Disney Acts That Escaped The Mouse (Part 2) - Some of the Biggest Artists to Reach Success After Disney
- Monica Soriano
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Article Contributed by Monica Soriano
Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and The Jonas Brothers have become names that circle the media often. Sometimes it is due to Olivia and Sabrina’s success internationally as beloved pop girls and other times it is The Jonas Brothers’ continuous release of projects while tapping into infectious nostalgia. Disney Channel was a starting point for these artists but what came after was entirely up to them.
Olivia Rodrigo’s Penmanship & Huge Debut
Although she had a successful debut with her song “Drivers License”, she followed it by taking a writing class at USC.
Olivia Rodrigo’s name was orbiting around with her participation in the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. She was establishing herself as a Disney actress and singer when in 2021 she released her first single “Drivers License”, which grew to be bigger than anyone could have imagined. Her debut as an artist was so impactful it earned her 7 Grammy nominations for the 64th Annual Grammy Awards which she won 3 of them.
Her albums Sour and Guts both peaked at number 1 on the US Billboards Hot 200 Chart. Even though her time with Disney was short, it was a very important building block for her career. She is one of the most sought after pop stars at the moment.
Olivia has spoken about taking a poetry class to improve her songwriting. Her artistry has reached levels beyond what her career at Disney could have provided her. It’s always great to see artists deeply involved in their music like Rodrigo.
Sabrina Carpenter’s Elongated Journey to Mainstream Success
It took several albums to establish herself as an ultimate pop girl, but she did it.
Sabrina Carpenter’s success wasn’t an overnight one, it was years of acting on Disney Channel, releasing music and figuring out her sound and style. She started making her name known through her role in Disney Channel’s Girl Meets World, a spinoff of Boy Meets World.
Under Disney’s label Hollywood Records, Sabrina Carpenter released 4 studio albums. She didn’t achieve mainstream success with them but they helped build a foundation for her artistry. Once she signed with Island Records, Sabrina’s career in music started taking off. Her debut album under Island records, Emails I Can’t Send, had a debut at number 23 on the US Billboard 200 Chart.
It wasn’t until her album Short n’ Sweet, that she truly established herself as an artist with her own sound, style and voice. This was when she escaped the mouse. This album went on to win Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2025 Grammy awards and peaked at number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 200 Chart. Her latest album, Man’s Best Friend, earned 2 Grammy nominations and its lead single “Manchild” earned 4 nominations. Her success has surpassed her time at Disney but the entirety of her journey should continue to be celebrated.
Jonas Brothers’ Success In and Out of Disney
The Jonas Brothers gained mass amounts of success through their work with Disney Channel early in their career and they continue to tap into that nostalgia to this day.
While the Jonas Brothers were slowly gaining a fanbase and industry attention before joining Disney, the network and its record label provided them with a huge platform through guest star appearances, their own show and a movie franchise.
The band had already released their first album but it wasn’t until they signed with Disney’s Hollywood Records that they began to truly establish themselves. Their second album, Jonas Brothers, included singles that went on to chart on Billboard’s Hot 100 and the entire album peaked at number 5 on Billboard’s 200 chart. Kevin, Joe and Nick had success with the Jonas Brothers name but also through their work in the Camp Rock films. The song “We Rock” by the entire cast peaked at number 1 on the Billboard US Hot Singles Sales Chart and “Play My Music” peaked at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
Disney Channel had a collaboration for Friends for Change. This collaboration was the song “Send It On” by the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. “Send It On” went on to peak at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
The Jonas Brothers were really beloved by Disney and the fans, they were teen heartthrobs and eventually surpassed the Disney Channel brand. The longevity in their career is what makes them successful. They have been able to be apart, release solo music and still find their way back to the Jonas Brothers brand. During their concerts they smoothly tap into the nostalgia of the fan base by bringing out various guests from their Disney days or artists that are beloved by the same fans.
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