Short n' Sweet | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 23, 2024 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 36:15 | |||
Label | Island | |||
Producer |
| |||
Sabrina Carpenter chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Short n' Sweet | ||||
|
Short n' Sweet is the sixth studio album by American singer Sabrina Carpenter. It was released on August 23, 2024, through Island Records. Primarily a pop record with country, disco, rock, and R&B influences, Short n' Sweet was produced by Julian Bunetta, John Ryan, Ian Kirkpatrick, and Jack Antonoff.
The album explores Carpenter's love life and her perspectives on 2020s dating. Its title is a reference to the emotional impact of Carpenter's shortest romantic relationships, as well as her short stature and the album's brief runtime. Carpenter stated that Short n' Sweet is her second "big girl" album, feeling complete creative control of her music starting from Emails I Can't Send (2022), her first album with Island Records.
As her first Platinum-certified album and number-one record in the United States, Short n' Sweet is Carpenter's first major success. Two singles, "Espresso" and "Please Please Please", preceded the album's release; both topped the Billboard Global 200 chart and exposed Carpenter to wider commercial success. "Espresso" marked Carpenter's first number-one song on the UK Singles Chart, whereas "Please Please Please" marked her first number-one song on the US Billboard Hot 100. The third single "Taste" peaked at number one in the UK and number two in the US. Short n' Sweet topped the record charts in 18 countries, including Australia, France, the UK and the US. It placed all of its 12 songs on the US Hot 100 chart as well. To support the album, Carpenter embarked on the Short n' Sweet Tour, the first arena tour of her career, in September 2024.
Upon release, Short n' Sweet received positive reviews from music critics, who praised the confidence of the lyrics and the music's enjoyability, though some criticized the songwriting as serviceable and low-risk. Short n' Sweet and its songs received eight nominations at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, including an Album of the Year nomination. Carpenter became one of the fifteen artists in history who have earned Grammy nominations in all four main General Field categories in one night.
In 2022, Sabrina Carpenter released her fifth studio album, Emails I Can't Send , after signing with Island Records. [1] [2] The album found moderate commercial success with its deluxe edition single, "Feather", topping the US Pop Airplay chart and became her highest-charting track at the time on the Billboard Hot 100. [3] To promote the album, she embarked on the Emails I Can't Send Tour, which began on September 29, 2022. [4] From August 24, 2023, to March 9, 2024, Carpenter also served as an opening act for Taylor Swift on selected South American, Australian, and Asian dates of the Eras Tour. [5] In January 2024, she was announced to be a performer at that year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. [6]
In February 2024, speaking with Maya Hawke for Interview , Carpenter expressed her excitement about her new music and said that she would be exploring more genres as she did with her last album. [7] The next month, she confirmed in an interview with Cosmopolitan that she was working on her next album and noted "I'm starting to feel like I've outgrown the songs I'm singing [on The Eras Tour], which is always an exciting feeling because I think that means the next chapter is right around the corner". [5] While being interviewed by Variety that August, Carpenter described the album as "the hot older sister" of Emails I Can't Send, and said that she "would consider" it as her second "big girl" album, in which she had "full creative control". [8]
Prior to any official announcement, billboards with tweets about Carpenter's height were placed throughout New York City. [9] On social media, she posted a video where she can be seen walking to the camera and planting a kiss on the screen, teasing a future announcement. [10] On June 3, 2024, Carpenter confirmed the release of Short n' Sweet and revealed its cover artwork. [11] The tracklist was revealed on July 9, 2024. [12] The album was released on August 23, 2024. [13] [14] A limited vinyl edition of Short n' Sweet contains the exclusive bonus track "Needless to Say". [15]
In early April, Carpenter began to tease a single via billboards, [16] and revealed that she would be releasing "a little song" before her performance at Coachella. [17] On April 11, 2024, Carpenter released the single "Espresso", which became the lead single for the album. [A] [18] The song found commercial success, peaking at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one in various countries. [19] [20] [21] Carpenter has performed the song at several events including Coachella and Saturday Night Live . [22] A music video directed by Dave Meyers was also released. [23]
"Please Please Please" was released as the second single from the album on June 6, 2024, along with a music video that the singer teased via social media. [24] Directed by Bardia Zeinali, the video served as a sequel to "Espresso" and featured Barry Keoghan. [25] The song peaked at the top of the Hot 100, earning Carpenter her first number-one single on the chart. [26]
