Artist: Sabrina Carpenter
Album: Short n’ Sweet
Reviewer: Jade Forrest
Leading up to the release of Sabrina Carpenter’s long-awaited sixth album Short n’ Sweet, I was preparing for a fun-filled night as it was my friend’s 21st birthday. We were sitting in the living room talking about our day, what bars we would go to and our transport from the house and back. And like Cinderella, we were anticipating the clock, as Spotify releases new albums at 10pm Mountain time Thursday nights. Screams of glee filled the house as we navigated the TV Spotify to her artist account, and there we were met with Sabrina’s smug headshot staring back at us as if she knew we were frantically typing on the onscreen keyboard.
Short ‘n Sweet lives up to its name, clocking in at a very modest 35 minutes. As seen from the two singles “Espresso” and “Please, Please, Please,” Sabrina (with the help of producer Jack Antonoff) blends the genres of pop, R&B and disco in a lipstick-marked package. For its time, this project works as an enjoyable farewell to summer flings and beachside dates. However, with such relaxed instrumentals, some of the songs feel like a hit or miss especially when the album goes into its more ballad periods from “Dumb and Poetic” to “Lie to Girls.”
And then there’s Jack Antonoff, the firm tofu of the pop scene. He has a way of building a great foundation so the artist can add their flavor and create something special and personal. But, when the artist goes for a minimal laid-back style, there feels like a large gap missing in a song. It leaves more to be desired. This is also how I feel when it comes to other projects that have Antonoff’s name on it. Maybe this factor isn’t supposed to be a bad reflection on Jack, but more of a bad reflection on the contemporary pop genre, as it is a soulless entity of corporate slavery and broad acceptability for the masses.
Short n’ Sweet is good, though! A solid pop album and pretty replayable, especially since most of the songs are sub-3 minutes long. If you enjoyed this, check out my recommendations below.
Enjoyed “Taste” and “Bed Chem” (earworm R&B pop hits):
Rachel Chinouriri – What a Devastating Turn of Events
Renee Rapp – Snow Angel
Enjoyed “Espresso” and “Good Graces” (nu-disco revival):
Yukika – Soul Lady
Jessie Ware – That! Feels Good!
Enjoyed “Coincidence” and “Slim Pickins” (country-pop resurgence)
Britti – Hello, I’m Britti
Megan Maroney – Am I Okay?