Genre: Pop Label:Island Records
Sabrina Carpenter's ‘Short N’ Sweet is a bold declaration of her evolution as an artist. Released in 2024, Short N’ Sweet marks a turning point in her career, following the success of Emails I Can’t Send. The album mixes catchy pop anthems with reflective lyrics, highlighting her evolution as an artist. The 12- track album takes a bold leap into the diverse realm of pop. She unfurls the tumultuous, often contradictory nature of love, from the exhilarating highs of attraction to the crushing depths of heartbreak.. True to its title, the album presents a collection of brief but impactful tracks that conversate into the complexities of human connection, delivered through Sabrina’s cleverness and smooth vocals.
With the help of Julian Bunetta, John Ryan, Ian Kirkpatrick, and Jack Antonoff, Carpenter’s production on this album was mushed together perfectly. Before leaving to perform at Coachella 2024, Sabrina stated on her Instagram that she wanted to ‘put out a little song before Coachella’, that song being’ Espresso’. Turns out that the song was not as ‘little’ as she thought it was. The song was an instant and has one of the most repeated phrases, ‘I’m working late cause I'm a singer’. The song is energetic with an infectious pop beat.
The album features provocative yet playfulness. Songs such as, “Taste’ and ‘Lie To Girls’ are cutting tracks that confront the darker side of love. However, they offer a different side of love. With her singing, ‘You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissing you”, on Taste showing the harsher side of her heartbroken revenge with that pop star energy. Meanwhile, Lie to Girls is sad in a vulnerable and defiant voice. The lush, minimalist production amplifies the tension that underscores the song’s rawness. It’s a bold statement that the album doesn’t shy away from the messier side of romance.
Then comes along a song like Please, Please, Please, which is constructed as a playful plea for affection and reputation since, ‘Heartbreak is one thing, my ego’s another.’ The track instantly topped the charts, and rightfully so. The chorus is catchy and hits hard, making it one of her most creatively written songs and engaging storytuelling on this album.
After various pop songs, Carpenter turned down the country route with ‘Sharpest Tool’, ‘Coincidence’, and ‘Slim Pickens’. She takes more self-protetcive stance using wit and sharpness as a defense mechanism to guard herself from emotional wounds. She reflects on these songs the randomness of love. The production of the three songs are very different yet evolve the same things.
Coincidence is soft and has a drifting melody with a sense of uncertainty. The blend of light instrumentation and Sabrina’s vocals perfectly capture the fleeting nature of these chance encounters, leaving listeners to wonder if love is truly meant to be or simply a roll of the dice. Slim Pickens is a track that speaks to the frustration of finding love in a world of shallow interactions over a spars, acoustic-driven beat in which Sabrina’s voice drips with melancholy. “We were going right then you went left” is a lyric from Sharpest Tool that shows that cleverness is still there even in a time of heartbreak.
“Don’t smile because it happened, cry because it’s over”, pretty much sums up her heartbreak. Dumb and Poetic and Don’t Smile continue the vulnerability as she weaves through the pain. She creates poetry about lost love. There’s a poetic sadness in the tracks capturing the duality of heartbreak: how love can leave us devastated, yet the pain feels almost elegant in its expression.
After the emotion turmoil of love and loss Good Graces offers a moment of reflection and growth. Sabrina is confident on this track and the R&B- like production heightnes the mood. Its a track about establishing boundaries and finding balance in the relationship- not losing yourself in someone else and maintaining respect. The quiet strength it takes to respect your won limits while still being open to love.
Now that the vulnerable and lovey-dovey tracks have been covered, it’s time to get to the more intimate songs. Bed Chem dives into the sexual chemistry that Sabrina wants to explore. She still uses thos clever and flirtatious songwriting skills, “I bet the thermostat set at 6-9”. The song is chill and has a pulsating beat yet sensual lyrics, it adds to the steaming allure. Juno is inspired by the 2007 movie, and the song basically reflects her desire for a super intense connection, to the point where she's almost hoping for it to lead to having a baby, once agin showing off her playfulness with storytelling. She recognizes that physical chemistry can be thrilling and casual.
With Short N’ Sweet, there were many hits, however, that was really the only thing that
Was good. Espresso, Taste, and Please Please, Please were strong singles. Howev, the other songs presented felt a little unmemorable. With this album, Sabrina cements herself as a voice of emotional honesty and musical versatility. The album captures love’s many faces. - from lust and desire to heartbreak and growth. Each track is a brief exploration of emotion, offering a snapshot of the highs and lows that come with the search for love.
Pitchfork rates the album a 80% while Metacritc gave the album a 825. My rating for this album is 76%.
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