‘Short n’ Sweet’ Album Review: Playful and Poignant

Sabrina Carpenter’s sixth studio album, “Short n’ Sweet,” is a dazzling dose of witty songwriting, sparkly synths, and dynamic vocals that has quickly cemented itself as one of the best albums of the summer.

Carpenter’s two singles off the album, “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” set expectations high, topping Billboard’s Global Excl. U.S. and Global 200 charts, respectively. With odd yet catchy lyrics proclaiming “I know I Mountain Dew it for ya” and “If you don’t want to cry to my music / Don’t make me hate you prolifically” alongside an irresistible pop-disco sound, the tracks were a captivating preview of the album.

Opening with “Taste,” the album begins with Carpenter ridiculing her ex’s new girlfriend instead of lamenting over the breakup. The track alludes to Carpenter being ever-present in the next relationship with lines like, “He’s funny now, all his jokes hit different / Guess who he learned that from?,” where Carpenter is reveling in the impact she’s had. The drums throughout the chorus, second verse, and pre-chorus give “Taste” its ’80s disco sound, but the building rock guitar in the bridge gives the track some edge, fitting its message of self-assuredness despite Carpenter’s ex moving on.

The album doesn’t just stick to bouncy disco-pop songs though. “Good Graces” leans into an R&B sound. With a smooth beat and high, airy vocals that evoke the likes of Ariana Grande and Mariah Carey, it effectively steps away from the other tracks sonically, remaining cohesive with the album through its lyrics. Following “Please Please Please” it reinforces Carpenter’s pleas for her partner not to embarrass her by affirming that if you “do something suspect, this cute ass bye bye.”

“Short n’ Sweet” features a few slower-tempo ballads as well, with varying degrees of success. “Don’t Smile” concludes the album on a low note and feels out of place amongst Carpenter’s sharp wit and boundless energy throughout the remainder of the album. The melancholic vocal delivery lacks the passion to make the song heart-wrenching, instead sounding mellow and drawn out.

Carpenter can certainly do an emotional ballad well, and “Lie to Girls” is a compelling example. The stripped-back instrumentals at the start, which predominantly feature a guitar backing Carpenter’s vocals, create a sense of intimacy as she recounts broken promises and affairs. The track calls upon the experience of women breaking their own hearts to make excuses for men that treat them badly. Carpenter’s vocals diverge into two voices as she sings, “I’m just like / My mother (and my sisters) / All my (all my friends)” to invoke a sense of relatability. Her monotone delivery of “We love to read the cold hard facts and swear they’re incorrect” before the echoing line “We love to mistake butterflies for cardiac arrest” makes these sentiments feel universal. The track’s outro combines repeating lyrics with building drums to acutely convey heartache and pain.

While “Dumb & Poetic” is the most vengeful song on the album, its calm, melodic start lets Carpenter show the evolution from feeling upset at yourself to angry with your ex. She admonishes him for putting on a pretentious persona, sarcastically professing, “You’re so empathetic, you’d make a great wife / And I promise the mushrooms aren’t changing your life.” The forlorn sound of “Dumb & Poetic” works well with Carpenter’s bitterness in the song, where the limited production allows her emotion to come through.

“Bed Chem” is a standout from the album, with Carpenter embracing her sexuality with goofy innuendos, dreamy synths, and breathy vocals. From her more cheeky lines like “manifest that you’re oversized” to the Shakespearean “Where art thou? Why not uponeth me?,” Carpenter has fun and enjoys the chemistry she feels, centering her indulgence in her relationship instead of being the pleading girlfriend or heartbroken ex.

Though “Short n’ Sweet” comes in at just 36 minutes, it beautifully encapsulates Carpenter’s lighthearted humor and skillful lyricism. From setting boundaries about how she wants to be treated and unabashedly flirting to condemning her ex for a lack of substance, Carpenter pokes fun at relationships and embraces having a good time despite making mistakes in the past. Packing an emotional punch with self-reflection but also espousing confidence and playfulness, the album is truly “short n’ sweet.”

—Staff writer Anna Moiseieva can be reached at anna.moiseieva@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @AMoiseieva.