Hi music lovers! Welcome to Symphonic Saturday. I’m Claire O’Connor and I will be writing about all things music — album reviews, drama in the industry, artist spotlights, and much more. I’ve always been obsessed with music, so much so I fell in love with singing then joined chorus and Tri-M.
I listen to a lot of pop, alternative, indie, and singer-songwriter type music, but you can definitely catch me listening to hip-hop and rap too! Some of my favorite current artists include Taylor Swift, Noah Kahan, Hozier, TV Girl, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish, Clairo, Gracie Abrams, and SZA.
Speaking of Sabrina Carpenter, today I’ll be focusing on her newly released album, “Short n Sweet!”
After this post, you can check in every Saturday at 10AM to hear all my takes on music!
Review
I’ve been a Sabrina Carpenter fan for about five years now – I’ll admit to getting a bit territorial due to her newfound level of fame following this summer. When I was younger I was obsessed with Carpenter’s spunky role as Maya in the Disney show “Girl Meets World.” Fifth grade Claire was rocking out to the girly and carefree “Can’t Blame a Girl For Trying” off Carpenter’s debut album.
Another album, “emails i can’t send” led me to obsess over Carpenter’s music and persona even more than I already did. The album truly showcased a new maturity in Carpenter’s sound and songwriting that brought her to an entirely new level of talent.
When I was scrolling on Instagram one day at lunch and saw the new album announcement for “Short n Sweet,” I was ecstatic. To add onto that excitement, the release date, Aug. 23, was my 16th birthday. I instantly preordered the record, as I always do, and waited.
And waited.
And waited. Until finally, I turned 16 and was honestly thinking more about the new Sabrina Carpenter album than my birthday. If the album was anything like the two singles, “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” then I knew I was in for a treat.
This album absolutely blew me away. I expected the album to be sonically and lyrically amazing, but I didn’t expect the complete diversion from any of Carpenter’s other music – and I love it.
I have never listened to an album where the humor and personality of the artist shines through so bright and clear. Carpenter runs with a certain cheekiness that lands perfectly without becoming repetitive or annoying. Lines like “this boy doesn’t even know the difference between there, their, and they are” are the reasons why this album is so magical.
Do I think “Short n Sweet” is lyrically as profound as “emails i can’t send?” No.
Is it an album where you can dance around in your bedroom and giggle at the clever lyrics and dry delivery? Absolutely.
Song spotlight: “Slim Pickins”
Carpenter displayed the twangy track “Slim Pickins” three weeks before the album release, at the Grammy museum. The song immediately blew up on TikTok for the seemingly southern accent Carpenter sang with.
Prior to the album release, because of the Grammy museum performance, this song was one I was most looking forward to hearing on streaming. Carpenter definitely didn’t disappoint.
This song has a completely different sound than any tracks on the album, with some bouncy guitar and sly southern twang. Carpenter sings about having trouble finding a suitable match, and settling on a lesser one “just to get her fixins.”
I loved this track so much I wished there was more like it on the album. I hope she plays into this country sound on future tracks, because it suits her so well.
Final remarks
“Espresso” was the song of the summer but “Short n Sweet” is the album of the summer. This album was simply perfect pop — something that has been lacking in the recent world of music. Carpenter’s personality is clearly displayed throughout the record and I get the sense that it is more true to herself than any of her other music.
It’s hard for me to find an album where I like every song — but Sabrina Carpenter did just that. This album is definitely staying in my “Good Graces.”
