Recommended Tracks: “Please Please Please,” “Taste,” “Juno”
Artists You Might Like: Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Chappell Roan
Relationships often leave lasting impressions, whether they’re short or last forever. Sometimes, even the shortest, most intense relationships can make you feel like you’re on top of the world before they all leave a lasting impression on you. But we’ve all had that relationship, one short and fast that can go up in flames but can feel like you’re on the top of the world. Sabrina Carpenter explores how some of her shortest relationships shaped her the most in her sixth studio album, Short n’ Sweet, released today, Aug. 23 through Island Records.
The pop star has been releasing music since the early 2010s, releasing albums like Eyes Wide Open (2015), Singular Act I (2018) and Singular Act II (2019). It wasn’t until the last few years, though, that the 25-year-old singer-songwriter has gained the fame and notoriety she deserves. She released her most critically acclaimed album, emails i can’t send (2022), debuting at No. 23 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 200. Then, she exploded this year with her summer single “Espresso,” embracing confidence and femininity, marking her most notable and exciting entrance into the pop music scene. Her latest record, Short n’ Sweet, is both the former and the latter, offering a beautiful escapade into her most iconic album yet. At 36 minutes, the album features collaborations with Grammy Award-winning collaborators Jack Antonoff and Amy Allen.
Carpenter’s album opens with a raw portrayal of heartbreak and loss, as she faces the aftermath of her breakup with humor and playfulness. Building on the success of “Please Please Please,” she continues this energy on “Taste,” a disco-infused, danceable opening track where she layers risqué innuendos of revenge and betrayal. Acknowledging that the love of her life has moved on, she provocatively states that she’ll let him cheat as long as her presence lingers (“I heard you’re back together and if that’s true /You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you /If you want forever, I bet you do / Just know you’ll taste me too”). On “Sharpest Tool,” Carpenter heartbreakingly admits that her ex isn’t the “sharpest tool” in the metaphorical shed. Rather there was merely nothing in this man’s eyes deep about their love for one another. She sings, “We never talk it through / How you guilt-tripped me to open up to you / Then you logged out, leavin’ me dumbfounded.” Carpenter also shared the official music video for the album opener, “Taste,” which was directed by Dave Meyers and stars Emmy-nominated actress Jenna Ortega from Wednesday (2022-).
But she knows her worth and won’t apologize for demanding self-respect within her relationship. With songs like “Good Graces” and “Coincidence,” Carpenter remains confident and assertive. On “Good Graces,” she makes it clear that while she can be sweet and loving, she won’t tolerate any disrespect or shady behavior, singing,“You do somethin’ sus, kiss my cute ass bye-bye.” There’s also “Lie To Girls,” the most scathing track off the album, is the epitome of revenge at its finest as she firmly puts men in their place. She reprimands her lover, remaining unparalleled in who she is — and without apology, singing, “Girls will cry and girls will lie and / Girls will do it ’til they die for you.” On “Coincidence,” she continues to portray themes of love and betrayal, mocking her ex for playing games with their relationship.
On “Bed Chem” and “Juno,” Carpenter mixes hope with a dreamy exploration of chemistry and what could be. On the R&B track “Bed Chem,” she draws on influences from Christina Aguilera, whom she has often cited as a major inspiration. She explores the comforts of intimacy inside the bedroom with her boyfriend, Barry Keoghan, from the film Saltburn (2023), as they explore their newfound chemistry (“Are you free next week? / I bet we’d have really good bed chem).” Carpenter and Keoghan first met at Givenchy’s fashion show during Paris Fashion Week in September, where he wore a white jacket. Then, on “Juno,” which is a reference to the coming-of-age film Juno (2007) starring Elliot Page, Carpenter imagines becoming pregnant because of how deeply her partner makes her feel. She expresses a desire to start a family with someone who genuinely cares about her, singing, “Oh, I know you want my touch for life / If you love me right, then who knows? / I might let you make me Juno.”
On the Dolly Parton-inspired “Slim Pickins,” which Carpenter first sang live at the Grammy Museum on Aug. 2, 2024, about three weeks before the album was released. Carpenter tries to find the right guy after failing to do so throughout much of the record, particularly after “Dumb and Poetic.” On “Slim Pickins,” Carpenter seeks someone who is kind, attractive, and deeply intelligent but finds that the options are slim. She finds few men to choose from and thinks she’ll end up alone, singing, “Since the good ones are deceased or taken / I’ll just keep on moanin’ and bitchin.”
In the album’s final moments, Carpenter expresses a bittersweet mix of longing and hope on “Don’t Smile.” Playing with the phrase, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened,” she flips it on its head, singing, “Don’t smile because it happened, baby, cry because it’s over.” She wishes for her partner to feel the same pain and regret that she does, desiring sorrow and remorse instead of happiness. She wants to be missed, singing, “I want you to miss me / Oh, you’re supposed to think about me / Every time you hold her.” The album concludes with Carpenter hoping her ex feels the weight of their lost connection and the remorse she carries.
In her most highly anticipated album to date, Short n’ Sweet, Carpenter shines, delivering her most exciting release yet, living up to its title. The album beautifully showcases her stunning vocals, making it one of the most awaited albums of 2024.
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