Photo of Sabrina Carpenter. Image via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
“Short N’ Sweet” is the sixth studio album, released by actress and pop star Sabrina Carpenter. This album was long anticipated by fans. Sabrina’s success and popularity jump started her tour as well. “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” were the two singles off the album and were both immediately a success. Both of these songs made the Billboard Global 200 as well as the Billboard Hot 100. This album is drastically different from her previous album, “Emails I Can’t Send”, which came out in 2022.
“Taste”
This song is the first song I listened to besides the singles on the album. The music video was a fun and gruesome spin on the 1992 comedy “Death Becomes Her”. Co-starring Jenna Ortega, the video follows Carpenter and Ortega repeatedly attempting to kill each other in an effort to date the same man. The song is very peppy and flirty, similar to most of the other songs on the album. Carpenter uses a lot of fun word play and references to her relationship with Barry Keoghan. My favorite lyric is “Singin’ ‘bout it don’t mean I care, yeah I know I’ve been known to share.” This lyric is very creative because it pokes fun at her love triangle with Joshua Bassett and Olivia Rodrigo.
“Please Please Please”
This song is one of the singles, also accompanied with a music video. ”Please Please Please” is very catchy, and immediately went viral on TikTok and Instagram. I think this song really shows the vocal improvement Carpenter has gained since her days on Disney Channel as well. Carpenter also performed this song on the Radio Live Lounge, where she showcased her vocal improvement, and her live performance ability. My favorite lyric on this song is “If you wanna go and be stupid, don’t do it in front of me,” because it shows that even while making art, she can still show her sense of humor through the music.
“Good Graces”
“Good Graces” really plays into the bubblegum pop rebrand Carpenter has gone through since “Emails I Can’t Send”. Similar to other female artists such as Marina or Gwen Stefani, this song is more upbeat and confident than her other songs on the album. There is also a big contrast from her previous music on account of the boldness and spirit of her lyrics. It’s clear that Carpenter has really found her place in the music industry and how she wants to portray and maintain her image as an upcoming artist. My favorite lyric is the chorus, “Boy it’s not that complicated, you should stay in my good graces.” I would say this is my second favorite song on the album, second to Juno.
“Sharpest Tool”
This song reminds me a lot of the album “Midnights” by Taylor Swift, solely based on the sound and beat of the song. There are a lot of synths and similar instruments used in both discographies. As for the actual topic for the song, the lyric, “If that was casual then I’m an idiot,” reminds me of Casual by Chappell Roan. This song also resembles “Because I Liked A Boy” from “Emails I Can’t Send”, because they are both emotional and raw lyrics put to a fun beat. My favorite lyric from this song is “All the silence is just your strategy ‘cause it leaves you so top of mind for me.” Carpenter does a great job of turning her point of view from her relationships and experiences into catchy songs that are very relatable to her fanbase.
“Coincidence”
This song stands out from the rest of the songs on the album because it begins with guitar, rather than the synth-pop sound from the other songs. “Coincidence” draws some parallels between some of her other music, specifically “Good Graces” solely for the reason that it’s more raw and personal. I enjoy the fact that her music is really honest and erratic. This shows that Carpenter is talented in writing and performing multiple genres and styles of music, as displayed through the variety of these songs. Personally, I prefer her more pop songs rather than the guitar but it is still well written and produced. My favorite lyric from this song is “What a surprise, your phone just died, your car drove itself from LA to her thighs.”
“Bed Chem”
“Bed Chem” is one of the more successful songs besides the singles. Carpenter explained upon the release of this song that it was inspired by Christina Aguilera, as well as other singers she listened to when she was young. This song has made the top 100 charts in 13 countries, as well as a surge in popularity on TikTok. This song really showcases her soprano vocals, as well as her falsetto abilities. My favorite lyric in this song is “Where art thou? Why not uponeth me?” She is very creative and humorous with her lyrics, and this line really stands out because not many artists use Shakespearean language in modern songs. She also possibly referenced this lyric during her iconic outro from her song Nonsense.
“Espresso”
“Espresso” was the first single to come out for this album, releasing in summer 2024. It was also accompanied with a music video. In an interview with Vogue, Carpenter described the song as “seeing femininity as your superpower,” which definitely shines in this song. “Espresso” is also the first time Carpenter has had a song debut in the top 10 on the Billboard 200.
The music video for this song depicts a humorous storyline continued throughout the later music videos. This song was a great pick for a single, because it boosted her attention in the media as well as her talent as a songwriter and performer. “Espresso” was so successful on the charts Carpenter even performed it on Saturday Night Live shortly after the song’s release. My favorite lyric is, “I can’t relate to desperation.” I can see why this song is the most popular on the album, because of its good beat and lyrics, and it’s a perfect starting place to start listening to her music. It captures her spunk and talent as a songwriter, as well as a performer.
“Dumb & Poetic”
The vocals and instrumentals on this song reminded me of “Happier Than Ever” and “The Greatest“, both sung by Billie Eilish. This song has a lot of parallels with “Emails I Can’t Send”, solely based on the topic and feeling of the song. While I love the chipper sound of the other songs on this album, this song proves Carpenter’s song-writing ability is extensive, and more than just pop.
My favorite lyric in this song, as well as the whole album is “Just cause you act like one doesn’t make you a man.” I think this song acts as a reminder to listeners that relationships can still be raw and emotional, rather than purely unproblematic. A lot of the other songs on this album talk about and portray “perfect relationships”, but this song represents what a lot of women feel in relationships. I think music about imperfections like this are important because they bring attention to the unspoken part of relationships
“Slim Pickins”
I think this song is by far the most relatable song on the whole album. My favorite lyric is “Jesus what’s a girl to do? This boy doesn’t even know the difference between there, their, and they are.” While the instrumentals or vocals don’t necessarily stand out, the honesty of the songwriting makes this song just that much more engaging. Similar to “Dumb & Poetic”, this song is more sentimental, but I enjoy the variety of her music.
“Juno”
This song is my all time favorite off the album. Upon listening to this song for the first time, I was truly surprised how mature the theme of the song was. Similar to what Miley Cyrus or Demi Lovato did to rebrand themselves, “Juno” was meant to shock the public a little bit, showing that Carpenter has broken her previous ties with her work on Disney Channel. I also appreciate the reference to the 2007 movie this song is based on, “Juno”. I think this song is so creative and funny, and is one of the most remembered songs on the album as well as her tour.
“Lie To Girls”
I think this song is my personal least favorite on the album. Nothing about the vocals or lyrics stand out to me. With that being said, the topic of the song is really interesting and well written. It really captures the experience of being a naive teenage girl and puts it into words really well. Although this is not the most lengthy song, I understand the message of the lyrics. My favorite lyrics are both “We love to read the cold hard facts and swear they’re incorrect” as well as “Girls will cry and girls will lie and girls will do it till they die for you.” This song kind of acts as a wake up call to young girls that listen to this song, sending the message to not put one’s whole worth on what guys think.
“Don’t Smile”
I think this song is the perfect end to the album. I think “Don’t Smile” acts as a kind of reassurance to her past self, or past relationships. The lyrics are mostly nostalgic, making good of a past situation. Although the lyrics and theme is more melancholy, this song still radiates the same confidence and dominance that “Taste” and “Good Graces” do. My favorite lyric on this song is “My heart is heavy now, it’s like 100 pounds, it’s falling faster than the way you love to shut me down.”
