Atwood Magazine’s writers unpack Sabrina Carpenter’s highly anticipated sixth album, ‘Short n’ Sweet’ – a part country, part pop project full of playful, tongue-in-cheek innuendos that puts Carpenter’s signature wit, honesty, humor, and heart on full display.
Featured here are Atwood writers Blake McMillan, Josh Weiner, Kevin Krein, Lilly Eason, Marc Maleri, Olivia Martinez, and Rachel Min Leong!
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To start, what is your relationship with Sabrina Carpenter’s music?
Josh: So far, it’s mainly been through the singles of hers that I (and I alone! hehe) have been hearing a lot on the radio lately– most of all “Espresso,” but also “Feather,” “Please Please Me,” “Nonsense,” and more. I’m excited to finally go beyond the singles and hear her new full-length album, Short ‘n Sweet, in its entirety.
Olivia: I have been aware of Sabrina since she started coming out with singles on Disney in 2014 (I was in middle school at the time, which is strange to think about). Since then, I have paid attention when she released a new single or music video, but hadn’t listened to a full album until she released Emails I Can’t Send. I loved how “sing-along-able” that album was and have been following her career a lot more closely ever since!
Kevin: Up until recently, I was truthfully not aware she had put out so many albums before Emails I Can’t Send, which I suppose shows my ignorance or obliviousness to some pockets of contemporary popular music. I think that, prior to Emails and some of the buzz around it, I may have only been tangentially aware that she was the alleged “blonde girl” who was referenced in Olivia Rodrigo’s “Driver’s License.” “Espresso” is obviously fun as hell and very accessible to anyone, from any demographic, but I think that prior to the time spent with that song earlier in the year, I had maybe felt not “gate kept” exactly out of listening to Carpenter’s music but I think that I had convinced myself that there was not a place for me within her audience because of my age, which I mean that may or may not be true.
Blake: I remember the blonde girl comment (who doesn’t) and Carpenter dropping “Skin” in response and thinking that it sadly sounded like something that would’ve been made by someone on Disney Channel. So in July 2022 when my Twitter mutuals starting saying that her album emails I can’t send was Taylor Swift level, I brushed it off. But I saw the comparison more and more, and told myself I’d just listen to the first track and see what I thought. I ended up playing the whole thing, and now “Tornado Warnings” and “Fast Times” sound like that summer to me.
Marc: Before the past year or so, my knowledge of Sabrina Carpenter was limited to her alleged (very much so alleged) beef with Olivia Rodrigo over their mutual connection with Joshua Bassett. After hearing “Feather” for the first time earlier this year, which has become one of my most cherished breakup songs, I did a couple listens to her last album, Emails I Can’t Send and was pleasantly surprised to find some catchy, undeniably fun pop tracks.
Lilly: I was aging out of Disney Channel when Girl Meets World first aired but stuck around for a few episodes out of nostalgia. I think that’s how I caught wind of her debut album, Eyes Wide Open. I had a few favorite songs that I added to playlists but didn’t really keep up with her releases. “Feather” and “Nonsense” were about as familiar as I was with her work… until she dropped “Espresso.” “That me espresso” was instantly tattooed on my brain and I’ve been on the bandwagon ever since.
Rachel: I think I always knew who she was, but it was really when I saw this video of her singing Lily Allen’s ‘Smile’ on TikTok that I kind of registered. She just has an amazing voice, but I always kind of felt (from the little snippets I heard here and there) that her own music didn’t show that off enough. I think as well since “Espresso” came out, she’s been doing the rounds on TikTok again, and she’s just everywhere. I love her live performances and I never skip them when they come up on the feed, haha!
What are your initial impressions and reactions to Short n’ Sweet?
Josh: My initial, fundamental reaction to Short n’ Sweet is that the title is indeed accurate. It’s relatively short for an LP at 36 minutes, but it’s a sweet and enjoyable listen all the way through. Sabrina Carpenter is quite likable as an artist, and with her soothing voice and delicate production choices– particularly with the unconquerable Jack Antonoff backing her– it is a highly appealing record that never overstays its welcome.
Olivia: I love how Sabrina always finds a fresh lyrical angle from which to write her songs. There wasn’t a single lyrical concept on the album that reminded me of something else. This is rare in pop. It is easy to fall into lyrical tropes that divide every song into either a general love or breakup song. But with pop lyrics, we also have this unique, 3 minute long opportunity to put a microscope over a very specific emotion or thought. I think Sabrina embraces this opportunity.
