By Shrija Krishnan, Business Manager
After a summer of chart-topping singles, from “Espresso” to “Please Please Please,” Sabrina Carpenter released her highly anticipated sixth studio album, “Short n’ Sweet”, on Aug. 23. On this album, the pop star playfully embraces the role of “the other woman” on songs like “Taste,” a shift from her previous album, “Emails I Can’t Send,” where she sings a more sincere, injured tale of society villainizing her for her personal involvement in a love triangle on songs like “because i liked a boy.”
Carpenter’s songwriting makes this transition especially successful. Her characteristic dry humor, reflected in the witty one-liners and at times nonsensical ad libs riddled throughout the album, perfectly complements the nonchalant, detached character she attempts to craft.
Additionally, the maximalist pop instrumentals and audio layering revert the fleeting moments of sincerity on even the album’s most vulnerable tracks, like “Sharpest Tools,” into lighthearted, fun choruses, circling back to the nonchalant theme of the album.
While pop clearly remains Carpenter’s forte, with songs like “Bed Chem” and “Good Graces” having “Espresso” worthy choruses, the pop-star does experiment with other genres on the album, joining in on the country renaissance with songs like “Slim Pickins” and “Coincidence” and ending the album with a reverb, soft-rock number, “Don’t Smile.” Rather than genre experimentation though, perhaps Carpenter should focus on the storytelling in her songwriting.
Although the majority of songs are strong individual numbers, there is a lack of continuity between the tracks on this album. For example, the first song, “Taste,” which revolves around a love triangle, abruptly transitions to “Please Please Please,” in which Carpenter sings about an established relationship.
Listeners may have enjoyed seeing the character development of the persona Carpenter constructs on this album rather than a one-dimensional portrayal. Unfortunately, the lack of continuity leaves this album feeling more like an arbitrary collection of solid singles than a cohesive presentation of a storyline.
Additionally, although her lyricism is clever and sultry, there is still an amateurish ring to it. However, the lyrics were likely designed for the purpose of becoming sound bites on TikTok. Perhaps in the future, when Carpenter is able to showcase a more mature lens of her artistry, this is an additional avenue for her to explore.
For an album following a summer of great singles, this album didn’t disappoint. The 12 tracks on this album leaves listeners with just the perfect blend — something short n’ sweet.
Shrija Krishnan can be reached at [email protected].
