Formerly a child actress, and now the No. 8 Spotify artist in the world, Sabrina Carpenter is the popstar of the year. With a new look, album and even a feud, the singer has captivated the world with her sixth studio album, Short n’ Sweet, released Aug. 23. Being a pop phenomenon of the year, this album has established Carpenter as a star. Girly vibes thrive on high and innocent-sounding vocals, paired with contrasting, twisted and explicit lyrics. Hints of country music complete the album.
According to People, Carpenter called the album Short n’ Sweet not because she is vertically challenged, but because her shortest relationships were the ones that affected her the most.
The artist shows maturity in her newest album from her previous one, emails i can’t send fwd: . While 2022 to 2023 was Carpenter’s soft and emotional era, Short n’ Sweet presents a confident woman who knows her worth. The narrative of hit single “Espresso” follows the passion a man feels for her. She sings, “Now he’s thinking about me every night … // Say you can’t sleep? // Baby I know, that’s that me espresso”. Her confidence is strong as she revels in his fixation on her, seemingly pleased and amused.
Carpenter also draws attention to the quiet intelligence and awareness of confident women. In “Coincidence”, she satirically remarks how coincidental her lover’s consecutive slip-ups are. Listeners may mistake this for insecurity, but the song really bolsters her image as a girlfriend with “a sixth sense” and high standards. Her flowy, passive aggressive vocals further convey her silent knowledge.
In “Good Graces” she informs a partner that although she is in love, she has plenty of other options if he isn’t up to the mark. She warns him, “Don’t mistake my nice for naive” and encourages him to “stay in [her] good graces”. Contrary to old-fashioned norms where women are eternally polite and grateful, Carpenter isn’t afraid to move on from the heartbreaks of emails i can’t send fwd: to being vocal and biting. She embodies the twists and turns of being a young woman.
The contrast of high, innocent, feminine vocals with viscous lyrics establishes the complications of girlhood. However, Carpenter’s lulling and teasing suggest some intentions beyond feminism. She dedicates a song to an ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend. She tells her, “You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissing you” because “I was already there.” This implies either Carpenter’s jealousy, arrogance or an attempt to get on the new girl’s nerves. The ambiguity shows the blurred line between arrogance and confidence in a girl.
A flirtatious and innocent rapping style in “Bed Chem” is completely opposite to the song’s lyrics. Society would typically frown upon the shameless descriptions in the song, and Carpenter plays on this with her sweet yet seductive voice. She is teasing her critics and audience, and the man to whom the song is spoken. The line between confidence and carelessness is further blurred.
Country twang from time to time spices up the whole album, and Carpenter isn’t the only pop artist who’s experimented with country music recently. Chappell Roan, Beyoncé and Desha are some other prominent singers who’ve incorporated country into their typically pop/hip hop songs. This could be a new trend in the music industry. It might also be part of a goal encompassed by Short n’ Sweet: to establish women – in the music industry and everywhere – as confident, intelligent and powerful.
On a related note, Carpenter’s musical and personal journey is similar to that of pop artist Olivia Rodrigo, with whom she had her infamous Joshua Basset love-triangle feud. Despite this tension, Rodrigo’s and Carpenter’s songs share similar messages, music and vocals. From the insecurity- and suffering- driven Sour to Guts, Olivia Rodrigo nailed a mature, biting, feminine-driven comeback. She elevated her success as a pop icon, especially among teenage girls.
Similarly, Carpenter shows maturity and confidence in her newest album from her last one. Short n’ Sweet has been met with reactions reminiscent of Guts. Young women in particular can’t get enough of Sabrina, and her songs are stuck in their heads. Both Rodrigo and Carpenter have become mainstream, massively popular pop stars with their new albums. For Olivia Rodrigo fans, I definitely recommend listening to Short n’ Sweet.
All in all, Short n’ Sweet brings back an age of female pop stars who are unafraid of criticism and being loud. Sabrina’s risky, storytelling songs may appeal to fans of artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Madonna and Britney Spears. If you like Guts, “Material Girl,” and “Toxic,” I highly recommend listening to Short n’ Sweet. It has songs that get boring after a few plays, but some like “Taste” and “Bed Chem” will live in your head rent-free. Sabrina Carpenter’s pop princess era has begun.