Kevin: It is short. It is sweet. She is making just the absolutely lustiest and horniest pop music out there right now. It’s sequenced impeccably in terms of the dynamism between the sounds, and styles, she has incorporated into the record, and the pacing really only falters in a few places when the momentum, overall, slows down. I don’t wish to say that she should only make glistening, winking “pop” music — I think that the inward and more acoustic turns of songs like “Slim Pickins” and “Sharpest Tool” are fine, but not like the best moments or certainly not the most enthusiastic moments on the record. I also really love how mean she is. Like it’s mean in a sexy way? Like that t-shirt that says “Don’t Bully Me, I’ll Cum.” I think even after one listen I was like there is a lot to unpack in the lyricism with how cutting her humor is and how she balances that with more introspective writing.
Marc: The album certainly lives up to what it promised in its title. Sabrina Carpenter is charming as ever on Short n’ Sweet, her witty lyricism and bubbly, comedic personality shining through from front to back. I will say, my first one or two listens were a bit of a disjointed and jarring experience from track to track. It was difficult going from a song like “Slim Pickins” with a sort of country twang influence to immediately jumping towards a more typical pop track like “Juno.” After a couple of listens, it became a little less jarring and bothered me less, but it was definitely something I noticed in my first go-around.
Lilly: In short: blushing and giggling. Scandalized and dancing. Understood and enraged. Praying for a Sabrina Carpenter country cuntry album.
In less short: This album is so fun and feminine. Her voice has a beautiful airiness while also being incredibly strong and moving. Her lyrics are sometimes blatant and straightforward, like in “Sharpest Tool” where she minces no words in saying “we had sex. I met your best friends.” But she then follows it with the lighter metaphor “but then a bird flies by and you forget,” subtly but effectively emphasizing the emotional nuances of the situation. I think there are a lot of instances throughout the album where she crosses directness with playfulness to reemphasize themes and emotions. This particular phrase also has a conversationality about it, which is another thing she does well throughout the album. It feels like the rant (the first of many to be found on this album) that you give your friend/mom/self after a guy does something you find appalling. And beyond all that, it’s just a lot of fun to listen to and was immediately added to my list of “no-skip albums.”
Rachel: I love it. I think it just fills that craving for good, girly, pop music. Like it’s just good. Her songwriting is truly one of a kind and it maintains a really fun, fresh energy but I’m constantly hearing lyrics that strike me. She says things in such a frank and honest way that’s so poignant at the same time. I can also definitely hear the Jack Antonoff quality as and when!
How does this album compare to Carpenter’s previous records like Emails I Can’t Send (in interviews, she’s called Short n’ Sweet her last album’s “hot older sister”) – what are the most striking similarities or differences?
Olivia: Sabrina has said that she didn’t necessarily expect songs like “Nonsense” to perform well while writing Emails I Can’t Send. Therefore, a lot of the songs on that album are more tame than “Nonsense” and “Feather.” On Short n’ Sweet, it seems like she really threw caution to the wind and had more fun writing with her collaborators, even if the songs themselves had a goofy undertone. She really thrives in this humorous style!
Kevin: Even anecdotally from the little bit of Emails I have gone back to listen to in preparing for this conversation, what I will say is that you can hear, over the last two years, how much she has grown in confidence as a performer and songwriter. Short n’ Sweet is a much more focused listen, and like the songs just are sharper overall, or more enthusiastic. If that makes sense.
Blake: I sort of miss that sound, or at least find myself wishing for some sort of momentum backed by it leading into the sonics of this one. That album sounded very Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia – gentle instrumental pianos against synth pop, retro production. That is half gone here, where poppier moments feel blended with rock (“Taste”), or country (“Please Please Please,” “Slim Pickins”). The other half is straightforward pop, like “Espresso” or “Juno,” the latter of which fits into the musical canon of songs that sound retro without the maximalism of Future Nostalgia, instead opting for something like “So High School” by Taylor Swift. As a result, the album can feel a bit scattered sonically, more of a patchwork than a coherent sound. That’s not a drag on the album, but perhaps says more about my own personal preferences.
