On August 23, Sabrina Carpenter kept it Short n’ Sweet by delivering an album with just 12 cute and coquettish songs. This summer the world has been embracing her charmingly suggestive anthems with open arms, and with the release of this new album, she became the first female artist to simultaneously have their album chart #1 in the UK while holding the top 3 in the singles chart. With Short n’ Sweet reaching critical mass, it’s no wonder that Sabrina Carpenter is a worldwide success. However, one must wonder if these sweet, sexy and playful lyrics have more to them than meets the ear.
In a music industry dominated by pop princesses, Carpenter has established a unique sound with this album. In achieving that sound, the internet has been buzzing nonstop about her collaboration with Jack Antonoff, famous for producing many of Taylor Swift’s recent works. Listeners might be surprised to learn that Antonoff is only credited with four songs on the album. Strategically, Carpenter has moved away from direct comparison to Swift by working with multiple composers and producers.
You might have listened to songs like “Coincidence,” “Juno” or “Taste” and thought, “That sounds like it could be a One Direction song!” (No? Just me? Okay.) That’s because two major collaborators on the album were John Ryan and Julien Bunetta, two skilled songwriters who have collaborated most notably with groups like One Direction and Maroon5. Amy Allen and Ian Kirkpatrick also make multiple appearances in the album’s credits, making Short n’ Sweet an album filled with veterans of the pop music landscape.
This album is a weird culmination of synth-pop, disco-pop, country, folk and R&B sounds—but somehow it works and makes Carpenter stand out in a highly competitive industry. The album opens with a line that I deem iconic. In her song “Taste,” Carpenter sings, “Oh I leave quite an impression/Five feet to be exact.” This line overlays a sultry guitar rift and perfectly encapsulates the overwhelming confidence and self-assurance she expresses throughout this album. The line simultaneously acts as an acknowledgment that due to her recent success, all eyes are on her, and she is living for it.
“Taste” is infectiously sassy and a perfect album opener. The next tracks, “Juno” and “Bed Chem” rocked my world with how forwardly raunchy they were. Carpenter proclaimed this an “ovulation album,” and it undoubtedly lives up to the term. “Bed Chem” is irresistibly fun and incredibly explicit with just what she wants. “Juno” is undeniably catchy but I was slow to appreciate the song upon confirmation that it is based on the 2007 film rather than the Greek goddess of love and fertility. I was hesitant to appreciate the song when I found out Juno is a character who faces an unwanted teen pregnancy; it felt wrong to vibe to the sexually explicit lyrics in that context. The lyric “I might let you make me Juno” seems to simply utilize Juno as a digestible, radio-friendly replacement word for “pregnant.”
“Please Please Please,” “Espresso,” “Slim Pickins” and “Good Graces” are honorable mentions. In “Good Graces,” she sings,
“When I love you/I’m sweet/Like an angel/Drawing hearts ‘round our names/and dreamin’ of Writing vows/Rocking cradles/Don’t mistake my nice for naive.”
These lyrics greatly represent what I believe Carpenter is trying to perpetuate with Short n’ Sweet. The album art has a 1960s retro, hyperfeminine aesthetic. Her lyrics perpetuate femininity as well. In a world where people often equate coquettishness to male domination and naivety, Carpenter establishes the strength that can come with femininity. The entire album as an audiovisual medium screams, “I am hyperfeminine, but I know my worth. Don’t mess with me!” That message is what women must remember as coquette trends have resurfaced in recent years. I appreciate the aesthetic without the feeling that we’re regressing towards the 1950s.
Fun and poppy songs aside, more somber tracks like, “Sharpest Tool” and “Dumb and Poetic” can easily be overshadowed. Though I enjoy the songs, the serious nature of them makes any cliches stick out like a sore thumb. I understand that the point of “Dumb and Poetic” is to make the man she sings about look dumb but I wonder if there was a way to do it more profoundly. Overall, the ballads of this album lack the depth I was hoping for. I would be remiss to be strictly negative about “Lie to Girls,” though. It fantastically encapsulates how women overlook the red flags of men when they want to love and be loved. The outro is beautifully haunting and I have already seen TikTok edits to the song that have left me on the verge of tears. Finally, she makes the interesting choice to end the album with a song called “Don’t Smile,” beginning with the hook, “Don’t Smile because it happened baby/Cry because it’s over.” I have to give it to Carpenter, the song is sad yet ethereally psychedelic.
Despite Short n’ Sweet being her sixth studio album, Carpenter has reached a new level of stardom this year. The album establishes a brand for her whether she likes it or not. Is she going to regret the impression she leaves with this album? Perhaps she’ll regret some shallow lyricism but I don’t think she’ll regret the persona she has adopted. We all need more fun and flirty energy in our lives, especially when we are performing daunting daily tasks like walking to class. I will now shamelessly be blasting lyrics like, “Wanna try out my fuzzy pink handcuffs?” on the way to my 8:00 a.m. Thank you, Sabrina Carpenter.
Rating: 8/10
