By Anna Trevathan, Editor
Sabrina Carpenter broke the internet when she first released her Grammy-winning sixth album, Short N’ Sweet. This album of the summer went mega viral with hits like “Espresso,” “Bed Chem,” and, my favorite, “Slim Pickin’s.”
If you have missed this wave, I would describe Sabrina as a hyper-feminine pop star (extra emphasis on feminine). In an era where being a woman is getting more and more difficult, listeners get to experience the fun that can come with womanhood. Her music is the epitome of girlhood- windows down, sun out, and perfume on. The world has been waiting for more of this album, and Sabrina has granted that wish with Short N’ Sweet (Deluxe), released just this past Friday.
The deluxe version of this album includes five new tracks, and this week we’re diving into each one (in order of appearance!)
“15 Minutes”
My immediate first thought seeing the title is that famous phrase “fifteen minutes of fame.” In my lifetime, this phrase has often been unfairly paired with pop stars. It’s an almost backhanded compliment- like saying “yes, this star has achieved fame but it won’t last.” Sabrina Carpenter takes this phrase and turns it into some of her famous sexual innuendo with the lines,
“I can do a lot in fifteen minutes / Only gonna take two to make you finish.” Which I personally love because why, as a society, are we not complaining about men’s fifteen minutes of game instead? And, if we didn’t already get the message that she is not bothered by the alleged fifteen minutes, she ends the song with the line “I’ll leak some pictures, maybe / Say something batshit crazy.” Carpenter has no intention of leaving the spotlight anytime soon, and we wouldn’t want her to anyway.
“Please Please Please (feat. Dolly Parton)”
Let me preface this by saying that I really love country music! I’m from Appalachia which means I will never turn down a Banjo and I will also never turn down a Dolly Parton track. So, this new country rendition of “Please Please Please” was easily my most anticipated song of the album. I love that she was able to keep a lot of the original track while also giving Dolly the necessary room for her vocals in the song. Their voices blend so well in an unexpected way, and it’s a really beautiful example of yet another artist joining the trend of experimenting with new genres.
I love to hear Dolly Parton, an artist who famously had a fit with men in her time as well, singing on this track about begging men to not embarrass her. It’s an ode to what songs made for and by women are all about. I know, writing this, that it will not be everyone’s favorite deluxe song. People are quick to judge southern music (and southern people at that,) but I’m happy to see that Sabrina Carpenter can appreciate the impact of southern artists in her work.
“Couldn’t Make It Any Harder”
Carpenter slows it down for this track, singing along to a guitar as the limited mix gives focus on her vocals. While most of the album holds a lot of blame and frustration towards men, which is, admittedly, part of what made it famous, in this track she takes some of that blame and puts it on herself with lyrics like “(I) couldn’t make it any harder to love me.”
There’s a level of introspection in this track that gives depth to the album that had been missing on the standard edition. Carpenter has obviously experienced heartbreak in the past, and she shows that those experiences have made it difficult to trust and open up to someone new. It’s easy to give the aforementioned “two minutes,” but it’s much harder to give a lifetime.
“Busy Woman”
Bubblegum 80’s pop at it’s finest, “Busy Woman” has the perfect blend of humor and playfulness, with background synths that really lean into that classic sound that dominated the 80’s hit list. Lyrically, this track is applicable to most modern day workers in America. It explores the weight of dating, questioning whether that weight is even worth the time of day when you’re “busy.”
It’s hard, in a capitalist society at least, to take the risk of a bad date on a Saturday night when it takes up a quarter of your free weekend to do so. This struggle is a major part of modern “hookup culture,” leading to the success of simple dating apps like Tinder. Carpenter herself even admits to only being available “at night” for anyone looking for love.
The song also touches on Carpenter’s difficulty with rejection, another contributing factor to a tough dating life. If you’re a busy person who likes Daft Punk and late-night calls this song might just be for you!
“Bad Reviews”
To all my girls who have dated a man that everyone but you knew you should leave, this one was made for you. “Bad Reviews” is a track that has a wonderful stripped bluegrass sound, again really focusing on the vocals and lyrics. Carpenter describes a man who is full of bad news, bad reviews and just bad vibes all around.
But, even with all these red flags and warnings put up about this man, she sings, “Still I choose to be in love with you,” reminding listeners that it is a choice to be with a man who does not respect or value you. She’s also letting us know that even herself, a woman who genuinely looks like a modern day Marilyn Monroe, struggles with that choice too. Later, touching on hookup culture again, she says that she “can’t lose another boy that’s not even (her) boyfriend.” With the rise of situationships and the fall of organic dating, I believe this track will be felt by a lot of her fans.
Short N’ Sweet (Deluxe) delivers more of that infectious pop sound that made the album viral in the first place. With playful pop anthems and emotional introspective ballads, each track offers a new side of Carpenter.
Embracing country and synth on a few of these tracks, I’m left to wonder if this could be the beginning of an experimental phase for her. Still, it’s easy to see that America will continue choosing to be in love with Sabrina Carpenter.
