Back catalogue: Pop

Review: Sabrina Carpenter's sixth studio album Short N Sweet defines an era, triply word-playing on the briefness of her first romances, media runtimes, and the artist's height. Exploring the Gen Z icon's love life and perspectives on 2020s dating, the title refers to Carpenter's shortest ever romantic relationship, as she endeavours to honour the validity of said encounter in a glacial climate of a staid romantic culture that emphasises long-termism as the only possible form of true love. And yet despite the imaginary spirit of carefreeness, Carpenter's lyrics are pretty pessimistic if you listen past the poppified blitz of sound: the sense is that generations of lovers have failed to account for the true polyvalence of love, where even the shortest of encounters can engender the worst of heartbreaks.

Review: American singer and former Disney starlet Sabrina Carpenter delivers her sixth album, Short n' Sweet, following up 2022's Emails I Can't Send. It's only natural that Carpenter swerve terse after said prior record dealt in lengthier themes of abjection and unsent, gushing letters; this time around, Sabrina appears purged of her former gripes with love-life, its lead single 'Espresso' manifesting as the neo-funk ode to give-a-fucks sent flying ("I can't relate to desperation" she croons). A stark and carefree contrast to the longing for belonging potrayed on her last record.

Review: Sabrina Carpenter has very quickly become a new school pop sensation. She has the look, the sound, the songs, and was also given a huge boost by being the support act on the recent and epic Taylor Swift tour. Short n’ Sweet is her new albumi and one that captures the vibrant energy of Carpenter with plenty of sugary hooks, catchy grovers and dazzling produciton flourishes. With a gold album and multiple platinum singles to her name, it’s no surprise that 'Espresso,' the lead single from her upcoming album, has it all—witty lyrics that make you smile and songwriting so clever you’ll wish you’d written it yourself. The rest of the tracks are not far different.

Review: Short n' sweet is perhaps the prevalent ideal of pop music today. Sabrina Carpenter's nectarous new record is a delightfully brief pick-me-up, one that nails the style. Described as a "pocket-sized popstar with a larger-than-life artistic presence" by Polydor, Carpenter's depiction as an idol of convenience and portability feels apt for today's always-on, attention-frazzling zeitgeist. Quick songwriterly syrups brightened-to-perfection productions help Carpenter trade in themes of youthful exuberance and glib spirit, as echoes of country music efflux through trap and ratchet pop; a quick rinse-off in an infinity pool of post-Taylor-Swift gloss. Titles like 'Sharpest Tool', 'Espresso', '15 Minutes' and 'Bed Chem' all seem to affirm the record's effective immediacy: and Carpenter owns the stimulant shot, as she taunts a romantic rival: "you'll just have to taste me me when he's kissing you..."