Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
Following the success of singles “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” Sabrina Carpenter capped off her summer of pop domination with the release of her sixth studio album Short n’ Sweet on Aug. 23.
As a fan of Carpenter’s music since her Singular: Act I (2018) era, I am thrilled to see Carpenter finally getting her flowers. However, I think it is precisely her slow rise into the limelight that has prepared her for the success she’s now experiencing. Developing her sound and style outside of the scrutiny that comes with mainstream success allowed her the freedom to experiment, make some flops, and grow as an artist. Now, with 10 years of hard work and five previous studio albums under her belt, her visuals, vocals, lyrics, artistic vision, and live performances are the best they have ever been.
Short n’ Sweet pushes the cheeky humour of emails i can’t send fwd: bops “Feather” and “Nonsense” to the extreme, tackling the tribulations of romance in a light yet unforgiving way while owning her sexuality and desire. The lead single, “Espresso,” perfectly sets up the summer vibes that dominate this album with its groovy production, silly innuendos, and visuals of a sixties summer beach day. “I know I said ‘I can’t relate to desperation,’ but turns out I’m just a girl,” Sabrina said when introducing “Please Please Please” during her performance at the June 2024 Gov Ball.
Track three, “Good Graces,” introduces new genre influences into the album with a strong R&B vibe to the track’s vocals and rhythm. Similar to “Please Please Please,” this track is a warning to her partner to treat her right, but with more edge and threat than desperation.
Tracks four and eight, “Sharpest Tool” and “Dumb & Poetic,” deviate from the previous pop bangers. Carpenter gets more vulnerable about the lack of closure and communication difficulties in a crumbling relationship over an accentuated acoustic guitar. “Coincidence” and “Slim Pickins” draws on country sounds as Sabrina details the process of all the “coincidences” that led to the person she is seeing getting back with their ex and reveals her difficulties in finding love.
The album also showcases Carpenter’s raunchier flirty side that borders on unhinged in “Bed Chem” and “Juno,” which are paired with upbeat, playful instrumentals and vocals. The final tracks, “Lie To Girls” and “Don’t Smile,” end the album on a somber and more emotional note. In “Lie To Girls,” Sabrina reveals that not only her, but so many of the women around her, will often bend the truth about situations to present their partner in a more favourable light. “Don’t Smile” plays on the Dr. Seuss quote—“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened”—which Carpenter flips to express how she doesn’t want her ex to get over their relationship while she remains heartbroken.
The only thing I felt was missing from this album was the depth of vulnerability she displayed in moments from emails i can’t send, such as in the album title track, which touches on infidelity in her parents’ relationship. As of right now, my favourite tracks on the album include “Sharpest Tool,” “Bed Chem,” and “Don’t Smile.” I am a big fan of the lyricism and how the upbeat production contrasts the not-so-upbeat themes of “Sharpest Tool.” In “Bed Chem,” I thoroughly enjoyed how completely unserious and cheeky Sabrina is, and her vocals on this track are stunning. Finally, I love Sabrina’s softer vocals and production on “Don’t Smile.” Overall, I love this album, and it is almost skipless for me. Though I understand the criticisms that jumping genre and sound can make this album feel sonically discordant, the sonic variety in this album is one of the things I love about both Short n’ Sweet and Sabrina as an artist.
