“Taste”
The perfect opening track for “Short n Sweet.” It’s very much an upbeat song heavily influenced by the guitar in the background, so Carpenter is easily able to showcase her vocals. She specifically chose a steady vocal progression from her verses to her chorus. This track is catchy and definitely going to be featured on some dance playlists. The main themes in this touch on revenge and confidence. My favorite lyric is “And every time you breathe his air, just know I was already there.”
“Please Please Please”
We all heard this song when it was released as a single back in June. I find this song to be particularly intriguing due to Sabrina’s harmonies in the chorus. Carpenter utilizes a southern twang in her vocals, so you have to respect her dipping into a different genre of music. Her lyrics in this track depict the concerns of having a partner who maybe falls into the “bad boy” category. My favorite is “I heard that you’re an actor, so act like a stand-up guy/ Whatever devil’s inside you, don’t let him out tonight.”
“Good Graces”
This song is great and certainly fun. It did not stand out as a favorite at first, but I found myself replaying it for its chorus. She utilizes the whisper while singing trend in a couple verses, and that did not feel like a Sabrina Carpenter staple. The beat is simple and does not change throughout the track. There’s nothing over the top about this song, and I can see it being featured on the radio a lot. With that being said, the chorus is certainly catchy and an absolute bop to dance to. My favorite lyric is “‘Cause no one’s more amazin’ at turnin’ lovin’ into hatred.”
“Sharpest Tool”
The production of this song is definitely cool and unique, but sometimes leads to confusion. It’s the type of production where the sound travels from one side of the speaker to the other, which has a habit of leaving listeners overwhelmed. However, Carpenter does open up about a subcategory of unrequited love. She gave this partner every ounce of her love and attention, but because he is not the “sharpest tool,” he never picked up on Carpenter’s signals that she was truly in love with him. My favorite lyric is “We never talk it through/ How you guilt-tripped me to open up to you.”
“Coincidence”
The simplicity in this song’s instrumentals is perfect. It looks like Carpenter utilized a touch of country for more than a couple songs on the album, proving her versatility as an artist. There’s a simple guitar strum that breaks off for her vocals, which symbolizes a sense of passion that stems from betrayal. I like that this track is somewhat of a continuation of “Sharpest Tool.” My favorite lyric is “Your car drove itself from L.A. to her thighs/ Palm Springs looks nice, but who’s by your side?”
“Bed Chem”
One of the more scandalous, intimate tracks on her album, “Bed Chem,” touches on the newly discovered chemistry with her latest partner, Barry Keoghan. She references him by his “white jacket” and “thick accent.” This song has a seductive R&B beat, fitting for such a title. The chorus in this one is a satisfying tongue-twister, the kind that once you finally memorize it, you can’t help but feel triumphant. My favorite lyric is “Said you’re not in my timezone, but you wanna be/ Where art thou? Why not uponeth me?”
“Espresso”
This song perfectly describes what it means to be a pop princess in 2024, a year specifically successful for women in the industry. Carpenter released this song as her first single for the album, and it immediately blew up for good reason. Deemed the “song of the summer” by people on social media, the track gives off a beachy vibe with its boombox-esque beat. I really like this song because it focuses around the idea of being obsessed over by your significant other. My favorite lyric is “I can’t relate to desperation/ My give-a-[expletive] are on vacation.”
“Dumb & Poetic”
Carpenter’s shortest song on her album sure packs the biggest, gut-wrenching punch. She brings her raw vulnerability to this one, focusing on the fact that her ex faked a poetic lifestyle, one of her weaknesses. Most people can relate to having an ex so full of deception and manipulation, so if you have never felt truly seen by a song, prepare to be honored by this one. My favorite lyric is “Just ‘cause you talk like one doesn’t make you a man.”
“Slim Pickins”
This track is refreshing because it features a more heavy southern influence. Carpenter is saying what most of us are thinking: there’s really not that many choices when it comes to love. She sings of settling down with someone she does not truly love simply because it’s the easy way out. My favorite lyrics are “Guess I’ll end this life alone/ I am not dramatic, these are just the thoughts that pass right through me.”
“Juno”
Without a doubt, this one is the most provocative song on “Short n Sweet.” Carpenter fantasizes about the idea of becoming pregnant by the man she is obsessed with. She talks about her intimate relations with her significant other, hoping to one day get to parent her child alongside him. It features the best of Sabrina Carpenter’s signature elements, such as unhinged lyrics and unreal vocals. The whole song references the 2007 movie starring Elliot Page, “Juno.” My favorite lyric is “Tell me I’m the only, only, only, only one.”
“Lie To Girls”
Her vocals are heavenly on this track. It’s almost intoxicating the way she sings her lyrics, enticing you to truly take in the meaning. Carpenter calls out her ex for lying to girls, solely to make them stay in the relationship. It’s also interesting because she states the girls are even lying to themselves in thinking they actually like this man. My favorite lyrics are “We love to read the cold, hard facts and swear they’re incorrect/ We love to mistake butterflies for cardiac arrest.”
“Don’t Smile”
This song has my favorite beat on the entire album. It expresses a sense of both grief and desire. She’s grieving the end of a relationship, but longing for her ex to reciprocate some sort of remorse for treating her so poorly. My favorite lyric is “My heart is heavy now, it’s like a hundred pounds/ It’s fallin’ faster than the way you love to shut me down.”
