Album Review: Short N' Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter’s sixth studio album, Short N' Sweet, is like that perfectly brewed cup of espresso—compact, invigorating, and exactly what you didn’t know you needed. At first sip (or listen), it seems like another round of polished, radio-ready anthems, but there's much more brewing beneath the surface.
Short N' Sweet is available now on vinyl. Click here to know more
Don't use Spotify? Listen on: Apple Music | YouTube Music
Carpenter has long embraced brevity in her albums, with Short N' Sweet fitting neatly into her discography like a well-organized closet—no clutter, just essentials. But don’t let the album’s glossy exterior fool you. Beneath the sheen, there’s a rich tapestry woven with the threads of a young artist finding her voice amidst the white-hot spotlight of fame.
The album’s two lead singles, “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” introduced us to a persona that’s equal parts sassy, confident, and heartbreakingly vulnerable. Carpenter presents herself as a woman who’s not just pretty but tough, with a sharp wit that cuts through her lyrics like a knife through butter.
Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso (Official Video):
Sabrina Carpenter - Please Please Please (Official Video):
The songs here explore love in all shapes and sizes—true love, stupid love, lust, betrayal, and heartbreak—but always with a side of self-awareness that keeps the listener on their toes. The lyrics are filled with f-bombs, sexual innuendos, and hilarious put-downs that are all the more biting because they’re delivered with such sweetness.
Pop music has evolved quite a bit from its disco-diva days. Where ABBA, Madonna, and Michael Jackson once ruled with their larger-than-life personas and dancefloor anthems, today’s pop is more like a smoothie—blended with a bit of everything. Carpenter taps into this modern melange, fusing nostalgic nods with contemporary beats that are equal parts retro and right now.
Sabrina herself has admitted that this album feels more like her second, a continuation of the artistic liberation she began with Emails I Can’t Send where she’s shaking off the last remnants of her child star image and stepping fully into her own.
Yet, Short N' Sweet isn’t just about chasing chart success; It’s more like a sly wink at the pop playbook. Tracks like “Coincidence” and “Slim Pickins” buck the trend of high-octane bangers in favor of something more introspective and, dare I say, quirky. There’s a whisper of indie-pop here, a twang of bluegrass there—little surprises that keep you on your toes. Carpenter is clearly not just another pop princess churning out hits; she’s an artist exploring new corners of her musical kingdom.
That said, the album isn’t without its overly polished moments. Sometimes, it feels like every rough edge has been buffed to a high shine, leaving you longing for a bit of grit. The ballads, particularly “Dumb & Poetic” and “Don’t Smile,” showcase Carpenter’s vocal prowess, but they also hint at a deeper, more complex emotional side. “Don’t Smile,” with its achingly honest line, “Don’t smile because it happened, baby; cry because it’s over,” flips the script on the usual post-breakup platitudes, offering a refreshingly raw take on loss and closure. It’s the kind of lyric that stays with you, long after the music fades.
Lyrically, Short N' Sweet dances around familiar themes—heartbreak, self-discovery, resilience—but with a sharp wit and a hint of sarcasm that feels distinctly Carpenter. Tracks like “Juno” and “Good Graces” are proof that she can wield her pen as deftly as her voice, cutting through the sweetness with a dash of cynicism that’s as refreshing as it is unexpected.
All in all, Short N' Sweet feels like a stepping stone—a glimpse into an artist still discovering the full extent of her powers. It may not be perfect, but when it hits, it hits hard, leaving you eager to see where Sabrina Carpenter goes next. If this album is any indication, she’s just getting started, and we’re all in for one hell of a ride.
Comments