On Friday, Aug. 23, Sabrina Carpenter released her seventh album, “Short n’ Sweet.” Sabrina Carpenter is an American Disney actress turned pop star, known for getting her start on the hit kids show “Girl Meets World,” where she played the female lead along with her co-star Rowan Blanchard. Carpenter has been making music since 2013, but her music career was launched to stardom in 2022 with the release of her album “Emails I Can’t Send.” With a rebranding and altered music style, she has become one of the most prominent faces in pop today along with rising talents like Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan, and Taylor Swift.
The album rollout consisted of two single releases earlier this spring and summer, titled “Espresso” and “Please, Please, Please.” Both songs were well received by the public, becoming hits on social media apps and placing high on the Billboard Hot 100, with “Espresso” at the No. 3 spot and “Please Please Please” at the No. 1 spot at their peaks.
Given the frenzy surrounding the earlier single releases, and the love fans have for Carpenter’s previous album “Emails I Can’t Send,” many were excited to experience her latest releases for themselves, and she did not leave them disappointed.
The album starts off with “Taste,” a perfect track to set the tone for the rest of the album. With an amazingly sweet pop cadence, the song perfectly encapsulates the hyper-feminine, sassy, confident persona that Carpenter creates with her music. Her vocals are amazing, the lyrics are extremely witty, and not to mention the song is extremely addictive – seriously, it’s been stuck in my head all day.
Students at Central also appreciate Carpenter’s creative lyricism.
“I think the lyrics in ‘Please Please Please’ are so hilarious and sassy,” said Padmasri Thirunarayanan, senior.
While most of the album has the same upbeat, modern pop theme, there are two songs in particular that really catch you off guard due to the sudden genre change. “Coincidence” and “Slim Pickins” are amazing examples of multi-genre music in one album. Both songs are guitar based, which is rare for her newer songs, and are more like folk songs than anything else. While I was not expecting it, I absolutely loved the variation in song style, but some others don’t seem to agree.
“I’m not a fan of the country twang… I personally prefer her pop hits like ‘Espresso,’” said Kaan Turkyilmaz, senior.
I would say my top three from the album are “Taste,” “Bed Chem” and “Slim Pickins.” “Taste” and “Bed Chem” do such an exceptional job at showcasing her talents as a vocalist, while also being amazing feel-good pop jams. “Slim Pickins” is up there because I absolutely love folk, the song is such a gorgeous way to blend pop and folk, and it really is a unique addition to a predominantly pop album. Others around Central have their favorites, too.
“‘Lie To Girls’ is my favorite because I really like the lyrics, they’re really meaningful,” said Chloe Smith, senior.
Overall, I give the album a 9/10.
“Short n’ Sweet” is now streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.