A third single, "Taste", was released alongside the album on August 23, 2024. [27] Directed by Dave Meyers, the music video features American actress Jenna Ortega. [28] The song debuted at number two on the Hot 100, joined by "Please Please Please" at number three and "Espresso" at number four, which in turn made Carpenter the first act since The Beatles to chart their first three top five hits in the region during the same week. [29]
On October 8, 2024, "Bed Chem" was sent to contemporary hit radio as the album's fourth single. [30]
On June 20, 2024, Carpenter announced the Short n' Sweet Tour and its 33 concert dates throughout North America. [31] The North American leg began on September 23, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio, and ended on November 18 in Inglewood, California. [32] The tour will visit Western European countries in early 2025, with 14 concerts planned. [33]
Nearly all songs of Short n' Sweet are about romance, albeit exploring different facets and emotions of Carpenter's love life. [34] Romantic nihilism and deadpan lyrics are recurring motifs, [35] exploring 2020s dating. [36] The album title is a reference to how Carpenter's shortest romantic relationships had impacted her the most emotionally. [37] Critics also interpreted it as a reference to Carpenter's stature and the short length of the album. [38]
Musically, the album is a pop record, [39] [40] [41] with elements of R&B, rock, and country music dominating the soundscape. [34] [42] Much of the album features compositions of acoustic guitars. [43] Subtle elements of funk and disco are also present in the album. [36] Critics have observed creative influences of Taylor Swift, [44] [34] Dolly Parton, [34] [45] Kacey Musgraves, [44] [43] and Ariana Grande on the album's composition. [34] [44]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.1/10 [46] |
Metacritic | 82/100 [47] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [48] |
Clash | 7/10 [35] |
The Daily Telegraph | [36] |
The Independent | [42] |
The Irish Times | [39] |
The Line of Best Fit | 6/10 [45] |
NME | [49] |
Pitchfork | 8.0/10 [38] |
Rolling Stone | [50] |
Slant Magazine | [51] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic , Short n' Sweet received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 from 17 critic scores. [47] The review aggregator site AnyDecentMusic? compiled 15 reviews and gave Short n' Sweet an average of 7.1 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. [46] Upon the album's release, the BBC News reported a mixed reception from critics based on the first few reviews. [52]
Several critics described Short n' Sweet as a strong and assertive release from a rising pop star. The Independent 's Helen Brown, [42] Variety 's Jem Aswad, [34] Slate 's Carl Wilson, [53] and Billboard 's Jason Lipshutz considered the album an artistic evolution for Carpenter after her breakthrough with Emails I Can't Send, and praised its versatile yet cohesive sound, confident lyricism, and mainstream appeal. [54] The Times ' Victoria Segal and The Daily Telegraph 's Neil McCormick regarded Short n' Sweet as a "smart" pop record that masquerades itself as a frothy mainstream release; McCormick elaborated, "Carpenter can come across as a slightly glib pop comedian for disillusioned Tinder addicts" in the album, even though "there are emotional counterweights in the clever songcraft". [40] [36]
A few critics felt the album was an artistically safe work engineered for listeners' tastes, while others lauded it as an authentic portrayal of Carpenter's wit. Lauren Murphy of The Irish Times and El Hunt of Evening Standard opined, in contrast to the risky and "challenging" music from Carpenter's peers in 2024, Short n' Sweet is a breezy, enjoyable and "serviceable" collection of songs. [39] [44] Tanatat Khuttapan of The Line of Best Fit felt the album is "on trend", catering to the audiences' affinity for subject relatability, "memeable catchphrases" and punchlines. [45] On the other hand, McCormick, [36] Slant Magazine 's Charles Lyon-Burt, [55] and Rolling Stone 's Rob Sheffield named Carpenter's humor the album's most remarkable trait. [56] Pitchfork 's critic Quinn Moreland labelled Short n' Sweet as refreshing escapism "in a pop landscape recently plagued by self-seriousness and a tiresome obsession with authenticity", admiring the album's "diamond-sharp" humor. [38]
The album's sexual lyrics divided critics. On the positive side, Wilson opined that Carpenter reinvents herself as a "poet laureate of sex" in the album. [53] Kiana Doyle of Associated Press described it as "flirty, fun and wholly unserious". [57] Besides Doyle, Aswad also described Short n' Sweet as a perfected "NSFW" album. [57] [34] Chris Kelly of The Washington Post declared Short n' Sweet the "raunchiest, wittiest pop album of the year". [58] In unfavorable reviews, Emily Bootle of i dubbed Short n' Sweet a "horny" album lacking in emotion, integrity, and "organic essence". [59] Sputnikmusic criticized the album as a disappointing, "incredibly mediocre" release from Carpenter, finding the racy lyrics "weird and uncomfortable". [60]
Some reviews, such as those from Segal and Hunt, considered "Espresso" the highlight of the album, finding other songs musically dull in comparison. [40] [44] Brown disagreed, claiming the album is anchored by its "TikTok pop" sound exemplified by many "cool" tracks other than "Espresso". [42] On the other hand, Clash 's Ims Taylor described Short n' Sweet as a soft and "sincere" album instead of the "sultry" archetypal popstar project its singles had hinted at, but agreed that the album is holistically "less addictive" than "Espresso". [35] Stereogum 's Tom Breihan agreed that much of the album, though polished, is not as breezy as "Espresso". [43] Sputnikmusic declared that the album did not live up to the expectations set by "Espresso" and "Please Please Please". [60]
