Sabrina Carpenter is proving she’s having more than just 15 minutes of fame — no matter what the haters might say. With the release of her cheeky and playful track “15 Minutes,” she leans into the idea with her signature sweet and self-aware touch. On Feb. 14 — just in time for Valentine’s Day — Carpenter dropped the deluxe version of her breakout album Short N’ Sweet. The deluxe edition includes five new songs, bringing the total runtime to 15 minutes—the same length as the new track’s title. Whether it was a coincidence or an intentional move, one thing is clear: “15 Minutes” is just another reminder that Sabrina Carpenter is that girl.
“15 minutes” demonstrates Carpenter’s productivity and ability to use her time effectively. She opens the song with the first verse, singing, “The clock is tickin’ lately / Guess that means I’m doin’ something right / Been here a long time, baby / But gosh, I hope I make it through the night.” The line, which cites the old saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun,” emphasizes Carpenter’s enthusiasm in what she’s doing, whether personal or professional.
The time allusion continues into the track’s pre-chorus as Carpenter sings of time slipping away from her. “It’s fleetin’ like my battery life,” she sings. She keeps the theme going, poking fun at her relationship status and the swirling rumors involving her—whether about her ex, Barry Keoghan, her rumored past fling with Shawn Mendes, or another former fling. Carpenter emphasizes that she’s a baddie and that getting attention is only natural for someone like her. She sings, “Hard to hold on to like every guy / When you’re hot, it’s just a matter of time.”
Carpenter steps into the chorus, emphasizing all that she’s capable of doing in the spotlight. She goes on to point to her playful side by taking time for fun distractions while being steady in her goals and desires. She sings, “But I can do a lot with fifteen minutes / Lot of pretty boys, lot of funny business / Take a couple bucks, turn ’em into millions / You, you, you know I-.” Carpenter points out that she doesn’t need much to create a winning recipe and achieve success. She continues, singing, “I can do a lot with fifteen minutes / Only gonna take two to make you finish / Piss some people off, show ’em what they’re missin’ / You, you, you know I can.” This part of the verse refers to Carpenter only needing a couple of minutes to make a person feel sexually satisfied.
Carpenter’s tone shifts in the second verse of “15 minutes,” emphasizing how her newfound popularity brings unwanted attention and fake people who are quick to betray her. She sings,
“Where did all these parties come from? / Whеn did all you bitches get so nice?/
Runnin’ out of thе woodwork / And hopin’ there’s no brain between my eyes (My, my).”
The feeling that individuals around you may not always have your best interests at heart carries over into the pre-chorus, where the words alter slightly from before. Carpenter sings, “Well, it’s fleetin’ like we’re all gonna die (All gonna die) / Hard to hold like conversations when high (Conversations when high) / When you’re hot, they’re gonna eat you alive (Alive, alive, alive).” The lyrics’s messages emphasize that time moves quickly when you’re in the spotlight and that when you’re at the height of your success, it can be difficult to listen when someone tries to take it all away from you or manipulate you for their own benefit.
The song concludes with Carpenter singing that when her hypothetical 15 minutes of fame are up, she will release a controversial side, referencing celebrities’s demise as they slip into a habit of scandals and media outbursts. She sings, “Oh, when my time’s up, baby (Na-na-na) / I’ll leak some pictures maybe (No) / Say somethin’ batshit crazy / I’ll do it, don’t you make me / When my time’s up, baby (Time’s up, baby) / I’ll leak some pictures maybe / Say somethin’ batshit crazy / I’ll do it, don’t you make me, yeah, oh (Ah).”
“15 minutes” proves that Carpenter is aware of what people are saying behind her back, and she’s come to tell them that she already knows her worth and impact on pop culture!