Anyone who has turned on the radio at all this summer has most likely heard one of Sabrina Carpenter’s fun and flirty hits. Carpenter announced her sixth studio album, “Short n’ Sweet,” on June 3 and released it Aug. 23. The album lives up to its name, with 12 songs and a 36-minute long run time. Audiences love it, and as someone who has been a fan since the beginning, I believe that this album is her best.
The first single released from “Short n’ Sweet” was “Espresso.” This song hit streaming services on April 11 before fans knew anything about the album on April 11. It quickly became one of her biggest hits ever, with over 1 billion streams on Spotify, and earned the nickname “song of the summer.” I believe the nickname is perfect for this song as its catchy lyrics and beat have been stuck in my head since its release.
The next single from the album is “Please Please Please.” In this song, Carpenter tells her boyfriend not to embarrass her by doing something wrong in the relationship. When the song came out, a music video was released with it, starring Carpenter’s rumored boyfriend Barry Keoghan. I prefer “Please Please Please” to “Espresso” because I feel like the lyrics tell more of a story, which keeps me engaged.
Another song that Carpenter premiered before the album release was “Slim Pickins.” She played this song at the Grammy Museum as a sneak peek of what was coming on the album. Despite the song’s upbeat country background, it is about how Carpenter cannot seem to find the right partner for her. I love this song as the lyrics are clever, which makes it fun to sing along. Carpenter also has a little bit of an accent in this song which gave it a fun way to be different from the others.
One of my favorite songs from “Short n’ Sweet” has to be the opening track, titled “Taste.” It is an amazing way to introduce the mood of the album. The first line of the entire album “Oh, I leave quite an impression” captures the audience from the very beginning.
My absolute favorite is “Coincidence.” I love the bold lyrics Carpenter sings to her past partner after he seemingly went back to an ex. It matches perfectly with the fun guitar patterns in the back and is all around a fun song.
One thing people are criticizing Carpenter for is her lyrics. Some audience members did not think the lyrics were deep enough, especially when compared to her last album, “emails i can’t send,” where she goes through her past experiences with heartbreak. I can see where they are coming from, but I believe the lyrics were just the right amount of unserious to add charm and wit to her songs.
“Short n’ Sweet” is a perfect direction for Carpenter to take her music. She has clearly found a sound that fits her, and it is a great pop album that shows off her clever and witty songwriting skills and provides a nice change towards some more upbeat music. It will definitely stay stuck in my head for the next few weeks.
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