year. Conversely, Tate McRae, despite being a new artist by most standards, is not eligible for the same category, highlighting inconsistencies in the award criteria.

Ariana Grande, whose latest album "Eternal Sunshine" was released on March 8, 2024, has maintained a strong presence in the music industry with her introspective and thematically rich work. Despite Grande's enduring popularity and the success of her latest album, Sabrina Carpenter's rapid rise emphasizes the evolving dynamics of music streaming. What Grande achieved with a full album, Carpenter has managed with just two songs, a fact that may not sit well with Grande's fans.

Fans have experienced Carpenter's music across various playlist contexts, even when not actively seeking it out. The situation suggests a significant push from Spotify's algorithmic recommendations, boosting her listener base. The overwhelming presence of Carpenter's tracks on Spotify has elicited mixed reactions, with some users excited about her fresh music, while others question the fairness of algorithm-driven promotion.

On Twitter/X, users have voiced a range of opinions, with some celebrating Carpenter’s success and others expressing frustration at the ubiquity of her songs, suggesting it feels like a result of algorithmic manipulation rather than organic popularity. One user noted, “No matter what I’m listening to, as soon as the playlist or album ends, the second 'random' song will always be a Sabrina Carpenter song,” while another stated, “Spotify keeps pushing Sabrina Carpenter on me like no, I don’t want to hear the song randomly after Cleo Sol.” Other users commented, “Is Spotify just trying to make Sabrina Carpenter happen?” and “Sabrina’s everywhere. It’s like they’re force-feeding us her music.”

Carpenter’s ascent underscores the growing influence of streaming platforms in shaping an artist's career. As she continues her climb, the music industry watches closely, anticipating how her rise will impact the future of music promotion and artist discovery. Her success could reshape how artists approach the release and promotion of their music in the streaming era, raising important questions about the balance between organic growth and algorithmic influence.