“That’s that me espresso” — somewhat mindless words, yet the most irresistible and addictive phrase of this summer. If you’ve spent any time on Instagram or TikTok lately, pop princess Sabrina Carpenter has taken over social media platforms and been nothing short of sweet this summer — especially with the release of her highly anticipated new album, “Short n’ Sweet” on Aug. 23.
The album marks a bold step in the evolution of the 25-year old artist, as she blends a mix of 90’s nostalgia, pop, indie and R&B influences throughout her tracks.
In “Taste” and “Juno,” the use of ‘90s-style synthesizers and R&B elements evoke a retro feeling while still keeping them fresh and contemporary pieces.
“Bed Chem” and “Don’t Smile” lean into a more RnB feel while “Coincidence” hints back to her Disney Channel singing days. However, two of her songs — “Dumb and Poetic” and “The Sharpest Tool in the Shed” — have an indie roots and remind fans of Carpenter’s 2022 album, “Emails I Can’t Send.”
Carpenter, who first gained fame through the TV show
“Girl Meets World,” has been making music for over a decade after first releasing her debut extended play (EP) album, “Can’t Blame a Girl For Trying” in 2014.
Her popularity skyrocketed in late 2022 when her catchy, out of pocket outros of “Nonsense” went viral on Instagram and TikTok during her “Emails I Can’t Send” tour. In June 2023, she opened for Taylor Swift during the Latin America leg of the renowned “Eras Tour,” exposing her to an immensely larger audience that further bolstered her rise to fame.
Shortly after the tour, she released her lead single for Short N’ Sweet, “Espresso,” on April 11 and the pop song took off like wildfire, gaining 1 billion streams on Spotify in only 3 months. With an intoxicating chorus, “Is it that sweet? I guess so, say you can’t sleep, baby, I know, that’s that me espresso,” Espresso dominated the radio and various social media platforms and was inescapable.
Carpenter’s second single, “Please Please Please” — which she released on June 6 — debuted at No. 2 on Billboard Hot 100 just two weeks after release, and heightened the anticipation of her “Short n’ Sweet album. Carpenter’s album kicks off a new pop era with Charli XCX’s release of “Brat” and Chappel Roan’s newfound stardom.
In interviews, Carpenter mentioned that numerous tracks of Short n’ Sweet draw heavily from her personal experiences, particularly her short and sweet relationships — such as the one between her and famous singer Shawn Mendes.
“Emails I Can’t Send” was celebrated for its raw, heartfelt lyrics and its ability to weave a compelling narrative throughout the album. It felt like a well-crafted journey, with each song showing us a broader emotional journey. With Short N’ Sweet, however, instead of a story, the audience you get a collection of tracks that, while individually interesting, don’t always connect in the way you might hope, leaving the audience a little unsatisfied. The album lacks a cohesive theme, but instead, it presents a patchwork of emotions and stories.
Despite these critiques, “Short N’ Sweet” has many merits. The album’s sonic and lyrical variety showcases Carpenter’s versatility as an artist, experimenting with different styles and pushing production and genre boundaries. Although very different from her past works, “Short N’ Sweet” is, arguably, one of her best albums.
In light of this, we rate “Short N’ Sweet” at 4 out of 5 Falcons. This rating reflects both the album’s innovative aspects and its shortcomings. As many fans have dubbed this summer “The Summer of Sabrina,” it’s clear that 2024 might even turn out to be the Year of Sabrina.
Devy • Sep 19, 2024 at 1:18 pm
Great review! Perfectly captured the essence of the album.