All eyes have been on Sabrina Carpenter, a rising pop singer and performer, as she releases hit after hit. Carpenter’s latest album, “Short N’ Sweet,” released on Aug. 23, cements her place as a powerhouse in the music industry.
Since 2011, Carpenter has starred in various acting role, and in 2015 released her debut album, “Eyes Wide Open” (2015), followed by the albums “Evolution” (2016), “Singular: Act I” (2018) and “Singular: Act II” (2019).
In 2020, Carpenter was involved in internet drama with fellow pop singers and former Disney stars Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett, as many speculated the blonde girl referenced in Rodrigo’s hit song “driver’s license” was about Carpenter. Carpenter later released the hit single “Skin” in January of 2021 as a response.
The following year, she released “Emails I Can’t Send” with “Nonsense,” which gained online fame because of Carpenter’s customized outros of the song at each stop on her headline tour and other events, including Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
Carpenter is known for her witty lyrics, which is definitely reflected in her new album. Expectations were high when Carpenter released her first single from the album, “Espresso,” in April of this year, which quickly gained popularity for its fun and clever lyrics like “I know I Mountain Dew it for ya” and the funky, upbeat melody. The track was described as “the song of the summer” and presents a unique take on love, with Carpenter likening herself to espresso, keeping her lover up all night thinking about her. Carpenter followed it up with the chart-topping song “Please Please Please,” released in June of this year, which soon became her first number one song on the Billboard Top 100. Though the song has fun verses and cute lyrics, it was not my favorite on the album as I thought the lyrics were repetitive and the song felt a bit hollow overall.
“Short N’ Sweet” displays Carpenter’s unique style of lyrics and flirty pop princess persona. Though the album contains some catchy hits, it also contains some misses, with the biggest problem in the album being its lack of continuity. Listening through the album is a roller coaster of moods, switching abruptly from upbeat songs to more melancholy and angry ones. The first half of the album is exceptional, but I felt that the second half lacked substance and Carpenter’s iconic charm.
The first song of the album, “Taste,” displays Carpenter’s sweet and breathy voice. The song is written to her ex’s on-again-off-again girlfriend, explaining Carpenter’s lasting impact on him despite their short time together. I personally really enjoy this song, with its upbeat melody. The song is an instant hit. “Bed Chem” had a slightly different vibe, incorporating an ’80s groove style. Though I did not initially like this song, it quickly grew on me, especially the lyrics: “Come right on me, I mean camaraderie” and “Where art thou? Why not uponeth me?”
A song I didn’t like as much was “Dumb & Poetic.” The song is on the slower side with heart-wrenching lyrics, and Carpenter’s vocal abilities really shined on this song. However, the jarring transition from “Espresso” to this song was incredibly off-putting. The song itself was nothing new and didn’t stick with me.
Playful sexual innuendo permeates the album, but “Bed Chem” and “Juno” explicitly say it. “Juno” references the 2007 film of the same name about teenage pregnancy, with Carpenter declaring that she would let her partner get her pregnant. The song is not shy about its sexual messaging, as well as containing a cute melody.
Overall, the hits on this album make it one that should not be missed. Anyone who enjoys Carpenter’s old songs and her newfound style of silly yet clever lyrics, will definitely enjoy this album. Overall, I give this album four out of five stars. The album contains a mix of more pop-esque songs as well as some slower songs that display Carpenter’s full vocal abilities. Though some songs lacked depth and the transitions throughout the album were often jarring, the clever lyrics and unique style make up for it.
