Slim Pickins

Last updated

"Slim Pickins"
Song by Sabrina Carpenter
from the album Short n' Sweet
ReleasedAugust 23, 2024 (2024-08-23)
Genre Country
Length2:32
Label Island
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Jack Antonoff

"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 regret over 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.

Contents

Background

In January 2021, Sabrina Carpenter signed a recording contract with Island Records. [1] [2] She announced that she was working on her sixth studio album in March 2024, exploring new genres and expecting that it would herald a new chapter in her life. [3] [4] In anticipation of her performance at Coachella, Carpenter announced that a single called "Espresso" would be released on April 11, 2024. [5] The song was a surprise success, becoming her first number one single on the Billboard Global 200 chart and her first song to enter the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. [6] [7] She followed this with "Please Please Please" (2024), which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. [8]

Preceding an official announcement, billboards bearing tweets about Carpenter's height began appearing throughout New York City. [9] On June 3, 2024, she announced that the album, titled Short n' Sweet , would be released by Island Records on August 23, 2024, and revealed its cover artwork. [10] The tracklist was revealed on July 9, 2024. [11]

Composition

Carpenter wrote "Slim Pickins" with Amy Allen and its producer, Jack Antonoff. [12] The song is a country-influenced ballad, in which she expresses regret over the scarcity of suitable men to date. In the chorus, Carpenter resigns herself to settling for someone less ideal to satisfy her needs, lamenting that good suitors are either unavailable or already taken, vowing to continue voicing her dissatisfaction. She goes on to point out that her boyfriend lacks basic grammatical knowledge about the difference between the words "their," "there," and "they are"; oblivious to what he is lacking in life and clearly not living up to his potential, he is sexually involved with Carpenter. In the outro, she jokes that since good men tend to drunkenly call their exes and she never had a "gay awakening", she will continue to be stuck in a kitchen while complaining: "Then I'll just be here in the kitchen / Serving up some moanin' and bitchin'." [13]

Critical reception

American Songwriter 's Alex Hopper believed that with "Slim Pickins", Carpenter created the ideal song for the dilemma of searching for the right partner amidst a crowd of wrong ones, encapsulating a feeling that many people experience. He thought the verses showed that Carpenter was not hesitant to push the boundaries of what is typically expected in a pop song: "As always, Carpenter doesn't air her frustrations without a hint of humor [...] She lists off humorous–though deeply relatable–'icks' one could have with a partner." [14] In a ranking of the album's tracks, Billboard placed the song last. [15]

Live performance

Carpenter premiered "Slim Pickins" at the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live on August 2, ahead of its release. [16] [17] Dressed in a mid-length blue dress with a heart cutout and nude heels, she performed a stripped-down version of the song, while sitting on a stool, with minimal instrumental accompaniment from Antonoff. [18] While introducing it, Carpenter said "This one's cute and I just like, wanted to sing it for you today. Super random of me so it's called 'Slim Pickins' and I hope you like it." [19] Teen Vogue considered the performance "intimate", and Capital described "Slim Pickins" as a "gorgeous, bittersweet country inspired ballad" based on it. [13] [18]

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"Espresso" is a song by American singer Sabrina Carpenter from her sixth studio album Short n' Sweet (2024). It was released through Island Records on April 11, 2024, as the lead single from the album. She wrote the song along with Amy Allen, Steph Jones, and Julian Bunetta, and the latter handled production. A Dave Meyers-directed music video for "Espresso" was released on the following day. To support its release, Carpenter performed the song at the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Despite only being released in April, "Espresso" quickly became a massive hit in Carpenter's career and one of her signature songs.

<i>Short n Sweet</i> 2024 studio album by Sabrina Carpenter

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Please Please Please (Sabrina Carpenter song)</span> 2024 single by Sabrina Carpenter

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"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. The lyrics of "Taste" addresses the complexities of relationship issues. Dave Meyers directed the music video, which features Jenna Ortega. It is a pop track accompanied by slacker rock sonorities.

"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 it was released by Island Records.

"The Black Dog" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department (2024). It was first included as a bonus track for a physical edition of the album and then released digitally as part of a double album edition subtitled The Anthology. Produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, "The Black Dog" is a slow-building post-industrial ballad containing a sparse, piano-led production and a momentary shift in dynamics in the chorus. Its lyrics portray Swift's character tracking an ex-partner at a bar and experiencing heartbreak and resentment after finding him.

References

  1. ↑ Chan, Anna (January 26, 2021). "Sabrina Carpenter Signs with Island Records: 'It's the Perfect Place for Me'" . Billboard . Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  2. ↑ Aswad, Jem (January 26, 2021). "Sabrina Carpenter Signs with Island Records". Variety . Archived from the original on July 21, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  3. ↑ Hawke, Maya (February 8, 2024). "Sabrina Carpenter and Maya Hawke on Rethinking the Pop Star Playbook". Interview. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  4. ↑ Frank Revees, Madeleine (March 27, 2024). "I Am Pleased to Inform You That Your Massive Crush on Sabrina Carpenter Is Justified". Cosmopolitan . Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  5. ↑ Dailey, Hannah (April 9, 2024). "Sabrina Carpenter Announces New Single 'Espresso' Ahead of Coachella 2024: Here's When It Arrives". Billboard . Archived from the original on April 9, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  6. ↑ Trust, Gary (June 17, 2024). "Sabrina Carpenter Pours Double Shot of 'Espresso' & 'Please Please Please' at Nos. 1 & 2 on Billboard Global 200". Billboard . Retrieved June 17, 2024.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ↑ Trust, Gary (April 22, 2024). "'Sweet' Success: Hozier Hits No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 for First Time". Billboard . Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  8. ↑ Trust, Gary (June 24, 2024). "Sabrina Carpenter's 'Please Please Please' Becomes Her First Billboard Hot 100 No. 1". Billboard . Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  9. ↑ Bailey, Alyssa (June 3, 2024). "Sabrina Carpenter's Album Short n' Sweet: All We Know So Far". Elle . Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  10. ↑ Garcia, Thania (June 3, 2024). "Sabrina Carpenter to Release New Album Short n' Sweet in August". Variety . Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  11. ↑ Kurp, Josh (July 9, 2024). "Sabrina Carpenter Unveils 'Short N' Sweet' Tracklist With Cheeky Video". Uproxx . Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  12. ↑ Island Records (2024). Short n' Sweet (Media notes). Sabrina Carpenter.
  13. 1 2 Prance, Sam (August 5, 2024). "The Hilarious Meaning Behind Sabrina Carpenter's 'Slim Pickins' Lyrics Explained". Capital . Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  14. ↑ Hopper, Alex (August 22, 2024). "Behind the Meaning of Sabrina Carpenter's 'Slim Pickins'". American Songwriter . Retrieved August 23, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ↑ https://www.billboard.com/lists/sabrina-carpenter-short-n-sweet-review/slim-pickins/
  16. ↑ Chelosky, Danielle (August 3, 2024). "Watch Sabrina Carpenter & Jack Antonoff Debut New Song 'Slim Pickins' at the Grammy Museum". Stereogum . Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  17. ↑ Kelly, Tyler Damara (August 5, 2024). "Sabrina Carpenter Debuts New Song 'Slim Pickins' at the Grammy Museum". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  18. 1 2 Carter, Ashleigh (August 3, 2024). "Sabrina Carpenter Just Unveiled a New Song". Teen Vogue . Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  19. ↑ Burton, Poppy (August 4, 2024). "Watch Sabrina Carpenter and Jack Antonoff Debut New Track 'Slim Pickins'". NME . Retrieved August 6, 2024.
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