Sabrina Carpenter’s latest album, "Short and Sweet," might be her sixth, but it feels more like her second debut.
by Abhilasha Bhattarai | August 23rd, 2024
Sabrina Carpenter’s latest album, "Short and Sweet," might be her sixth, but it feels more like her second debut. This follow-up to her 2022 breakthrough "Emails I Can’t Send" marks a bold leap in her artistic evolution—one that sheds the remnants of her Disney past and firmly establishes her as a formidable force in the music world.
You’ve already met the new Sabrina through the album’s lead singles, “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.” In these tracks, she emerges as a multifaceted persona: confident, sexy, sassy, and unapologetically real. She’s tough, but she’s also vulnerable, navigating love in all its messy forms—from true romance to fleeting crushes, lustful entanglements, and the bitter aftermath of infidelity. The songs are dripping with clever, biting lyrics, packed with f-bombs, sharp wit, and lines that’ll make you double-take. Sabrina’s sweet delivery only sharpens the sting of her words, whether she’s singing “Try to come off like you’re soft and well-spoken/ Jack off to lyrics by Leonard Cohen” (“Dumb and Poetic”) or “Heartbreak is one thing, my ego’s another/ I beg you, don’t embarrass me, motherfucker” (“Please Please Please”).
The album lives up to its title, racing through 12 tracks in just 36 minutes, but don’t let the brevity fool you—it’s packed with a wide array of moods and genres. From pop and R&B to alt-rock and even a hint of country, Sabrina seamlessly blends these styles into a cohesive, dynamic whole. You’ll catch whispers of ‘80s synths, ‘90s R&B, and maybe even a touch of Ariana and Taylor, but it’s all woven together with a unique flair that’s unmistakably hers. Tracks like “Taste” and “Please Please Please” may sound worlds apart, yet they flow together effortlessly, while the acoustic pair “Dumb and Poetic” and “Slim Pickins” create a mellow interlude that anchors the album’s eclectic vibe.
"Short and Sweet" reunites Sabrina with some familiar faces from her last album, but this time, co-writer Amy Allen and producers Julian Bunetta and John Ryan step into the spotlight, adding depth and polish to Sabrina’s already razor-sharp vision. Jack Antonoff’s fingerprints are evident too, particularly on the Taylor-tinged “Sharpest Tool,” but make no mistake—this is Sabrina’s show. She effortlessly navigates between genres, from the alt-rock edge of “Taste” to the ‘90s pop energy of “Good Graces” and the almost-country twang of “Slim Pickins.”
Yet after all the swagger and sass, the album closes on a surprisingly tender note. The final tracks, “Lie to Girls” and “Don’t Smile,” peel back the layers of Sabrina’s persona, revealing a softer, more introspective side. “Don’t smile because it happened/ Cry because it’s over,” she sings in the wistful, Janet Jackson-esque ballad, flipping an old cliché on its head and leaving listeners with a bittersweet sense of closure.
With "Short and Sweet," Sabrina Carpenter doesn’t just solidify her place as a multifaceted singer—she steps confidently into the spotlight as a true, multidimensional superstar.
Listen to Short n’ Sweet
