Sabrina Carpenter is back with a brand new album to remind us all that summer isn’t over yet. Carpenter’s sixth studio album, “Short n’ Sweet”, released on Aug. 23, is the perfect pop album to truly cement her stardom in the mainstream music scene. With the album’s two singles “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” defining the summer of 2024, “Short n’ Sweet”, is projected to rocket Carpenter even further into fame. Upbeat and wonderfully sensual, Carpenter invites us all into her passionate love life and allows us to live vicariously through her songs.
The record’s opening track, “Taste”, explores Carpenter’s feelings towards her past boyfriend’s new girlfriend. Expressing gloat-like feelings of confidence, she tauntingly sings to his new girlfriend that everything she’s experiencing with her boyfriend, Carpenter has already done. With a synth-pop beat, “Taste” is the perfect album opener, immediately setting the sonic tone for the rest of the record. If you’re searching for just the right song to play on a breezy day with the car windows down, “Taste” is the track for you.
Carpenter’s second leading single,” Please Please Please”, has dominated every radio station since its release in early June, and for good reason. Carpenter’s soprano voice shines beautifully in this song as she sings of complex feelings for her partner. Affection, frustration and chagrin are a few of the emotions sung as Carpenter begs her new partner not to embarrass her through his actions. The mystical combination of saxophone and bass guitar guide this song from start to finish, encompassing you and drawing you in for more.
Carpenter is generally known for her sweet and loving personality, seen through Youtube interviews and engaging with audiences at her concerts. However, “Good Graces” features lyrics of Carpenter reminding her partner not to forget that she values her self-respect and won’t tolerate rude behavior. In this track, Carpenter reminds us of her strength and resilience, as well as her charm.
Deviating from the majority of the album, “Coincidence” has an acoustic guitar instrumental backing Carpenter, inspired by the country genre of the 1970’s. The lyrics describe a romantic betrayal and pokes fun at her past relationship for engaging with other girls whilst in a relationship with her. Sarcastic and upbeat, this track’s layered vocals mock common excuses for hiding infidelity in an extremely clever way. It’s in this track that we get another peek at Carpenter’s more witty sense of humor, seen through the line, “your car drove itself from L.A. to her thighs.”
“Bed Chem” is similar to “Espresso” in that they both discuss the intense chemistry between Carpenter and her partner. Both tracks utilize metaphors in inventive ways to describe the level of passion Carpenter and her partner have for one another. As classic pop songs, they are both full of energy and wholehearted summer vibes. While this is our first time hearing “Bed Chem”, and we’ve enjoyed listening to “Espresso” since April, these twin tracks go hand-in-hand in portraying Carpenter’s vibrant relationship.
While the majority of the album has fun themes, or at least lively beats, “Dumb & Poetic” is slow and morose, describing the emotional immaturity of her past partner. This track allows us a deeper look into Carpenter’s mind as she details the stupidity of her ex-boyfriend and how he pretended to be someone he wasn’t for the sake of appearances. She calls him out for this with one of my favorite lines, “just because you talk like one doesn’t make you a man.” Finding a perfect home within “Short n’ Sweet”, one might think upon the first listen that this song is misplaced within the album, but it wholly completes Carpenter’s story and adds a new layer of depth to the record.
One of the most unique songs we’ve received from Carpenter, “Slim Pickins” creates a twangy, country vibe, adding an entirely new aesthetic to the album with its banjo and guitar rhythm. The track includes many references to common Southern stereotypes, such as the idea that men from the South have good appearances, but lack intelligence and kind personalities. Carpenter sings of settling for a man she doesn’t truly love, because her search for a true relationship has routinely failed her. If you’re ever spending a summer in the country, but want to keep listening to your “city girl” tunes, “Slim Pickins” is a match.
My personal favorite, “Juno” is the longest track on the album, at a whopping three minutes and forty three seconds. Every quirky one-liner and quick beat creates the perfect blend for the perfect pop song. “Juno” is the gift that keeps on giving, never letting you go. I’ve been able to listen to this song on repeat all day without ever getting sick of it. This is a wonderfully catchy song detailing passionate love and the desire to start a family. With the title holding references to both the 2007 movie “Juno”, about a pregnant teenager, as well as the Roman goddess Juno, the protector of marriage and family, the love portrayed in this song exudes true, deep passion. With an energized rhythm and clever lyrics, “Juno” has the exact makings to easily become one of the most popular songs on the album.
Closing out the album, “Don’t Smile” leaves listeners with a feeling of yearning and heartbreak as Carpenter reflects on feelings of missing a past partner. The deep instrumental is full of echoed background vocals, elevating the song to another level. This song makes its meaning clear right from the get-go, and coerces you into experiencing Carpenter’s heartbreak with her. Similar to “Dumb & Poetic”, these two are the only tracks that immediately slow you down and deviate from the sound of the rest of the album. However, this helps them stand out in a way none of the other songs can, drawing attention to their deeper meanings.
I can honestly say that “Short n’ Sweet” is one of the best albums of 2024 and will be memorable for years to come. While the songs all have meanings surrounding relationships, each song presents itself in such a different light that every single track is memorable in its own way. Whether you want to dance with your friends to “Juno” or “Good Graces” or mellow out in your bedroom to “Don’t Smile” or “Dumb & Poetic”, this album has everything you need to perfectly close out the summer.
