Promotional Image // Sabrina Carpenter
By: Jordan Sarver-Bontrager
Media Writer
Sabrina Carpenter’s sixth studio album, “Short n’Sweet”, is the very definition of bubblegum pop. While I enjoyed this album, I definitely didn’t think it was anything special. Does that matter though? I don’t think it does – not every album has to be revolutionary or a benchmark in music. There’s time for dumb fun.
The album starts with the thumping “Taste”, with the distorted electric guitar and driving bass making the song an exhilarating ride. It’s probably my favorite song on the album. I also liked “Please Please Please”, particularly how wispy the feel of the song was. Another highlight was “Slim Pickin’s”. I really liked the acoustic production on the track – it made it really feel like a country-lite song. “Juno” was also a song I enjoyed.
On the note of the production on the album, I definitely feel like it’s hitting the standard for a pop album this decade. I liked how prevalent the guitars were, and the production on the guitars, whether electric or acoustic, was very clean and very tight. That also goes for the bass and drums.
I did feel as though this album washed over me. Tracks like the lead single “Espresso” didn’t really wow me. It’s a summer song, but I wasn’t very impressed by the sound or lyrical writing. The lyrics on the album weren’t very dynamic, but again, I’m not sure how much that matters.
Sabrina has a style, and I think she does it rather well. Her lyrics aren’t necessarily deep, but she brings attitude and humor to her lyrics, which I really appreciate. I definitely didn’t feel the emotion I think she was trying to get out of listeners on tracks like “Dumb & Poetic” and “Don’t Smile”.
Overall, “Short n’Sweet” is a good summer pop album. It has a lane, and it stays in that lane without veering too much from it. I think it meets the standard for modern pop albums while not exceeding those standards like what Charli xcx’s “brat” and Billie Eilish’s “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT DID”, or last year’s stellar “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” by Chappell Roan. For those reasons, I’m giving this album a 7/10.
