Recommended Tracks: “Busy Woman,” “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder”
Artists You May Like: Chappell Roan, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift
Sabrina Carpenter may be a busy woman, but without a doubt, she remains the reigning queen of tart, delectable pop. She just took home her first Grammys for Pop Vocal Album and Pop Solo Performance, her sold-out headlining Short n’ Sweet Tour is the hottest ticket on the market — and she’s just released the highly anticipated deluxe version of her chart-dominating, smash hit album, Short n’ Sweet.
Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe), romantically released on Feb. 14, remains boldly flirtatious and sparklingly cheeky while satisfying any lingering cravings from the original album. The deluxe album deepens the world of Short n’ Sweet with the additions of clever disco-smash “15 Minutes,” ironically gentle “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder,” downright sensational “Busy Woman” and amorous “Bad Reviews,” along with that headline-grabbing duet with the queen of glitter country herself, “Please Please Please” (feat. Dolly Parton).
Carpenter closed the standard edition of the album on a softer, more jaded note with the duo of “Lie To Girls” and “Don’t Smile,” but “15 Minutes” kicks off the deluxe tracks with an explosion of refreshingly honest, glitzy disco-pop. A sucker punch to every fool who assumes Carpenter only lasts as long as a shot of espresso, she sings, “I can do a lot with fifteen minutes / Lot of pretty boys, lot of funny business / Take a couple bucks, turn ’em into millions.” The bass on this one is ridiculously satisfying and the sensuality across the song’s lyrics is practically dripping. But Carpenter knows that with success comes scrutiny: “When you’re hot, they’re gonna eat you alive.”
Much like the busy woman who wrote it completely independently, “Busy Woman” has been a tease for fans since it was released as a limited digital download last summer and played a few times during the Spin-the-Bottle portion of Carpenter’s tour set. Now finally finding its home on Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe), “Busy Woman” shines like the glittering bombshell that it is. With lines like “If you don’t need my love / Well, I didn’t want your little bitch ass anyway” and “If you don’t want me, I’ll just deem you gay,” it’s lyrically an attention-grabber alone. But the track also modernizes the origins of the most addictive of pop; ABBA or Madonna would clamor for production like this, which was finessed by none other than Jack Antonoff (Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey).
Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe) also makes room for Carpenter’s softer side. “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder” feels like a natural successor to Carpenter’s sensational, viral cover of “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” which she covered multiple times while opening on The Eras Tour in early 2024. A self-deprecating slow dance, the track shows off Carpenter’s outstanding vocal range and vocal quality in such a way that some of her poppier hits never allow for. The country-influenced “Bad Reviews” was understandably left off the original tracklist of the album due to the presence of “Slim Pickins” and “Please Please Please,” but the track is a logical cornerstone to close this chapter for Carpenter. A subtle reference to “Please Please Please,” she sings, “I’m fresh out of any good judgment,” overlooking the fact that with an song title this genius, she’s effectively scrubbed any negative album reviews from a Google search. And she leaves Short n’ Sweet with a message that’s both short and sweet: “Still, I choose to be in love with you.”
Short n’ Sweet is dripping with sugary romance and bold bite, and the new additions to the standard album add a level of esteem towards the influences behind the album while remaining as alluringly feisty as Carpenter herself.
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