Short n’ Sweet Is Short, But Not So Sweet

A little under four months after her tantalizingly beach chic “Espresso” (2024) dropped, Sabrina Carpenter released Short n’ Sweet (2024). The album is Carpenter’s third from the studio, and it comes at a high point in her ascent towards mainstream stardom. Carpenter first came to attention for her role on the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World (2014–2017) before pursuing a career in singing, not dissimilar to the path taken by fellow rising pop star Olivia Rodrigo. Carpenter is known for her velvety voice, range, and cheeky lyrics.

Short n’ Sweet is decidedly more mellow than her previous works; though the album features some upbeat songs, the overall tone is subdued in comparison to Emails I Can’t Send (2022). The record draws on an aesthetic of vintage Hollywood, ‘50s and ‘60s doo-wop, and a smidge of country. These influences are crystal clear in Carpenter’s visual additions to the album, as well as some songs—the music video for “Espresso” has Carpenter wearing retro beach outfits, complete in pinup bathing suits and minidresses, and the press she’s done for her album has featured gauzy minidresses and bustier silhouetted jumpsuits.  

In “Slim Pickins,” the country aspect comes through loud and clear. Carpenter channels Dolly Parton’s energy as she melismatically glides her way through the downbeat song about a depressing love life, stocked with Western adages and the titular “slim pickings.” Carpenter aptly repeats, “I guess it's you that I'll be kissin’ / Just to get my fixings,” relating her potential lovers to poor finishing touches on a Southern meal. “Please Please Please” also stays true to the source material, evoking both angsty ballads like “A Teenager in Love” (1959) and musical numbers like “Bye Bye Birdie” (1963). These two songs, along with the smoothly energized hit “Espresso,” are the strongest songs in the album, embracing the styles they build off of.

However, the majority of the songs on Short n’ Sweet are not loyal to these influences. The listener’s immersion in Carpenter’s retro vision is broken between songs such as “Please Please Please” and “Slim Pickins” by stereotypical pop songs. “Bed Chem” is a high-toned, layered, and reverbed song with an unsatisfying chorus, and “Taste,” which has a polished, upbeat tempo, deep guitar strokes, and soft, floating vocals, would be better placed on a ‘90s pop influenced record. 

Along with the thematic inconsistencies, Carpenter’s lyricism swings wildly from tongue-in-cheek wit (“this boy doesn’t even know/the difference between ‘there,’ ‘their’ and ‘they are’” in “Slim Pickins”) to hollow refrains—the phrase “I won’t give a [EXPLETIVE] about you” makes up about half of the lyrics in “Good Graces.” Frustratingly, the lyrical sophistication between songs goes up and down throughout the duration of the album. Meanwhile, “Juno” and “Bed Chem” have almost identical high-tempo rhythms and strikingly similar tunes with little note variation, down to the ‘80s synth-esque opening riffs. “Dumb and Poetic” and “Sharpest Tool” also sound alike, featuring calm acoustic guitar and Carpenter singing in a breathy almost-whisper. What could have been condensed into two or three more developed songs now serves as repetitive filler and detracts from the rest of the album. 

Short n’ Sweet is by no measure a bad album, but it lacks the cohesiveness it needs to be truly successful. The songs on the album jarringly fluctuate between Hollywood glamor and Bubblegum pop, creating a confusing soundscape that is largely unmemorable. Sabrina Carpenter is not lacking in talent, but her album is lacking in polish and thematic consistency.