On the fast track to major pop success, Sabrina Carpenter’s anticipated sixth album “Short n’ Sweet” comes after a stupendous two years for the 25-year-old artist. She’s no stranger to the industry – after a successful Disney Channel acting career on “Girl Meets World” she’s been releasing music as early as 2014 – but it was her previous LP “Emails I Can’t Send” in 2022 where she had her big break. With singles like “Feather” and the viral innuendo-filled outros of “Nonsense,” the album grew Carpenter’s fanbase exponentially. Huge support from Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour and a lively performance at Coachella also helped increase her popularity.
Her popstar position was then secured with two singles from “Short n’ Sweet.” First was “Espresso” hitting 1 billion streams quickly, then “Please Please Please” becoming her first song to hit number one on the Billboard Top 100 songs (complete with its music video featuring her real-life boyfriend, Barry Keoghan).
This album built upon her previously well-known persona: A girl who’s funny, confident, sassy, and tough with a mean streak, but not immune to having her own heartache and insecurities. The 12 tracks are nearly all about every kind of love: True love, crushes, you-know-better love, infidelity, and heartbreak. But most importantly, the album is complete with spicy innuendos and hilarious remarks that surely make her listeners wonder “Did she really just say that?”
Take, for example, “Last week, you didn’t have any doubts/ This week, you’re holding space for her tongue in your mouth” from “Coincidence,” where supposedly Sabrina Carpenter is airing out dirty laundry about a love triangle between herself, Shawn Mendes and his ex, Camila Cabello. And this dig that would put down anyone, “This boy doesn’t even know/ The difference between ‘there,’ ‘their’ and ‘they are’” from Slim Pickins.”
Staying true to the title, her album flies quickly down a road of various moods and genres of its 36 minutes of 12 songs, combining pop, alt-rock, and even some country into a far-reaching yet cohesive whole. There are even some hints of ‘80s synthesizers, a telltale sign of Jack Antonoff’s production, her co-writer and producer (known for work with Taylor Swift and his bands Fun and Bleachers). But part of what makes the album so harmonious comes from the complimentary arrangement. For example, the sharp sweet opening of “Taste” segues smoothly into the Dolly Parton-inspired “Please Please Please” even though they don’t sound alike, and then the two acoustic-styled songs – the country-leaning “Slim Pickins” (my personal favorite) and the heartbreak ballad “Dumb and Poetic” – are grouped together, creating a mini acoustic set in the middle of the album.
However, my personal taste was not completely satisfied with this album. For example, the sadder songs on the album (“Don’t Smile” and “Lie to Girls”) don’t leave as big an impact on me as they should. When I hear them, it doesn’t feel like she is singing from her heart. It sounds a little emotionless as if she disconnected from the lyrics. They don’t feel personal enough. I feel like I’m just on the sideline when I should be absorbed in it while listening. I like their meanings and all but they don’t compare to other pop ballads, like “scared of my guitar” by Olivia Rodrigo.
Despite not hitting all the marks, Sabrina Carpenter’s new album is a great next step for her discography. The album’s playful confidence, combined with her knack for catchy choruses and cheeky lyrics, keeps listeners hooked through the album. While the closing songs may not pack the emotional punch I was hoping for, her other songs do live up to Carpenter’s reputation. Overall, “Short n’ Sweet” is sure to be a standout album this year that will leave fans eager for what she does next.
