Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet” album review 

The pop star’s sixth album blends upbeat vibes with a sharper, more explicit edge

A record album | Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán vis Pexels

Singer, songwriter, actress and fashion icon, Sabrina Carpenter, just released her sixth album, “Short n’ Sweet” on August 23. The album features 12 tracks, including some of her hit singles such as “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.” After performing on the Eras Tour with Taylor Swift, Carpenter gained mass amounts of popularity, which further skyrocketed after she began dating “Saltburn” star, Barry Keoghan.  

Carpenter released a teaser song from her album as early as April 11, 2024, then another on June 6, 2024. These hit songs generated a lot of hype for this album, as well as some drama and speculation about the meaning behind her song “Please Please Please.” Fans speculated that her song might have been about her boyfriend, Keoghan, because of his jarring role in the popular movie, “Saltburn,” alongside his appearance in her music video for the song. 

“Short n’ Sweet” starts off with a track called “Taste” and then jumps right into “Please Please Please” as the second track. “Espresso” sits in the middle of the album, and it’s finished off with a song called “Don’t Smile.” 

Carpenter’s album has a very peppy and upbeat vibe to the music, but there’s some very apparent hints of revenge and reminiscence in her lyrics. As the album indicates with the title, she keeps things very “short and sweet” in this album. The title serves as double meaning, representing her as a person, being both short and sweet.  

This album was much more explicit for Carpenter. She’s been doing some rebranding to her image, leaning more into the “man eater” pop icon than the “sweet and soft” popstar she started out as. “Short n’ Sweet” is a clear shift from her old image to her new emerging one. 

The album has almost all explicit songs, which are all seemingly about an ex-boyfriend as well. The first three songs on the album, “Taste,” “Please Please Please” and “Good Graces” have the upbeat, pop vibes that Carpenter is known for, whereas the next track, “Sharpest Tool,” has a softer flow to it. “Coincidence” and “Slim Pickins” stand out as acoustic songs, something Carpenter hasn’t done with her music in a while.  

Towards the end of the album, she has a song titled “Dumb & Poetic” that has a melancholier feel to it, and it truly showcases Carpenter’s amazing range and etherealness to her higher vocals. She slows the album down with slower songs such as “Dumb & Poetic,” “Lie to Girls” and the final song of the album, “Don’t Smile.”  

It’s apparent that performing alongside Swift on the Eras Tour has had an impact on Carpenter’s music style. This album has many “Taylor-like” elements to it while still maintaining Carpenter’s own image and vibes. Pop lovers and Swift fans alike can definitely enjoy the influence Swift has had on this album and Carpenter’s new image for herself. 

All in all, it’s easy to see why her popularity has been increasing lately, and it’ll be interesting to see what Carpenter comes up with next. Singer, songwriter, actress and fashion icon Sabrina Carpenter released her sixth album, “Short n’ Sweet,” on Aug. 23. The album features 12 tracks, including hit singles such as “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.” After performing on the Eras Tour with Taylor Swift, Carpenter gained widespread popularity, which further increased after she began dating “Saltburn” star Barry Keoghan. 

Carpenter released a teaser song from her album on April 11 followed by another on June 6. These singles generated significant hype as well as some drama and speculation about the meaning behind “Please Please Please.” Fans speculated that the song might be about her boyfriend Keoghan due to his role in “Saltburn” and his appearance in her music video for the song. 

“Short n’ Sweet” opens with the track “Taste” followed by “Please Please Please” as the second track. “Espresso” sits in the middle of the album, and it concludes with “Don’t Smile.” 

The album has a peppy and upbeat vibe with hints of revenge and reminiscence in Carpenter’s lyrics. As suggested by the title, she keeps things “short and sweet,” which also reflects her persona. 

This album marks a more explicit direction for Carpenter, who has been rebranding her image, shifting towards a “man-eater” pop icon rather than the “sweet and soft” pop star she initially portrayed. “Short n’ Sweet” clearly showcases this shift. 

The album features mostly explicit songs seemingly about an ex-boyfriend. The first three tracks—”Taste,” “Please Please Please” and “Good Graces”—maintain the upbeat pop vibe Carpenter is known for while “Sharpest Tool” offers a softer flow. “Coincidence” and “Slim Pickins” stand out as acoustic songs, a style Carpenter hasn’t explored recently. 

Towards the end of the album, “Dumb & Poetic” introduces a more melancholic feel, highlighting Carpenter’s vocal range and ethereal high notes. She slows the pace with tracks like “Dumb & Poetic,” “Lie to Girls” and the final song “Don’t Smile.” 

Performing alongside Swift on the Eras Tour seems to have influenced Carpenter’s music style. The album includes many elements reminiscent of Swift while still maintaining Carpenter’s unique image. Fans of pop music and Swift are likely to appreciate the influence and Carpenter’s evolving persona. 

Carpenter’s rising popularity is evident, and it will be interesting to see what she releases next. 

Brooklynn Jolley can be reached at [email protected]   

About the Author

Brooklynn Jolley Sophomore at the University of Idaho, majoring in Journalism with a minor in Psychology. I am the 2024-25 LIFE editor.

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