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Exclaim! | 50 Best Albums of 2024 | 25 | [61] |
The New Yorker | The Best Albums of 2024 | 3 | [62] |
NPR | The 50 Best Albums of 2024 | — | [63] |
Rolling Stone | The 100 Best Albums of 2024 | 4 | |
Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums of 2024 | 45 | [64] |
Organization | Year | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Grammy Awards | 2025 | Album of the Year | Pending | [65] |
Best Pop Vocal Album | Pending | |||
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical | Pending | |||
Short n' Sweet debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, marking Carpenter's first number one and top-10 album and best opening week to date. It opened with 362,000 album equivalent units. [66] [67] The album spent a second week at the top spot with 159,000 album equivalent units. [68] [69] In its third week, the album remained at number one with 117,000 album equivalent units. This made it the second-longest running number one album of the year on the Billboard 200, only behind Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department . [70] [71] As of September 2024, Short n' Sweet has been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), marking this achievement as a first for any of her albums. [72]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Taste" |
| 2:37 | |
2. | "Please Please Please" |
| Antonoff | 3:06 |
3. | "Good Graces" |
|
| 3:05 |
4. | "Sharpest Tool" |
| Antonoff | 3:38 |
5. | "Coincidence" |
|
| 2:44 |
6. | "Bed Chem" |
|
| 2:51 |
7. | "Espresso" |
| Bunetta | 2:55 |
8. | "Dumb & Poetic" |
| Ryan | 2:13 |
9. | "Slim Pickins" |
| Antonoff | 2:32 |
10. | "Juno" |
| Ryan | 3:43 |
11. | "Lie to Girls" |
| Antonoff | 3:22 |
12. | "Don't Smile" |
|
| 3:26 |
Total length: | 36:15 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
13. | "Needless to Say" |
|
| 2:37 |
Total length: | 38:52 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
13. | "Busy Woman" |
| Antonoff | 3:06 |
Total length: | 39:21 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
13. | "Taste" (demo) |
| TBA | 2:37 |
Total length: | 38:52 |
Musicians
Technical
Credits adapted from album liner notes. [73]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [110] | 2× Platinum | 160,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [111] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [112] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [113] | Platinum | 15,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [114] | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP) [115] | Gold | 3,500‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [116] | Platinum | 300,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [72] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | August 23, 2024 | Island | [117] | |
United States |
| [118] | ||
Japan | December 6, 2024 | CD | Universal Japan | [119] |
Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She first gained acknowledgment starring on the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World (2014–2017), and signed with the Disney-owned Hollywood Records. She then released her debut single, "Can't Blame a Girl for Trying" in 2014, followed by four studio albums: Eyes Wide Open (2015), Evolution (2016), Singular: Act I (2018), and Singular: Act II (2019). The albums contained the singles "Alien", "Almost Love", and "Sue Me", which topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.
Sweet Talker is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Jessie J. It was released on 13 October 2014, by Lava Records and Island Records. Contributing on the album; including rappers 2 Chainz, and Nicki Minaj, singer Ariana Grande, making guest appearances, and the addition to the album was the hip hop group De La Soul and the violinist Lindsey Stirling. Jessie co-wrote the album and worked with several producers such as The-Dream, Diplo, Tricky Stewart, Max Martin, Ammo and amongst the hosts of collaborators from both the new and the old.
American singer Sabrina Carpenter has released six studio albums, two extended plays, 24 singles, 23 promotional singles and 31 music videos. After gaining recognition on Disney Channel's Girl Meets World and performing its theme song, Carpenter signed a five-album deal with Hollywood Records. In 2014, she released her debut single Can't Blame a Girl for Trying and an EP of the same name. She followed this with her debut album Eyes Wide Open (2015) which debuted at number 43 on the US Billboard 200.
Evolution is the second studio album by American singer Sabrina Carpenter, released on October 14, 2016, by Hollywood Records. Carpenter began recording the album in 2015, shortly after the launch of her first project, Eyes Wide Open until 2016. Musically, Evolution is a dance-pop record, which departs from the folk-pop and teen pop sound of its predecessor.
Amy Rose Allen is an American songwriter, record producer, and singer. She has been credited with songwriting work on commercially successful releases performed by music industry artists including Sabrina Carpenter, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, Tate McRae, Halsey, Rosé, and Shawn Mendes, among others.
