Short n' Sweet: A Tasteful Album from Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter - a name that is now associated with pop hits and fame. Known for her singles such as “Thumbs,” “Feather,” “Espresso,” and “Please Please Please,” Carpenter has shown the world her capabilities as an artist. She’s demonstrated time and time again her dedication to her craft, and her talent matches the immense effort she puts into her work.
Carpenter’s fame as an artist has grown exponentially since the end of “Girl Meets World” in 2017. Between her continuous release of new music and opening for world famous singers on tour, Carpenter’s career has taken off.
Released on August 23rd, 2024 with Island Records, “Short n’ Sweet” gained Carpenter lots of attention from music fans around the country. From the singles “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” released in spring of 2024, to her newest hit, “Taste,” Carpenter shows she can create catchy music for the public to enjoy. The other songs on this album are both similar and vastly different to these hits, showing unique writing and a variety of emotions.
Carpenter displays the ability to write incredible pop songs that often hook new listeners within seconds. Not surprisingly, her new songs have the same effect. Tracks such as “Espresso” and “Bed Chem” open with lyrics that instantly give an idea of the song itself, reading, “Now he’s thinkin’ bout me/Every night oh/Is it that sweet?/I guess so” and, “I was in a sheer dress/The day that we met,” respectively.
Other songs on the album are meant to be more of an emotional listen rather than a pop hit, such as “Dumb & Poetic” and “Lie to Girls”. “Dumb & Poetic” gives readers a taste of this with lines such as, “Don’t think you understand/Just cause you leave like one doesn’t make you a man” and, “Well you crashed the car and abandoned the wreckage.” The variation of genres and emotions throughout “Short n’ Sweet” leaves listeners satisfied with a well balanced album.
Not only are the tracks alone created in a way that suits her style, but the marketing and media for the album has attracted attention from many listeners across the globe. The music video for the album’s third single, “Taste,” shows viewers a new style to Carpenter’s production - one of horror and gore. Unsurprisingly, the video shocked a lot of viewers. TikTok user @escpresso said, “A music video with Sabrina and Jenna killing each other over and over again and them kissing was not in my bingo list.”
Additionally, the video consistently made references to various well-known horror movies, such as the use of chainsaws to allude to "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" or creepy dolls to reference "Chucky". When compared with the audible traits of the song, the music video is heavily contrasting, making for an incredible and interesting turn of events for the audience.
“Short n’ Sweet” is the perfect example of a hit summer album, especially for an up and coming artist like Sabrina Carpenter. The work put into this album shows through how well it has performed on the charts, and especially through the VMA she won in 2024, Song of the Year for “Espresso.”
Sources: Island Records