Sugar, spice and everything nice arrives in the form of Sabrina Carpenter’s sixth studio album, “Short n’ Sweet,” which released Aug. 23. It marks her second album under her current record label, Island Records.
Despite a decade-long musical career, Carpenter has risen to pop stardom only recently. The popularity of her recent songs has led to her headlining major musical festivals like Coachella and Outside Lands. The widespread success of “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” — which landed spots at the top of the Billboard Global 200 for a number of weeks — led fans to excitedly anticipate the upcoming album.
With 12 songs on the album, including “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” Carpenter shows that she deserves the title of modern “pop princess.”
“Short n’ Sweet” is a record that is both racy and candid, with some of Carpenter’s most explicit lyrics yet. From suggestive lines and themes in some songs to more vulnerable tracks, the album does not shy away from exploring Carpenter’s sexuality and her musical versatility.
In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, she explained that the album title was inspired by some of the relationships she has had. The shortest relationships were the ones that left the most profound impact.
The first track on the album is “Taste,” a cheeky slacker rock-inspired song about an ex that got back together with his previous girlfriend. She sings, “Hе’s funny, now all his jokes hit different / Guеss who he learned that from?” Aside from “tasting” her on his lips, her ex’s girlfriend will have to face Carpenter’s presence in a nonphysical form: his personality and humor.
Carpenter channels ‘90s R&B in the third song, “Good Graces.” She sings in the chorus, “Boy, it’s not that complicated / You should stay in my good graces / Or I’ll switch it up like that so fast.” Carpenter conveys how her love for a partner can easily turn to hatred if he acts disrespectfully in their relationship.
The fourth track, “Sharpest Tool,” reflects on her ex’s lack of communication and investment in their relationship, second-guessing whether it was only casual. Complemented by mellow synths that set a poignant mood, she sings, “We never talk it through / How you guilt-tripped me to open up to you / Then you logged out, leavin’ me dumbfounded.” The clever lyrics illustrate the manipulative and detached nature of her ex.
“Coincidence” is the first of two country-influenced songs on the album. Acoustic guitar accompanies Carpenter as she sarcastically recounts the “coincidences” of her ex’s previous girlfriend becoming involved in his life again. The lines, “Palm Springs looks nice, but who’s by your side? / Damn it, she looks kinda like the girl you outgrew,” highlights the lies her ex told her and his betrayal.
Carpenter’s flirtatious and light vocals demonstrate her sultry side in the next track, “Bed Chem.” Using innuendos and suggestive humor, she tells of her infatuation with her love interest and her fantasies about their sexual chemistry.
The eighth track, “Dumb & Poetic,” shows her at her most vulnerable and scathing. She sings with mounting frustration, “Gold star for highbrow manipulation / And ‘love everyone’ is your favorite quotation.” Her ex pretended to be someone well-spoken and considerate when they were together, but he failed to live up to it.
“Lie to Girls” is the penultimate song on the album. “You don’t have to lie to girls,” she sings, “If they like you, they’ll just lie to themselves.” Carpenter admits she will bend the truth during a relationship to paint her partner in a better light. She’s “just like her mother and sisters,” who will forgive the partners that wronged them.
While some fans may believe the album is not as emotionally raw as its predecessor, on the contrary, “Short n’ Sweet” is just as sincere and introspective. Its charm lies in its balanced sensuality and vulnerability, and Carpenter’s growth as an artist is evident in the different sounds featured on the album.
Sabrina Carpenter will be kicking off the North American leg of the “Short n’ Sweet Tour” on Sept. 23. She will be performing in Boston Oct. 3 at TD Garden.