Emails I Can't Send is the fifth studio album by American singer Sabrina Carpenter. It was released on July 15, 2022, as Carpenter's first album under Island Records. It is primarily a pop record, with elements of folk-pop, dance-pop and storytelling, themed around emails and messages Carpenter wrote but did not send.
"Nonsense" is a song by American singer Sabrina Carpenter from her fifth studio album, Emails I Can't Send (2022). Carpenter wrote the track with Steph Jones and Julian Bunetta; the latter also handled its production. Originally released alongside the album as its ninth track, "Nonsense" became the album's fifth single after gaining traction on the video-sharing app TikTok. It became known as one of Carpenter's signature songs along with 2024's "Espresso".
"Feather" is a song by American singer Sabrina Carpenter from Emails I Can't Send Fwd:, the 2023 deluxe edition of her fifth studio album, Emails I Can't Send (2022). Carpenter wrote it with songwriter Amy Allen and its producer, John Ryan. Island Records released its sped-up version on August 4, 2023, and Republic Records promoted its original version to radio stations by November that year. A pop, dance, dance-pop, disco, and neo-disco song, "Feather" is a post-breakup track which celebrates the freedom and relief one feels upon ending a relationship and shedding its weight.
Fruitcake is the second extended play (EP) and first Christmas themed record by American singer Sabrina Carpenter. It was released by Island Records on November 17, 2023. It was produced by Julian Bunetta and John Ryan.
"Espresso" is a song by American singer Sabrina Carpenter from her sixth studio album, Short n' Sweet (2024). Island Records released it on April 11, 2024, as the lead single from the album. It was written by Carpenter herself along with Amy Allen, Steph Jones, and Julian Bunetta; the latter handled its production. It is a pop and funk track that encompasses synth-pop and disco and contains lyrics about self-confidence.
"Please Please Please" is a song by American singer Sabrina Carpenter from her sixth studio album, Short n' Sweet (2024). It was released through Island Records on June 6, 2024, as the second single from the album. Produced by Jack Antonoff, it was written by Antonoff, Carpenter, and Amy Allen. It is a country pop and yacht rock song with disco-pop influences, and sees Carpenter discuss her fears that her boyfriend will let his bad-boy reputation overshadow and destroy both their relationship and her pride.
The Short n' Sweet Tour is the ongoing fifth concert tour and first arena tour by American singer Sabrina Carpenter, in support of her sixth studio album, Short n' Sweet (2024). The tour commenced on September 23, 2024, in Columbus, United States, and is scheduled to conclude on April 4, 2025, in Stockholm, Sweden, consisting of 53 shows.
"Taste" is a song by American singer Sabrina Carpenter from her sixth studio album, Short n' Sweet (2024). It was released through Island Records on August 23, 2024, as the third single from the album. Carpenter wrote it with songwriters Julia Michaels and Amy Allen and its producers John Ryan and Ian Kirkpatrick, with Julian Bunetta also contributing to production. Musically, "Taste" has been labeled as a pop rock and slacker rock song. Dave Meyers directed the music video, which features Jenna Ortega.
"Slim Pickins" is a song by American singer Sabrina Carpenter from her sixth studio album Short n' Sweet (2024). Carpenter wrote it with Amy Allen and its producer, Jack Antonoff. The song became available as the album's ninth track on August 23, 2024, when it was released by Island Records. A country-influenced ballad, "Slim Pickins" has lyrics in which she expresses her dismay about the scarcity of suitable men to date. Carpenter premiered the song at the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live on August 2, ahead of its release.
"Good Graces" is a song by American singer Sabrina Carpenter from her sixth studio album, Short n' Sweet (2024). Carpenter wrote it with songwriters Julia Michaels and Amy Allen and its producers, John Ryan and Julian Bunetta. The song became available as the album's third track on August 23, 2024, when it was released by Island Records.
"Bed Chem" is a song by American singer Sabrina Carpenter from her sixth studio album, Short n' Sweet (2024). Carpenter wrote it with songwriters Julia Michaels and Amy Allen and its producers, John Ryan and Ian Kirkpatrick. The song became available as the album's sixth track on August 23, 2024, when the album was released by Island Records. The song impacted contemporary hit radio on October 8, 2024, as the album's fourth single. Musically, it is a synth-pop song that infuses notes of early 2000s R&B.
"Juno" is a song by American singer Sabrina Carpenter from her sixth studio album, Short n' Sweet (2024). Carpenter wrote it with songwriter Amy Allen and its producer, John Ryan. The song became available as the album's 10th track on August 23, 2024, when it was released by Island Records. A 1980s-style-disco-influenced pop song, "Juno" has lyrics about Carpenter's intense attraction to a man that makes her desire getting pregnant with his child.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)