Last Friday, August 23rd, pop superstar Sabrina Carpenter released her 6th studio album, Short ‘n Sweet. After opening for Taylor Swift’s Latin American leg of The Eras Tour, and following her summer smash hits “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” Carpenter’s career has skyrocketed. She has soared to the 10th most listened to artist on Spotify and occupies multiple spots on the Billboard Hot 100.
Short ‘n Sweet consists of 12 tracks, two of which were released as singles, “Espresso” on April 12th, and “Please Please Please” on June 6th, along with one deluxe track. The album is full of love songs, whether soppy or somber, and the album title playfully alludes to Carpenter’s height — 5 ‘0″.
Carpenter opens the album with the track “Taste,” which is accompanied by a music video starring Sabrina as well as Jenna Ortega, a fellow young actress. The video takes heavy inspiration from Death Becomes Her (1992), Psycho (1960), Addams Family Values (1993), Ginger Snaps (2000), and Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003).
On Track 2, “Please Please Please,” Sabrina expresses her fear over embarking upon a new relationship. She discusses how she has doubts and how she doesn’t want anything to destroy what she has, so she suggests that her lover should “stay inside” and not embarrass her.
Track 3, “Good Graces,” has become a fan favorite. Layered with 90’s R&B and the sounds of Carpenter’s former style, “Good Graces” has similar lyrical elements to “Please Please Please.” She states how she won’t be afraid to leave in an instant if a man refuses to be honest, singing, “Boy it’s not that complicated – you should stay in my good graces – or I’ll switch it up like that so fast.”
“Sharpest Tool,” track 4, reflects on a relationship Carpenter cared deeply about, but her partner didn’t have the mind for it. Carpenter heartbreakingly sings about a lack of communication between the two. The song is a direct reference to the idiom “s/he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.”
Following this storyline, on track 5, “Coincidence,” the discussion of this love betrayal continues. She sarcastically states how it’s such a coincidence that he, once again, is seeing other women, singing lyrics like “What a surprise, your phone just died.”
Track 6, “Bed Chem,” offers a continuation of Sabrina’s mature play on lyricism. This track consists of a fun, dreamy, synth-pop, retro-vibe with heavy influences from Christina Aguilera, whom she grew up listening to.
Undoubtedly the highlight of the album occurs on track 7, Carpenter’s career-altering summer hit “Espresso.” For the past 18 weeks since its release during Coachella weekend, the track has had a secure top spot in the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100. Since its release, the phrase “That’s that me espresso” has become ubiquitous.
Tugging at listener’s heart strings, track 8, “Dumb & Poetic,” consists of Carpenter reminiscing on what a relationship used to be, devastated that she’ll never get it back. Similar to tracks 4 and 5, Carpenter states that this person was playing dumb and acting poetic, tricking her to stay.
Track 9, ‘Slim Pickins,” is a fun, country-inspired ballad. Carpenter laments the lack reliable and suitable men in her life. She also jokes about the fact that these men do not know the difference between “their,” “there,” and “they are.” The meaning of the title directly reflects the song’s message — a very small amount of good men to choose from.
On track 10, “Juno,” Sabrina sings about her wishes for a future family because of the way her partner makes her feel. The title references Juno (2007), where the lead protagonist ends up starting a family at the end of the movie. Along with the film connection, the song could also be referencing the Roman goddess Juno, Goddess of marriage and childbirth.
Track 11, “Lie to Girls,” is the most critical, vengeful song on the album. Carpenter rails against men who lie to maintain the false narratives of a relationship.
“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened” is a famous quote by Dr. Seuss, and it is referenced on track 12, the last track of the standard edition, “Don’t Smile”. Carpenter rephrases the quote and repeats, “Don’t smile because it happened, cry because it’s over.” Along with its theme of regret over a failed relationship that once seemed so promising, the song is also intelligently placed at the end of the album, where Carpenter’s listeners may be inclined to “cry because it’s over.”
Exclusive to owners of the vinyl edition of the album, “Needless To Say” is track 13. On the song, Sabrina calls out the hate she receives online and puts their sad lifestyles on blast. In her lyrics, Carpenter cleverly spins the title into “need less to say,” a bold attack on those who mistreat her online.
Short ‘n Sweet has filled playlists worldwide, due to its diversity of both gloomy and uplifting tracks. In my opinion, it is one of the most compelling albums of the year, and according to the charts, I’m hardly alone in my assessment.
