“Sabrina Loves To Be On Top.” Carpenter’s genre-blending Short n’ Sweet studio album

Chantelle Mackintosh takes us on a lyrical and musical journey through every track of Sabrina Carpenter’s new album Short n’ Sweet  

Sabrina Carpenter has quickly become the ‘it girl’ of modern pop. Despite being in the industry for over a decade, this singer/actor double threat has really taken off. Her first post-Disney album, emails i cant send, was her first viral hit in 2022. Since then, she has opened for Taylor Swift at The Eras Tour and released her sixth studio album, Short n’ Sweet.

Track 1: “Taste”

She leaves quite an impression. Short n Sweet's third single opens with an electric indie-rock vibe, starting the album with fun. What more could you ask for? Other than subtle bi-panic, but that's here too! If her stunning vocals and upbeat, if slightly sadistic, lyrics don't instantly make you fall in love, perhaps the music video will. 

I am not one for horror or gore, but her music video starring Jenna Ortega is something for the history books. A recreation of the film Death Becomes Her (1992) with references to The Addams Family (1991), Pulp Fiction (1994), and Ginger Snaps (2000). Featuring guns falling off a balcony into a picket fence, a defibrillator being used very incorrectly, voodoo dolls, and some good old-fashioned psychotic visions, leading to an accidental murder. And we can't forget that kiss between Carpenter and Ortega, playing into the queer undertones of the song. A cinematic masterpiece. 

Track 2: “Please Please Please”

We know she has good judgement and good taste when it comes to writing hits. The second single was a bigger hit than the first! Carpenter shows off her vocal range, dipping between highs and lows, even coming in with a country accent! Once again, her music video only improved the song. Featuring her boyfriend, Barry Keoghan, she’s really warning him. Full of sadistic humour at odds with her angelic voice, Carpenter warns Keoghan and any future partner of the consequences of embarrassing her when her career is blowing up.

Track 3: “Good Graces”

Time for a fun pop beat! With good lyrics, we return to fun, upbeat mixed with whisper pop as yet another string of warnings of the ramifications of doing your lover wrong. Returning to the iconic time of 2000’s pop, this song reminds me of Ariana Grande. It goes beyond her stunning high notes, but the influence is there throughout the melody, the backing and the lyrics. This is the sort of song you hear at a restaurant when they play pop songs. It feels like Espresso, part two. 

Track 4: “Sharpest Tool”

Carpenter’s version of “Casual” by Chappell Roan. The problems come from a total lack of communication in their relationship: “We never talk about it.” The repetitive part becomes a bit dragging, but is that not the point? They never talk about it, ever. That gets annoying quickly, and Carpenter has done a wonderful job of replicating that feeling lyrically. The musical backing is very subtle but then uses sirens, which automatically evoke a sense of panic and worry. This is just another way of Carpenter perfectly showcasing confusion in relationships!

Track 5: “Coincidence”

A quintessential Sabrina song, acoustic and funny, paired with amazing country and pop vocals. This song also includes what I regard to be one of her best bridges from the album. It’s just so funny, but she uses clever metaphors to further her sassiness. This is where I realised that her brand is starting to become, “writing songs as a warning to future partners.” First, with Please Please Please and now Coincidence, it’s certainly becoming a trend. This is another song I can just imagine hearing out at a restaurant, playing in the background. 

Track 6: “Bed Chem”

Full of fun, almost fly-over-the-head innuendos, sultry, sexy, and fun are the three words I'd use to describe this song. Presumed to be about her boyfriend, Barry Keoghan, and their first meeting, this song explores the beginning of a relationship and all the romantic fantasies and predictions that come from it. If any song on this album were to come out with another artist featured on the deluxe version, it would be this one. My love of an iconic R&B collaboration has extended to a version of this song that doesn't even exist yet (and maybe never will).

Track 7: “Espresso”

The first single of the album is amazing. With fun, self-empowering lyrics and a fun summer vibe, this is the perfect song for summer. It gives us the iconic phrase, "I'm working late 'cause I'm a singer." Sabrina owns her power as a girl and isn’t embarrassed being that hot girl. The music video only adds to the aesthetic with the suntanned skin, cute swimsuits, overall 1950s vibes, and not to mention every 2000s kid’s Teen Beach Movie dream of dancing on the beach amongst the surfboards. A true summer classic. 

Track 8: “Dumb & Poetic”

When the tracklist was released, I thought this song would be like Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department: confessional, yet sad and angry. And it reminds me a lot of that! Anger, mixed with bitter sadness, results in a slow, whisper shouting song that slowly builds up, but soft and slow sadness hits her before she can reach full anger. And not to English major nerd out, but the inconsistent rhyme scheme is evident in the verses, which pairs words you generally wouldn't rhyme together, and yet it works so well! Pairings like "poetic," "aesthetic," and "read it" but also "quotation," well-spoken" and "Leonard Cohen" really show Carpenter's writing skills. 

Track 9: “Slim Pickins”

It is one of my top favourite songs on the album. The country vibe has been unmistakable since debuting it at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, live in early August. It is full of funny descriptions of the modern dating market and feeling like you have to 'settle' because you can't find 'the one.' One line that has sparked some controversy is, "And since the Lord forgot my gay awakening," since Carpenter is known as the 'straight it girl of pop.' Some speculate this means that she was never blessed with a gay awakening and is straight or that the lord forgot that she was gay and forgot to send women her way to date. Either way, I’m here for any and all queer references, no matter how small!

Track 10: “Juno”

Such a fun beat! So many innuendos! With such a fun, upbeat summer party beat, how can I have issues with this song?! Well…Honestly, I don't think there are many lazy singers/songwriters out there, and Carpenter is definitely not one of them! However, the bridge for this song dropped the euphemisms and innuendos and just stated plainly that she was horny. Like, come on, I love that you're embracing yourself, but the innuendos were so fun! However, this small issue does not detract from the rest of the song; it is just fun! The name Juno can either be a reference to the 2007 film, Juno, or the Roman goddess. I think it's both (especially since the film character was named after the goddess). This accentuates the ideas of marriage and having children in a loving relationship, so I think it's a cute parallel!

Track 11: “Lie to Girls”

Unfortunately, some relationships are toxic both ways. I’m surprised the term “rose-coloured glasses” wasn’t mentioned even once, as it embodies the message of the entire song! Lying to yourself that you’re in a loving relationship and how it is toxic. The two-way road of abuse and manipulation is damaging. Yet, she manages to make it into such a groovy song. The slow whisper singing is reminiscent of Carpenter’s earlier albums. Halfway through the track, the tune only gets more upbeat and louder while retaining the same whisper, ethereal voice. 

Track 12: “Don’t Smile”

This dreamy soft rock song is the perfect ethereal ending to the album. She subverts a popular saying, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened," and flips this to "Don't smile because it happened, cry because it's over." After a fresh breakup, she struggles to reflect on the happy times of their relationship and can only focus on the present, where she is upset and heartbroken. This closing track complements the opening with their focus on the lingering emotions left over after a breakup. 

She's made us laugh; she's made us cry. It's safe to say that Short n' Sweet is an iconic album, and I can't wait to see what comes next.