Grade: A-
It’s been a huge year for Sabrina Carpenter. While she’s been putting out music for years, the release of single “Espresso” in April catapulted her into the public eye as millions jammed out to the upbeat and lighthearted tune that came to be dubbed by many as the song of the summer. Soon after, Carpenter released “Please Please Please,” which highlighted her gentle voice alongside the song’s breezy, country-esque melody. The track quickly replaced “Espresso” as #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and further solidified her position as one of today’s most popular pop stars.
Carpenter finally released Short n’ Sweet, her highly anticipated sixth studio album featuring these two singles, on Friday. The title is a great summation of the star, as it both playfully references the artist’s height and highlights her sweet, girly aesthetic. The 36-minute album, home to 12 tracks, is consistent with the artist’s past projects but is nonetheless a great album full of fun tracks and clever lyrics.
“Taste” is a strong opener as it establishes the carefree and glittery pop vibe of the rest of the album. Starting off the song singing, “Oh, I leave quite an impression / Five feet to be exact,” Carpenter makes witty jabs against an ex-boyfriend’s new girl. “You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissing you,” she sings.
Along with the song, Carpenter released a sarcastic and hilarious music video featuring actress Jenna Ortega where the two girls try to brutally kill each other before just deciding to kill the man they are fighting over. The song’s rock-like guitars and pumping beats make it one of the most catchy and fun parts of the album.
“Good Graces” is reminiscent of a fast-paced ‘90s R&B beat, with Carpenter warning a boy to not double cross her. Her flawless vocals are spotlighted in the chorus when she taps into her higher register, but while the song is a cute listen, it doesn’t bring much that hasn’t been done before.
Next, “Sharpest Tool” features soft guitar plucks behind Carpenter’s anger and despair over a toxic romance with poor communication. She blurts out quick and honest verses with lines like, “We were going right then we took a left” and “If that was casual I’m an idiot,” which are contrasted in the chorus when she softly repeats, “But we never talk about it.” The lyrics are heartfelt and the beats are very Taylor Swift-like, seemingly since they share producer Jack Antonoff, making the song a well-rounded blend of sweetness and sorrow.
The next track is “Coincidence,” where a brashly strummed guitar and “na-na-na” chorus bring in a campfire feel. Carpenter tries to understand her partner’s betrayal as she shows off her impressive upper vocal skills. While the song instrumentally divulges from the rest of the album, Carpenter’s signature clever lyrics help it contribute to the overall cohesiveness of the project.
“Bed Chem” starts off slow with synth beats and glittery sound effects before picking up in the exciting chorus. Carpenter capitalizes on her cheeky lyricism she’s become known for when she sings, “Come right on me, I mean camaraderie,” before becoming upright Shakespearian and singing “Where art thou, why not uponeth me?” The lyrics are flirty and funny, and pair well alongside a dreamy melody and synth-beats. It displays her cheeky lyricism at it’s best, which is an overarching theme throughout the whole album: sensational lines that are shocking the first time and still don’t get old after multiple listens.
“Dumb and Poetic” is the first song where she trails away from the upbeat vibe of the album. Instead, this ballad highlights Carpenter’s strong and smooth voice, only featuring a soft guitar and an eerie violin in the background. In a frustrated tone, she insults a man who she sees as pathetic, calling him a poser singing, “I promise the mushrooms aren’t changing your life.” Her beautiful voice shines through as she insults her subject, creating a haunting melodic blend of softness and disgust.
Reminiscent of old-school Dolly Parton, “Slim Pickins” is a witty, charming song with a country twang. Carpenter sings about her frustration over girls’ lack of options over guys, singing, “Since the good ones are deceased or taken, I’ll just keep on moaning and b*tching”. While she never released this song as a single, this was the only non-single from the album that Carpenter played snippets of before its release, including during her headlining set at Outside Lands in San Francisco this summer. Despite its slow rhythm, the song is funny and lighthearted, making it another of the record’s best. It also ties into one of the main thematic themes of the album–in which Carpenter does not only make fun of the men she dates but also of herself, reminding listeners that despite the confident persona that she displays, she too, is just like us.
“Juno” sounds like an ‘80s workout song, its title a reference to the 2007 movie of the same title. Carpenter’s clever wordplay shines through yet again, like when she effortlessly rhymes “high-fived” with “objectified.” While it is very pop-y and amusing, the track falls flat compared to some of the other songs that have deeper meanings. The high energy pop song is quickly juxtaposed with “Lie to Girls,” a soft, beautiful song where Carpenter reflects on the way she acts delusional in relationships. “You don’t have to lie to girls / If they like you they’ll just lie to themselves,” she sings. Her echoing voice creates a disorienting and dizzy listen, and sends a powerful message about the way women treat themselves in relationships.
The final song on the album is “Don’t Smile,” featuring a slow, bitter beat and a popular saying flipped on its head: “Don’t smile because it happened, cry because it’s over.” While her voice is silky smooth and the production sounds dreamy, there is nothing super special about the song and she should’ve chosen a better closer to thematically end the album.
Short n’ Sweet is clever, witty, and definitely very sweet. It showcases what Carpenter does best: combining fun beats with shocking lyrics that are complemented by her incredibly soft voice. While some songs are overly generic and unoriginal for Carpenter or any pop star, there are clear places where she took risks to craft an album with just the right amount of heartfelt ballads to balance out the summer pop songs.
