Sabrina Carpenter leaves quite an impression on her newest album, “Short n’ Sweet.”
“Five feet to be exact,” Carpenter sings on “Taste,” the opening track of the record. The album’s title is seemingly a triple reference to its 36-minute runtime, Carpenter’s own stature and the length of the relationship Carpenter sings about across many of the album’s songs.
The album, released on Aug. 23, is actually Carpenter’s sixth release, a startling fact given her sudden rise to the spotlight that occurred this year. Carpenter has had many swings and misses as she has tried to transition from child actress to popstar, but she has finally found her stride this year following a hot streak of chart-topping singles.
Carpenter burst onto the scene with the unofficial song of the summer, “Espresso,” which Pitchfork called a “deliriously good pop song.” The track remains one of the highlights on the album thanks to its infectious hook and catchy, though not always grammatically correct, lyrics. “That’s that me espresso,” “I know I Mountain Dew it for ya,” and “I’m working late ‘cause I’m a singer” were just some of the unique and witty lyrics that captured the world’s attention this summer and defined Carpenter’s signature tongue-in-cheek songwriting style.
Since “Espresso,” Carpenter has only further cemented herself as one of the princesses of the new era of pop. “Short n’ Sweet” lived up to, if not exceeded, all of my expectations. Across its 12-track run, there are some songs that are more memorable than others, but it is impossible to find any particularly weak points on the album. Carpenter hits many different notes on the record, taking influence from a multitude of genres.
“Taste,” the aforementioned album opener, set the energetic tone that is carried throughout the rest of the project with its pop-rock vibe, while touching on the Carpenter-Shawn Mendes-Camila Cabello love triangle that was unexpectedly one of the main inspirations for this album and became a major factor in the press regarding the album after it came out.
“Slim Pickins” is one of the more simplistic songs on the album, but it is able to mix Carpenter’s cheeky writing style with country-inspired production to craft a beautiful ballad where all of Carpenter’s personality shines through. On the contrary, Carpenter goes all the way on “Bed Chem,” a flirtatious tune in a 2000s R&B style, which contains some of the most boldly provocative lyrics on the album. Given the relatively recent development of her mainstream career, it is impressive to be able to listen to a song and say, “That is a classic Sabrina Carpenter song,” but “Bed Chem” is absolutely that.
Overall, “Short n’ Sweet” brilliantly lives up to all of the hype that was built during Carpenter’s smash hit summer. Though she experimented with many genres on the record, Carpenter was able to make one thing clear with this project. From the caffeinated highs of “Espresso,” to the beautiful ballads like “Slim Pickins,” Carpenter is building a unique style and image for herself that sets her apart from the rest, positioning herself to have a long and successful career.
Justin Dearborn can be reached at
