Singer, songwriter, actress, and graduate of animal communication school, Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter has it all. Standing at a proud 4′ 11, Carpenter is certainly short, but her recent album drop on August 23 has once again proved what long time fans already know: there is more to her than her sweetness.
Although many of Carpenter’s recently garnered fans believe that Short n’ Sweet is her second album, the singer actually has a relatively large discography. Her first EP, Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying, was released in 2014 when she was just 14 years old. In the years to follow, Carpenter released five more albums, Eyes Wide Open (2015), EVOLution (2016), Singular: Act I (2018), Singular: Act II (2019), and emails i can’t send (2022), which also had a deluxe version, and another EP (fruitcake, 2023) before dropping Short n’ Sweet.
Short n’ Sweet itself is more similar to emails i can’t send than any of her other works due to the fact that both albums contain a variety of upbeat and emotional songs. Boasting twelve songs, this album features catchy hits such as “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” which have taken social media by storm. Carpenter touches on a few different themes throughout the album, such as the resentfulness towards an unfaithful partner in “Coincidence”, passion and love in “Juno”, and grudging resignation to a less than adequate love life in “Slim Pickins”.
The album starts off with “Taste”, which fans have started to call Carpenter’s third song of the summer after singles “Espresso” and “Please Please Please”. In “Taste”, Carpenter tells her ex’s current lover that while she is with him, she will always feel her presence, singing “I heard you’re back together and if that’s true / You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you.” She reminds the woman the song is directed to that there is only “one degree of separation” between the two. “Taste” is a strong start for the album, setting the scene and the bar with fun, light background music and fitting vocals. This catchy song is paired with a thrilling music video starring actress Jenna Ortega as well as Carpenter herself.
Like “Taste”, her third song on the album, “Good Graces” is just as upbeat of a song, if not more. On this track, Carpenter warns her lover that although she is loving and sweet, if he makes one wrong move, she will not hesitate to make him regret it. She tells him to stay in her good graces because she can “switch it up like that, so fast / ‘Cause no one’s more amazing / At turnin’ lovin’ into hatred.” Clever, humorous lyrics and a decent mix of vocals and music make “Good Graces” a top notch pop song. However, compared to similar songs on the album, the song falls just short of the standard set by both the album’s singles and its opening track due to its slightly repetitive nature.
Moving away from some of the album’s lighter, happier themes, in the eleventh song “Lie To Girls”, Carpenter sings of how she and many of the women in her life will lie to themselves about a loved one to excuse their behavior. “You don’t have to lie to girls / If they like you, they’ll just lie to themselves / Don’t I know it better than anyone else?” She sings, confessing that she gives others too many chances and convinces herself that they are good people. Carpenter’s voice changes noticeably at different parts in the song, namely the end of the second verse and the outro. She does this in a way that fits the mood at each part: getting louder and less nonchalant to express anger, and detached and repetitive to show resignation. All in all, the music, lyrics, and emotionally charged vocals in the second to last track pair together beautifully, resulting in perhaps the best song on Short n’ Sweet.
Similarly, “Don’t Smile” is another sadder song on the album. The twelfth and final track expresses Carpenter’s desire for her ex to feel just as heartbroken about the end of their relationship as she is. Throughout the song, she takes the common phrase “don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened” and flips it, singing “Don’t smile because it happened, baby / Cry because it’s over / Oh, you’re supposed to think about me / Every time you hold her.” Carpenter laments about her lack of control over her actions, wanting her friends to take her phone so she cannot call her ex, and mentioning that while they are out having fun, she feels unable to. With its slow, soft tempo and matching vocals, “Don’t Smile” is a worthy finish to the album.
Overall, the album has many excellent tracks. Other notable songs include the song of the summer, “Espresso”, the iconic hard launch “Please Please Please”, and “Juno”.
Short n’ Sweet is truly an emotional rollercoaster in the best way possible, and Carpenter has once again outdone herself. Each track brings something new to the table and never fails to make listeners’ jaws drop with cleverly bold lyrics and versatile vocals. It is hard to find a criticism to make. Though not a personal complaint, the themes and messages in each song can contrast with those in others, which throw off some listeners who are largely lyric oriented. However, for many, this is easily overlooked.
Carpenter’s versatility is admirable and especially noticeable throughout Short n’ Sweet, with her vocal range and lyricism being a killer combination perfect for making hit pop songs. These skills and many more have allowed Carpenter to create yet another near-flawless album. If Short n’ Sweet was for you, be sure to check out emails i can’t send for more of Carpenter’s works and eternal sunshine by Ariana Grande for similar themes and vocals.
9.5/10
