Since the success of summer hits like “Espresso” and “Please Please Please”, Sabrina Carpenter’s album “Short N’ Sweet” was one of the most anticipated albums of 2024. Short n’ Sweet debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart songs like “Please Please Please,” “Expresso” and “Taste.” Short n’ Sweet is Sabrina Carpenter’s seventh studio album. Despite being a certified no-skip album, some songs are sweeter than others. The question is which are sweet and which have fallen short.
The Short
Lie To Girls
Track 11, “Lie To Girls,” has one of the simpler instrumentals of the album. Every verse is gifted with a crescendo of instrumentals, however, it falls short due to the lyrics, particularly the chorus. The lyrics “You don’t have to lie to girls. If they like you, they’ll just lie to themselves” seem underdeveloped and surface-level.
Dumb & Poetic
Carpenter’s vocals truly shine in this song as she switches from soft to melodic. The instrumentals fit this song very well because her voice is the focal point. At some points of the song, it sounds like she is straining her voice, making it uncomfortable for listeners. This was higher than “Lie To Girls” because the lyrics, such as the chorus “Don’t think you understand. Just ’cause you talk like one doesn’t make you a man,” which is impactful throughout the song.
Sharpest Tool
Out of the lower-rated songs, this is the best one. This song had a better crescendo effect than “Lie To Girls.” The lyrics for this song are more hard-hitting than “Dumb & Poetic” because they feel more personal. The lyrics feel like a confrontation because she addresses “you” in this song.
The Sweet
Slim Pickins
Out of the more acoustic songs on this album, the best part of the song is her voice, which is in a softer tone, making her voice flow like honey. The instrumental is simple but it gives you a country vibe, that comes with the name slim pickings. The lyrics are very silly, lighthearted and paired with her wonderful voice, make it sound heavenly.
Espresso
“Espresso” is the song that started this craze, the song that helped Sabrina Carpenter dominate the start of 2024. This song has such a summer vibe, the instrumental incorporating a bit of 80s synth and guitar, giving it the best instrumental of the whole album. The lyrics are fun and unserious, which contrasts with the rest of this album. Many genuinely and truly love this song, as it dominated the summer of people worldwide.
Don’t Smile
“Don’t Smile” is the best song on this album, hands down. The song’s instrumental gives a late-night drive vibe and the way her voice is so soothing adds to the overall feel of this song. The best verse has to be the second one, the way she changes the melody to a more vibey tone is just amazing. It is one of my favorite songs of this year.
Sabrina Carpenter has been working on this album for two years, she wrote this album about her shortest relationships and their effects on her. She started her long-awaited Short N Sweet Tour on Sept. 3. The rating for the whole album is 8/10; it was underwhelming at first but I’ve grown to love it, the songs that fell short are still worth listening to.