Marc: While Emails I Can’t Send was a fun pop album, apart from a few tracks, it was easily forgettable for me. Short n’ Sweet feels both like the natural progression for Carpenter as an artist and an elevated, more clever, polished step up from her previous work. There were a number of different moments while listening where lyrics made me gasp and audibly laugh and when production packed punches where it needed to and felt silky smooth in quieter moments. While I’m not deeply familiar with her albums before Emails I Can’t Send, I think that’s reflective of the fact that Sabrina Carpenter has been meticulously building and evolving her brand from Disney child star to the sensual, quick-witted popstar she has become.
Josh: I took down some notes while listening to Emails I Can’t Send to help me answer this question. By the end of it, what my notes read was essentially, “This album feels more acoustic that Short n’ Sweet.” Those who are better versed with Sabrina Carpenter’s whole catalog might dispute this, but to me it seemed like Emails I Can’t Send had more guitar/acoustic production, whereas Short n’ Sweet has more synthy, manufactured-in-the-studio production. Anyways, that’s just my initial reaction.
Rachel: I think Short n’ Sweet definitely feels like the ‘older sister’ because it has a more mature sound, or a more polished one. To me it feels more confident and self-assured than Emails I Can’t Send, in the sense that it does encompass more genres and songwriting styles – and it feels like she makes these experimental strokes much more assertively.
Carpenter teased Short n’ Sweet with “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” – arguably two of the biggest singles of the year. Are these singles faithful representations of the album? How do they compare to the rest of the record?
Josh: More than arguably if you ask me, haha. Plus, “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” are representative of the rest of the album basically because they’re catchy, well-sung and easy to like. Plus, since the producers for those two songs– Julian Bunetta and Jack Antonoff, respectively– make the beats for several other songs on Short ‘n Sweet, the singles are able to provide the general sonic template for the rest of the album, which helps it to become even more musically cohesive.
Olivia: I think these two singles were perfect in foreshadowing what was to come on Short n’ Sweet. “Espresso” is more of a typical sounding summer pop song, as far as production, whereas “Please Please Please” highlights Sabrina’s ability to write songs with more mature chord progressions and retro sensibilities. Of course, both highlight her humorous lyrics. As far as the melody and production, I am more of a “Please Please Please” kind of girl, so I was happy to find songs with similar attributes on the rest of the album. For people who prefer “Espresso,” there are definitely songs on the album aimed towards their taste as well. I predict that those who like “Espresso” will really like “Taste,” while those who like “Please Please Please” will enjoy “Coincidence.”
Kevin: I mean yes I think they are both indicative of the album as a whole. Maybe “Please Please Please” even more so than “Espresso” just because the former has just a hint of twang to it, which is a kind of aesthetic she leans into slightly elsewhere on the album. It also is a funnier song, and I mean overall, this is an album that does not wish to take itself that seriously. Carpenter has a very sharp, albeit lusty, sense of humor. It is a fun album that wants you to have fun while listening so I think more than anything, the kind of 80s inspired shimmer and playfulness that is alluded to on both “Espresso” and “Please” are expanded upon elsewhere on the record.
Blake: I agree with Kevin. “Espresso” is a bit different from the rest of Short n’ Sweet, very pop and much more April-May when it was released. “Please” is definitely giving the album’s release, late August, with its end of summer smirkiness accompanied by the fall production created by strumming and fallen gratitude sound. “Espresso” might just be a reminder that she is that girl Miss Carpenter, while “Please Please Please” is more of a piece of the larger sonics that come with Short n’ Sweet.
Marc: I think “Espresso” stands for the artist Carpenter wants to be perceived as: this confident, sassy, shamelessly vibrant pop icon. While “Espresso” is reflective of Short n’ Sweet on more of a surface level, “Please Please Please” is more representative of the album’s nuances, especially in terms of thematic exploration and production choices. The second single used to tease the album has some of the elements that other tracks like “Don’t Smile” and “Bed Chem” have to them, pop tracks that pull sounds from different eras of music to give the tracks more texture. Since Carpenter hops around from soundscape to soundscape a few times throughout Short n’ Sweet, I think these two singles were some of the best choices in accurately portraying what people could have expected from the full work.
Lilly: Most songs on this album, in my opinion, could’ve done numbers as a single, but those two do a great job of speaking for Short n’Sweet as a whole. “Espresso” is an earworm of a pop song, plus its release was timed impeccably. The song is summery, lively, and the music video perfectly whets the April appetite for summer nostalgia, so it not only got me excited because it was a good song but also had me looking forward to that warm summer vibe that resonates throughout the album. “Please Please Please” also, both as a great song and a well-timed release, winked at the artist’s present publicity and delivered a sound that I wanted to hear more of. I think the main takeaways those singles revealed about the album were her confidence, something sexy and tongue-in-cheek, a bit more Sabrina lore, and infectious melodies.
