You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t experienced the joys of ‘Espresso’ and ‘Please Please Please’, the ubiquitous anthems of the summer. These glimpses into Sabrina Carpenter’s seductive and whimsical allure are on full display in Short n’ Sweet, the 36-minute cocktail of confidence-boosting, heart-on-sleeve and no-holds-barred tunes. Dubbed Gen Z’s ‘pop princess‘, the artist’s sixth album – arriving as she catapults into well-deserved mainstream stardom – is testament to her genre-blending, delightfully playful songwriting abilities.

If ‘Espresso’ taught us anything, it’s that Sabrina Carpenter has mastered the art of the love song. The album brims with the fun, flirty energy of new attraction. In the glossy, drum-driven ‘Bed Chem’, Carpenter mischievously speak-sings, “Who’s the cute boy with the white jacket and the thick accent?”, showing off her impressive vocal range throughout the track. ‘Juno’ reveals Carpenter at her cheekiest, as she coyly entertains the idea of a future family with her romantic interest: “If you love me right, then who knows?/ I might let you make me Juno” – a clever nod to the iconic 2007 rom-com. The artist radiates confidence on ‘Good Graces’, offering her suitors ‘some advice’: “You should stay in my good graces/ Or I’ll switch it up like that so fast/ ‘Cause no one’s more amazin’/ At turnin’ lovin’ into hatin.”

She means it, too. On Short n’ Sweet, where the joy of romantic relationships is addressed, messiness is quick to follow – and Carpenter is more driven than ever to hold the ‘softboi’ heartbreakers of the world accountable. In ‘Dumb & Poetic’, she delivers a scathing critique in unvarnished vocals: “Save all your breath for your floor meditation/ You’re so empathetic, you’d make a great wife/ And I promise the mushrooms aren’t changing your life,” calling out a manipulative partner who hides behind a veneer of pseudo-spirituality while neglecting genuine emotional connection. Meanwhile, amid the sparse production of ‘Sharpest Tool’, Carpenter revisits hints of deceitful behaviour: “We never talk about how you found God at your ex’s house/ Always made sure that the phone was face down.” The chain-like effect of the chorus’ anadiplosis, accompanied by an ascending melodic sequence, makes for a particularly emotionally-charged delivery, mirroring the very overthinking described in the lyrics. 

Carpenter’s biggest power lies in the unabashed honesty that her lovers evidently lack. The vulnerability surfaces as endearing self-awareness: “You’re so dumb and poetic,” she croons gently halfway through the record, “It’s just what I fall for/ I like the aesthetic.” The singer is amusingly, if painfully, conscious of the pitfalls of seeking intimacy out of habit rather than genuine romantic interest. “If I can’t have the one I love/ I guess it’s you that I’ll be kissin’/ just to get my fixings,” she showcases her vocal runs in the jaunty ‘Slim Pickins’. Perhaps most poignantly, ‘Lie to Girls’ touches on the insidious nature of choosing illusion over reality in matters of the heart: “You don’t have to lie to girls/ If they like you, they’ll just lie to themselves,” Carpenter’s voice echoes amongst mellow guitar strums and blissful harmonies.

Many of the project’s most thrilling moments come when Carpenter pushes beyond pure pop. She dips into folky goodness on ‘Coincidence’ and flirts with country twang in ‘Slim Pickins’. ‘Don’t Smile’ opens with silky piano and laid-back rhythms, flaunting Carpenter’s R&B chops, though maybe a little too reminiscent of Ariana Grande. Still, each track adds another layer to the sophisticated and sassy persona commanding the record. In Short n’ Sweet, Carpenter emerges not just as a powerhouse vocalist on flavourful pop bops, but as a witty and wise woman, leaving listeners hungry for her next move.