Is “Short n’ Sweet” worth the listen?
On Aug. 23, Sabrina Carpenter released her sixth studio album titled “Short n Sweet.” The album is highly influenced by country, R&B and rock sounds. The album originally has 12 tracks, but Carpenter also released two digital bonus tracks, “Busy Woman” and “Needless to Say.” The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
Taste: 7/10
“Taste” was a good first track to kick off Carpenter’s new album and era. It served as a reminder of her vocal capabilities and ability to make memorable pop hits. It was also a good introduction to the theme of the album.
Please Please Please: 9/10
“Please Please Please” was a great choice for a single to follow up the success of “Espresso.” Her delivery of the catchy and humorous lyrics make this song stand out from the rest. Jack Antanoff’s producing talent also helped elevate this hit. Now, apart from the music itself, this song was iconic for Carpenter. She used the music video to hard launch her relationship with actor Barry Keoghan by casting him as one of the leads.
Good Graces: 6.5/10
“Short n’ Sweet” is stacked with potential new singles because almost every song is designed to be a catchy radio hit. Carpenter’s ability to use lyric repetition to her advantage is unmatched.
Sharpest Tool: 6/10
The most that can be said about this song is that it has a good pre-chorus. As a whole, the song is slower paced in comparison to other tracks on this album. However, the speed picks up during the pre-chorus and makes the song fun to sing along to.
Coincidence: 7/10
“Coincidence” is a very obvious country influenced track. In this song she does a lot of clear storytelling that details the events of her ex-boyfriend getting back together with his ex. While the lyrics and production of the song are good, it is the story that makes it truly interesting.
Bed Chem: 5/10
“Bed Chem” is a fun song, but it feels as if it was constructed to trend and lacks depth. Carpenter is amazing at fun pop songs and this is no exception. However, this is a track that gets lost among all the others because of their similar sounds.
Espresso: 9/10
“Espresso” is pop perfection. It is Carpenter’s most popular song, with 1.2 billion Spotify streams, for good reason.
Dumb & Poetic: 8.5/10
With “Dumb & Poetic” Carpenter finally slows it down and gets more vulnerable with her lyrics. It’s refreshing to hear her get more personal with her lyrics while continuing to add touches of her own humor. Her vocals and ability to showcase emotion with her delivery were especially impressive.
Slim Pickins: 5/10
The country influences return with “Slim Pickins.” The song doesn’t have anything that sets it apart from others, but a well composed track nonetheless. The song could have done without the line “This boy doesn’t even know the difference between ‘there’, ‘their’ and ‘they are.’” While it may be relatable to many listeners, it somehow takes away from the songs potential timelessness.
Juno: 6/10
Throughout her career, Carpenter has never strayed from explicit suggestions in her songs, but “Juno” takes it to another level. The song explores sexuality through Roman mythology references. Juno is the Roman goddess of childbirth, marriage and women.
Lie to Girls: 8/10
“Lie to Girls” brings a return to slower, more personal Sabrina Carpenter songs. The echoey, whispery background vocals mixed with an R&B beat elevate the song. It also does a great job of encapsulating the girl experience with “You don’t have to lie to girls/ If they like you they’ll just lie to themselves.” The guitar outro is also a beautiful addition.
Don’t Smile: 5/10
The piano intro that leads into the produced beat makes “Don’t Smile” automatically attention grabbing. Her words do get slightly lost because the music overpowers her voice, but the song is still good. The long slow winding down of the intro provides for a good conclusion to the album.