Rachel: “Espresso” to me is like the bridge track between the Emails I Can’t Send era and the Short n’ Sweet era. Listening to the album as a whole I think it does seem a little out of place, but it’s such a good song in its own right. And then “Please Please Please” has honestly been one of my favorite songs this summer, I love everything about it.
Which song(s) stand out for you on the album, and why?
Olivia: My favorite song is “Coincidence” for sure! The chorus absolutely kills me. The song in general is very acoustic and upbeat, but when you get to the chorus, Sabrina does something with the harmony that creates a tragic quality of disenchantment. Overall, this song acts as a stand-in for the friend who can make you laugh through heartbreak by pointing out the irony and absurdity of your partner’s lies. But the sadness in the chorus also relates to the genuine disappointment that comes with seeing a partner rekindle a flame with an ex. I think many girls will find themselves singing along to the chorus, “Now you’ve lost all your common sense, what a coincidence,” with sarcastic rage in the not-so-distant future.
Kevin: “Taste,” “Bed Chem,” and “Juno” were the three that really caught my attention during my initial listen. I mean, maybe this is on me for driving on the highway when I was listening to the album the afternoon it was released, but I did nearly crash my f*ing car when “Bed Chem” came on. Like it is so fun but also sultry in like a kind of unhinged way. “Juno” is similar in how Carpenter writes in her sexuality and desire. When I was talking about this album with my best friend, she was like, “Something I love about Sabrina is that she wants to remind everyone that SHE F*S,” and there is such a wink and a smirk about how she does it.
Blake: The gentle ‘how could you?’ of “Sharpest Tool” reminds me of several themes on Emails, like “Already Over” and “decode.” But it’s certainly more sly, poking fun at the guy while also mending the hurt of what he did. Like, I love a song that shows an asshole guy as just being forgetful so that the short and sweet girl can course correct her sadness. It’s devastating and shows someone trying to soften a harsh blow.
“Slim Pickins” is similar, Carpenter’s banter on display to come to terms with how every guy in a hundred mile radius is an idiot. But probably the top tier moment for me is “Juno,” because sincerely what? Like I said, it’s so “So High School.” Lusty, early 2000s coming of age. It is what every Trixie Mattel original song wishes to be. I’m impressed and obsessed and simultaneously ashamed to add it to my public playlist that I made for my partner.
Marc: “Bed Chem,” “Juno,” and “Good Graces” are definitely my favorites apart from the singles. “Bed Chem” lives in this weird limbo of groovy sonics and beats that sound like they were pulled from the 2000s era of music. It’s definitely one of the most memorable tracks off the album for me just for the sound of it alone. “Juno” is such a warm and fun track and “Good Graces” sees Carpenter at her best with her ability to turn warnings to her lovers into pop anthems.
Josh: I know it’s lame to answer this question by naming the album’s lead single and biggest hit, but oh man do I love “Espresso.” It’s incredibly infectious and it could well be the song that 2024 is best remembered for– it certainly should fulfill that title for Short ‘n Sweet.
Lilly: I’m with Josh on this one, “Espresso” still hits even after months of hearing it everywhere, but I’m also a big fan of “Bed Chem” and “Good Graces.” The talk-y bit in “Bed Chem” gives me big Flight of the Conchord vibes in the best way, it scratches an itch in my brain that I didn’t know existed. And “Good Graces” is just a good song. It’s got that 2000’s pop-R&B vibe that gets even the stiffest shoulders shimmying. It feels like hearing “Fergalicious” for the first time as a kid in my mom’s minivan.
Rachel: I really like “Bed Chem” because it kind of sounds a little like an ’80s song, the songwriting also feels like really sporadic thoughts the way it’s timed with the rhythm and the way it kind of flows in and out. I also really like “Dumb and Poetic” because I feel like on a personal level I’ve definitely met the kind of person she’s describing here, so I related to that a little bit.
Do you have any favorite lyrics so far? Which lines stand out?
