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Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Short n’ Sweet’ is Flirty, Fun, and Playful
Say you can’t sleep? Sabrina Carpenter knows. That’s that her espresso.
The 25-year-old pop sensation’s smash hit of the summer, “Espresso” — with its grammatical mystery of an earworm line, “That’s that me espresso” — gave listeners a taste of her newest album, “Short n’ Sweet.” The former Disney Channel actor’s sixth studio album follows an explosive year marked with successes, from opening for Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour to performing at Coachella.
She’s confident, she’s radiant, and she’ll air out all your dirty laundry in a breakup song if you wrong her.
In the flirty, fun and wholly unserious “Short n’ Sweet,” Carpenter’s soprano vocals take humorous jabs at exes and drop innuendos with an air of cheeky innocence. Sugary songs like “Taste” and “Juno” incorporate enough NSFW references to have listeners blushing almost as much as the rosy-cheeked singer.
There’s a country twang to some tracks, like “Slim Pickins,” an acoustic number bemoaning the difficulties of finding a good man and having to settle for a guy who “doesn’t even know the difference between ‘there,’ ‘their’ and ‘they are.’”
Carpenter shows a more vulnerable side with ballads like “Dumb & Poetic” and “Lie to Girls,” in which she drops her carefree front to sing unguarded lyrics airing out grievances against an ex.
“Don’t think you understand,” she sings in “Dumb & Poetic.” “Just ’cause you act like one doesn’t make you a man.”
But it’s when pop tracks blend into R&B that Carpenter really shines. Her breathy vocals work so well on such tracks as “Good Graces” and “Don’t Smile,” reminiscent of Ariana Grande or Mariah Carey.
Which direction will she take next? Only Carpenter knows. Isn’t that sweet? Carpenter guesses so. That is, after all, that her espresso.
Sabrina Carpenter, the 25-year-old pop sensation, has captivated fans again with her hit of the summer, “Espresso.” The song, with its catchy but grammatically puzzling line, “That’s that me espresso,” offers a glimpse into her latest album, “Short n’ Sweet.”
Carpenter’s sixth studio album follows a remarkably successful year. From joining Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour to gracing the stages at Coachella, she has been soaring high. Known for her confidence and radiance, she is also unafraid to air her personal grievances in her music.
“Short n’ Sweet” is a flirty, fun, and unabashedly playful album. Carpenter’s soprano vocals deliver humorous jabs at exes and playful innuendos with a touch of innocence. Tracks like “Taste” and “Juno” are dotted with enough NSFW references to make listeners blush, nearly as much as Carpenter herself.
Adding a bit of variety, some songs in the album feature a country flair. “Slim Pickins” is an acoustic track that humorously laments the difficulty in finding a good man. The song describes settling for a guy who “doesn’t even know the difference between ‘there,’ ‘their’ and ‘they are.'”
Carpenter also explores her more vulnerable side with ballads like “Dumb & Poetic” and “Lie to Girls.” These tracks drop the carefree façade, revealing lyrics that express heartfelt grievances against an ex. In “Dumb & Poetic,” she poignantly sings, “Don’t think you understand, Just ’cause you act like one doesn’t make you a man.”
Carpenter truly shines when her pop tracks blend seamlessly into R&B. Her breathy vocals are perfectly suited for songs like “Good Graces” and “Don’t Smile,” evoking the styles of Ariana Grande and Mariah Carey.
As for the direction she’ll take next, only Carpenter knows. Isn’t that sweet? Well, according to her, it’s just like her espresso.
Source: Island Records via AP
