Sabrina Carpenter was smart to avoid the traffic jam of Pop Girl Spring, instead promising her album in late summer. But she did tease us with two singles. Bubbling with charm and a healthy dash of sass, Sabrina Carpenter’s hit “Espresso” brewed up a storm and was crowned the song of the summer. Hot on its heels, “Please Please Please” served up a deliciously tart twist, with the former Disney darling transitioning from sweet serenades to a fierce snarl and putting her less-than-stellar actor-beau on blast: “Don’t embarrass me, motherfucker.”
With its lead singles smashing the charts, Short ‘n Sweet has tall stilettos to fill. Luckily, it struts across genres easily, from TikTok pop to yacht rock. It twangs through country and grooves with R&B, all while keeping it cool and never missing a beat. It’s like watching a musical chameleon do the moonwalk—effortlessly smooth and endlessly entertaining.
The album, humorously titled for Carpenter’s petite stature and concise 12-song tracklist, marks the singer’s sixth studio venture. At the age of 10, she was racking up Youtube views, crooning to Adele and Taylor Swift tunes, and by 15, not only had she dropped her first EP, Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying, but she was also juggling fame with her role in Disney’s Girl Meets World. Sabrina Carpenter’s journey included a mix of teen pop tunes and unique ukulele experiments (really!) before she waved goodbye to Disney’s Hollywood Records. She then joined Island Records, where she debuted her first “adult” album, Emails I Can’t Send, in 2022.
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That album turned Sabrina Carpenter into a mixologist of sorts, crafting zesty cocktails from the sour tabloid buzz surrounding her and Disney colleague Olivia Rodrigo. Rumors suggested that the “blonde girl” mentioned in Rodrigo’s 2022 hit “Driver’s License” was Carpenter, who was reportedly the reason Rodrigo’s boyfriend left her. Carpenter deftly addressed the drama with her 2022 single “because i liked a boy,” where she confronted the slut shaming from fans and the media.: “Now, I’m a homewrecker, I’m a slut/ I got death threats filling up semi-trucks.” In the music video, she playfully embraced the scarlet woman persona, sizzling in a cherry red gown.
“Short n’ Sweet” sees Carpenter turn up the heat, dishing out lyrics where she’s sorry-not-sorry for sharing her beau’s secret snaps with pals in “Juno” “I showed my friends, then we high-fived/ Sorry if you feel objеctified” and throws a Shakespearean tease with “Come right on me… where art thou? Why not uponeth me?” on ‘Bad Chem.” The singer is rumored to be in a relationship with Saltburn star Barry Keoghan, although there are whispers of a split. Fans of gossip are likely searching for hints about her connection with the party-loving actor, a curiosity she has arguably fueled by featuring him as a gangster in her “Please Please Please” music video.
The album kicks off with a bang, featuring the standout track “Taste,” a shimmering rocker. In this song, Carpenter playfully warns her ex’s new lover “I heard you’re back together and if that’s true/You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you.” It’s a cheeky reminder that some flavors just stick around. The song cranks up the sexy attitude, and it could see some action in the alt-rock scene like Kelly Clarkson‘s “Since You’ve Been Gone.”
Carpenter taps into the current country resurgence with the catchy “Slim Pickins,” scrolling through “all the douchebags on my phone” to the rhythm of a lively, finger-picking guitar.
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While the ’90s R&B track “Good Graces” is a nice throwback, the clever bite in “Dumb and Poetic” will definitely leave a mark.
Although the album hits hardest when Sabrina struts through sexy uptempo tracks, it concludes with the two poignant and reflective tracks, “Lie to Girls” (“You don’t have to lie to girls/ If they like you, they’ll just lie to themselves”) and “Don’t Smile,” with Carpenter shedding her carnal swagger and advising her listeners “don’t smile because it happened/ Cry because it’s over.”
With its multitude of styles, Short n’ Sweet sounds amazing. It’s well-produced pop, but listeners will be drawn to Carpenter’s flirtatious personality and risqué humor. Her personality feels authentic and is refreshing after a summer ruled by Taylor Swift’s somber masterpiece, The Tortured Poets Department.
