Unveiling a new pop princess, Sabrina Carpenter’s album “Short n’ Sweet” has Gen Z turning heads. She was mostly known for her teenage years spent acting in the spin-off of the sitcom “Boy Meets World,” and she released her first four records under the Disney umbrella. Like many before her, she eventually ditched the mouse ears and sparkling wand to drop her first studio album, “emails i can’t send” in 2022. This new album has raised record popularity in the mere five days since its release.
The album title “Short n’ Sweet” isn’t just a joke about her own under-five-foot stature and the quick expiration dates on many of these liaisons, but truth-in-advertising about the album. It comes in at 12 songs lasting just over 36 minutes in total, with no features and no missteps. The most striking ambiguity of “Short n’ Sweet” is its casually goofy sex positivity. The album is filled with Carpenter’s irresistible wit while flaunting her knack for turning romantic roadkill into flippantly brilliant pop.
The blonde ball of brilliance and charm first released the album’s lead single, “Espresso,” which received extremely positive feedback and became the song of the summer. She later released the adjacent “Please Please Please,” which can be described as the former’s younger sister song. Carpenter mostly smiles and winks her way through songs that recognize the irrational power of lust, but deftly twists the knife on cheaters and hypocrites.
“Taste” is a delectably vicious opener, as she tells her ex’s ex girlfriend: “You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissing you.” Her affirmative, straightforward action brings a hit and punch to the album that only immerses you further into Carpenter’s raunchy stories of love and loss.
She proves that heartbreak isn’t enough to shatter her in the next track, “Good Graces,” a personal favorite on the album that’s light, cheeky and clever. She warns future romantic prospects to stay on her good side in the shimmering throwback R&B steamer. It sparkles with confidence, streaked through with the jadedness of one who’s seen a few trials and tribulations.
A big jarring side to “Short n’ Sweet” is Carpenter’s use of sex as equal parts revenge and rebound. The effervescent hooks of the album’s lead singles have led fans to expect even more of the: “Did she just say what I think she said?” moments splattered across the album.
“Bed Chem” is entirely a ballad full of sexual innuendos, as she simply deadpans this line over sexy honeymoon synths such as “Come right on me, I mean camaraderie.” Carpenter has been known for her sensual sense of humor, and with sass, sex and swagger, she exudes confidence despite her past emotional turmoil. Overall, with “Short n’ Sweet,” Carpenter has made one thing clear: she is not fearful of a few sensual jokes here and there.
There’s more banjo and acoustic guitar in this album than anyone would have guessed, mostly used for its percussive snap, as in the finger-picking rhythm hooks of “Slim Pickins” and “Sharpest Tool.” Her sense of humor is diamond sharp as she showcases her impressive soprano range. The prominent banjo line throughout the song holds a glimmer of Dolly Parton-inspired twang. These sides of the album are equal parts playful, vulnerable, amorous and calculating.
Though “Short n’ Sweet” is raunchy and humorous, Carpenter chooses to insert a downcast ballad in “Dumb & Poetic.” She excoriates a familiar type of guy who thinks that a meditation practice absolves him from fuck-boy tendencies.
Carpenter takes her romantic ambivalence a step further in “Juno,” where she reimagines the teen pregnancy plot of the 2007 indie film as seductive shorthand: “I might let you make me Juno.” She reflects on a love that’s so potent and lustful that she can’t help but want to have the guy’s kids. Carpenter’s tone is perky and smug, as if she’s over it but just wants to have her say. She’s mocking, not suffering.
Many artists are so hyper-focused on reaching for a hit that the resulting songs are devoid of personality. Carpenter makes hit-making look effortless, the mark of someone whose songs are crafted with so much intention that they feel simple. Carpenter’s flirty, fun songs, which coincide with her seriously unserious counterparts, highlight her duality as an artist. The album’s soundscape is homogenous without being overly repetitive, and its lyrics are genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. “Short n’ Sweet” is indeed a very sweet start for Carpenter to prove she’s not only a multifaceted singer, but also a multidimensional superstar.
Final Rating: 5/5