Olivia: My favorite lyric is “Don’t think you understand, just ‘cause you talk like one doesn’t make you a man,” off of “Dumb and Poetic.” Twenty-something men everywhere could probably benefit from hearing this message. It sounds like she has definitely dated some fellow musicians. Of course, I think this lyric can also act as a reminder to men of all ages on a deeper level than that of bad poetry.
Kevin: There are these lines in the second verse to “Bed Chem” which like astound me because they are both so clever but also like, just very lusty in a forward way. “Come right on me, I mean camaraderie,” and “Where art thou? Why not uponeth me?” I mean. That last one is just very very very funny to hear her sing with a straight face. Also the whole “thermostat’s set to six nine” is a little like WHOOOOOOOOO BOY we get it, but still I laughed.
Additionally, like the very lusty, thirsty lines in “Juno” are so surprising but also like there’s something kind of charming about it all especially when there are subtleties. Like the”Give me more than just some butterflies,” and in the entendres in the chorus. “One of me is cute, but two though? Give it to me, baby.”
I know i have already talked about the varying levels of cutting humor or meanness she uses on the album but there is something like fun in how blunt and kind of petty she is on “Taste,” in the chorus when she says “You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissing you.”
Blake: I once again can’t help agreeing with Kevin, it is very we get it. Her previous lyrics on Emails were a little more subdued – by “Juno,” I was glad she just opted for saying it outright. I’m a more lyrical being and prefer metaphors, and the tongue in cheek of it all is fun too, but (with complete risk of sounding like a conservative) I prefer Beyonce’s “Diamonds between my thighs where his ego will find bliss.”
Anyway, my favorite lyric would have to be “Don’t smile because it happened, baby, cry before it’s over.” The atmosphere on the closer is very Kacey Musgraves.
Marc: “Bed Chem” has some of the funniest and most head-turning lyrics on the entire album. From, “Come right on me, I mean camaraderie,” to “Where art thou? Why not unponeth me? / See it in my mind, let’s fulfill the prophecy,” it’s been a longtime since I’ve been able to see an artist in the modern music scene express how horny they are with such a cheeky, wink-wink sort of approach to it. The chorus of “Good Graces” is not only addicting in its melodies, but the lyrical approach is a joyful and clever way of letting listeners in to how Carpenter’s emotions run and work romantically (I’m sure many can relate to as well), “You should stay in my good graces / Or I’ll switch it up like that (like that), so fast (so fast) / ‘Cause no one’s more amazing at turning loving into hatred.”
Josh: The central lyric of the song “Taste” – “I heard you’re back together and if that’s true, you’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you”– is a nice subtle diss, and it’s gotten me thinking about what it means, given that Carpenter is addressing the female in this rekindled relationship, rather than the male.
Lilly: I find her playful innuendos like “where art thou, why not uponeth me?” from “Bed Chem” really funny. The whole song is just a bunch of sex jokes and again the talk-sing part made it feel like a Flight of the Conchords song. It’s a bit shocking, joking, she’s just having fun. The “Lie to Girls” chorus is also really impactful, “you don’t have to lie to girls who like you…like you they’ll just lie to themselves.” The phrasing is delicate and witty and packs a punch. And “a boy who’s jacked and kind // Can’t find his ass to save my life” from “Slim Pickins” had me cackling. That whole song is really funny and clever and has me hoping it’s a teaser for a future Sabrina Carpenter Cowgirl era.
What are Short n’ Sweet’s biggest surprises (good and bad)?
Olivia: I was surprised by “Good Graces,” in that it almost sounded like it could be an Ariana Grande song from 2015. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is a great song with a super catchy melody. I would be curious to get inside the minds of the producers though. The production on this and a couple of the other songs sounded a little bit outdated to me. Maybe I just prefer the songs in which she incorporates acoustic instruments within the pop production. I was also surprised by the reference to the movie Juno in the song “Juno.” I thought that was so funny and not at all what I expected.
Kevin: Ok honestly maybe this shouldn’t have been a surprise based on the conceit of “Please Please Please,” but she is so mean. Like sometimes it is in a funny way. Other times it is like very surprising how hurtful some of the lines are. There’s a subtlety to it all though, which is really impressive, and speaks to the sense of humor she has overall as a writer. But like, outside of that recurring theme, specifically looking at the songs, I was pleasantly surprised by how ambitious it is in terms of the different sounds or aesthetics she takes on and how it more or less works? Like, there is a lot going on here in terms of slick and dazzling pop and more acoustic or even twangy moments and it falters slightly at times but you have to really commend that there is, from top to bottom, cohesion across the board.
Blake: “Good Graces,” just because it does seem very 2015 as Olivia mentioned, however once you adjust your ears to it, it’s kind of a vibe? A pleasant surprise for sure. The closer two tracks, though, sort of steer me away from letting this album feel as though it reached its full potential. With an album that is marketed with singles that sound sweet and has “sweet” in the title… It has many and ends on a sour note. So, that was a bit of a surprise for me.
Marc: I guess this shouldn’t of come as a surprise, but I’m shocked at how many different ways Carpenter can describe lust and sexual desire throughout the entirety of the album! It’s genuinely impressive and shows her merit as a songwriter. The last track, “Don’t Smile,” was also a welcome surprise in terms of how I assumed she would conclude the album; I wasn’t expecting to have us end on this somber and soulful note and I’m pleased that she chose to do so.
Josh: I can’t really say what, if anything, surprised me or subverted my expectations off the bat. But reviewing everyone else’s comments makes me think, “Oh wow– it is kind of crazy that that is how the record turned out. That isn’t something I would have seen coming myself!” Thank you for all of the astute observations, guys.
Lilly: I’m pretty new to Sabrina Carpenter’s work so I can’t say anything surprised me about her as an artist, I’ve mostly taken the album for what it is. And I can’t say I’m surprised I like it, but I’m surprised about how much I like it. I’ve only recently gotten back into pop in general after not finding a niche in it for the last few years, and this album is one I’ve embraced as really good pop music. Trying to define “good” pop is a tall order for another page but to me, some key qualities are listenability, cultural significance, and just overall enjoyment. I think this Short n’Sweet has all of those things, and I’m surprised that I can’t find much to criticize. That’s not to say that there’s not valid criticism to be made of the album, any piece of art has elements to critique, I just don’t have any right now.
Rachel: Like Lilly, I’m also pretty new to her work, really. But I think after “Please Please Please” was when I really got excited about this album. I really admire that Carpenter, as a woman musician who sort of embodies the very traditional pop-girl persona, has also curated her music and her image in a way that doesn’t downplay her femininity and her intelligence. Because I feel like that, problematically, is something that hasn’t been allowed to exist synonymously in the past. But Carpenter leads this album with such unapologetic feeling and a really poignant self-reflection. It makes me really excited to hear and follow her career and where she goes next!
Overall, what are your takeaways from this album – and does it live up to the hype?
Josh: Yes, I’d say it lives up to the hype, inasmuch as it’s a good album, just as we were hoping it to be. This is my first time listening to a Sabrina Carpenter album in its entirety– I did so this morning, and have Emails I Can’t Send playing in my headphones as I type this– so one of my primary takeaways from it is that it proves that Carpenter isn’t a hits-plus-filler artist at all, but instead can really achieve a compelling full-length release that maintains my attention all the way through.
Olivia: This album is definitely worth the hype! It is a very fresh perspective on pop. I probably won’t listen to every single song on repeat. I don’t think it is as cohesive of an artistic vision as Chappell Roan’s debut album, for example. But if I have to listen to a pop song played repeatedly on the radio for the next few months, I would much rather it be a Sabrina Carpenter song than a pop song that lacks any creativity whatsoever. She is clearly smart and funny and has found a way to inject her personality into her music alongside her collaborators.
Kevin: Someone I follow on Twitter said this was going to be the best pop record of the year. And I guess without getting too far into genre I would agree. Or at least the biggest and most compelling pop record of the year. It really does live up to the hype that she had built after “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.” It’s smart and it knows how often to punch up or punch down, depending. It is like very satisfying from beginning to end, and my hope I guess is that the tunes that didn’t quite land with me right away will grow or at least I will appreciate them more with additional time spent with the record.
Marc: Every song definitely won’t be added to my library, but looking at it as a whole, especially considering the moment pop music is having in the industry, Sabrina Carpenter’s new album is definitely one that I’d consider worth the hype. She’s filling a niche portion of the scene with her bold lyricism and easy to sing-along-to tracks. In comparison to her other albums, Short n’ Sweet seems like she’s really thrown outside expectations and notions of what she should be to the wind; she’s fully stepped into this hilarious, clever, lustful pop girl aesthetic. It feels authentic and true to how she wants to come off as an artist and it clearly shows in the tracks. The only thing that’s holding me back from giving my full praises to the album is how it can at times feel that she released a bunch of great singles rather than creating a cohesive and succinct album. There’s so many different sounds going on and sometimes the purpose of pulling from different areas of music seems unclear when I’m doing a front to back listen. I can’t help but think of that one downfall, especially considering how other pop releases that have dropped this year feel so sure of themselves and their vision as a project. Apart from that small gripe, Short n’ Sweet will definitely be regarded as one of this year’s iconic pop albums.
Blake: Sadly, I feel that Emails had bigger pop girl potential than this did. I really grew to love that album; it and Renaissance were my two big albums of 2022, so maybe my expectations were just high! I do not think it’s a bad album, in fact many moments I enjoy, but there are some moments that could benefit from that maximalist production I mentioned that really made me love her on Emails I Can’t Send. Emails solidified for me that she was a main pop girlie in August 2022, so I suppose I’m happy that this album has shown the rest of the world that, too.
Rachel: I think it’s fully lived up to the hype! As I said, Short n’ Sweet is a really full body of work that really satisfies that pop-girl music craving. But you can also listen to it more deeply and really appreciate the production, and the songwriting, and all the finer details at the same time.
Lilly: I think the hype was completely earned. As I mentioned before, the releases and marketing from even before the album was announced put Sabrina and her music in the front and center of the public eye, and I think it would’ve been easy to make an album that supported the strength of the two singles but also feature songs that weren’t as strong. Instead, I think the entire album deserves the attention that “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” demanded.
Sabrina Carpenter debuted 10 years ago at the tender age of 15, and has since released six studio albums over that time. Where do you feel Short n’ Sweet sits in the pantheon of Sabrina Carpenter’s discography?
Josh: Oh man… I’ve got a TON of catching up to do until I’m fully ready to answer this question. I’ll admit I’ve only been aware of who Sabrina Carpenter is in the last couple years and have never heard of the albums that she put out as a teenager, much less listened to all of them. So, before I embark on that long odyssey of listening, I’ll simply that speculate that, when considering the entire trajectory of her career, Short n’ Sweet and Emails I Can’t Send could be seen as the albums that really established her as a self-sufficient adult pop star, after having started out for years as a teenage Disney Channel singer. But we’ll see what I think once all is said and done and I’ve finished listening to all of the rest of her music.
Olivia: I think that, like every other Disney Star, the time in which Sabrina Carpenter finally grew into adulthood was inevitable. Miley Cyrus rode a wrecking ball, Olivia Rodrigo expressed her angst through rock, and even Jojo Siwa tried to have a “bad girl era.” Like Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina’s version of this trend seems very authentic. She clearly has an excellent sense of humor and has used it to strengthen her writing skills and mature her lyrics for more adult audiences. I think Short n’ Sweet is Sabrina’s official breakaway from her Disney years and is the first to come in a hopefully long career of pop hits. But who knows… a new, young pop singer is always around the corner. And I am not sure how much longevity Sabrina’s popularity will have as compared with that of some of her peers, like Billie Eilish, who provide more of an artistic statement with their work.
Kevin: It’s funny. On the Genius page with the lyrics to Short n’ Sweet, they feature a pull quote that says she refers to it as her second “big girl” album so I mean in a way, it is like her sophomore release, or at least it is her successfully further distancing herself from the early part of her career, and now finding herself as an artist, or the artist she wishes to be at this moment. This album is fun as hell and I mean people will certainly remember “Espresso” as one of the contenders for the “song of the summer” in 2024 but there is a lot more to this album that just that. Like it is smart and lusty and full of humor and introspection and worth your time.
Marc: I’ll admit, I don’t know a ton of her other tracks from her earlier albums, but one thing is for certain: Sabrina Carpenter is getting MASS amounts of attention for her recent work and maybe that says something about where she has landed with her music. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to pin down a sound and figure out who you are as an artist at the age of 16. Perhaps all her albums before Short n’ Sweet never took off the levels that she is soaring to now because she was still in that odd transition period from Disney star to pop star, teenager to adult. In all, I think she’s come to understand where her strengths lie as singer/songwriter: her charisma, banter-like lyricism, and the overall lively, bubbly vibe to her artistry. It results in this album that will definitely solidify her mark in the pop sphere and I can’t wait to see where she’ll be headed further down the line in her career.
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© Sabrina Carpenter
© Sabrina Carpenter
Short n’ Sweet
an album by Sabrina Carpenter
