Despite carrying the immense weight of her two recent Grammy wins, Sabrina Carpenter still generously found the strength to release a deluxe edition of her hit album “Short n’ Sweet,” just in time for Valentine’s Day.
The album contains five new hits showcasing Carpenter’s enchanting range, a compelling twist of genres and now signature witty innuendos.
As a fan of Carpenter for over a decade, I feel qualified to present my officially unofficial first impressions of her deluxe tracks.
“15 minutes”
Three words to describe it: groovy, cheeky, confident
This catchy song melds the double entendres Carpenter loves with introspective commentary on fame and the fleetingness of time. The song’s title seems to reference the popular phrase “15 minutes of fame,” which is especially relevant to Carpenter’s career, which has skyrocketed recently despite her being in the industry since 2014. If this concept interests you, check out my other article How Sabrina Carpenter Has Risen to Stardom!
“15 Minutes” is self-aware, bold and funny. Carpenter’s not afraid to acknowledge that while the entertainment industry can be glittery and fruitful, she knows it can turn sour in the blink of a falsie. Carpenter asserts her worth and how she plans to continue using her time in the limelight to make waves and pursue her passions.
In many of her recent hits and performances, Carpenter’s been leaning into a very blonde, hypersexual image. But her lyricism, especially in this song, show that she’s smarter than she may appear. In lines like, “where did all these parties come from / when did all you b*tches get so nice” and “when my time’s up baby / I’ll leak some pictures maybe / say somethin’ batsh*t crazy,” Carpenter offers commentary on the treatment of women in the entertainment industry and challenges the lack of control that many struggle with. No matter their appearance, relationship status, career activity or personality, women in entertainment face intense scrutiny that their male counterparts don’t equally encounter. So, with “15 Minutes,” Carpenter not only calls out the industry for their puppetry and superficial tendencies, but proudly declares her power in controlling her own destiny.
All of this insight is set to a driving bass, adding flair with drums and electric guitar to upgrade Carpenter’s pop sound. Synth beats married with layered vocals create a dreamy but biting song you can’t help but groove along to.
If you liked “15 Minutes,” you’d probably enjoy these other songs of Sabrina’s: “Read your Mind,” “Feather,” “Taste” and “Fast Times”
“please please please (feat. dolly parton)”
Three words to describe it: warm, country, earnest
A honey-drizzled rendition of one of Carpenter’s massive hits, “Please Please Please” with the addition of legend Dolly Parton brings out a softer, more sincere side to the song’s lyrics. While the original mix conjures images of a more brazen girl half-pleading, half-warning her partner to treat her right unless he wants to face the consequences, this mix feels a lot more heartfelt, like someone trying to mend their relationship after promises have already been broken. Small changes like the lyrics “I beg you, don’t embarrass me motherf*cker” to “I beg you, don’t embarrass me like the others” add to this more personal tone.
There’s still some of the original version’s more sinister tone taken on by the music video, which pokes fun at Carpenter’s now-ex Barry Keoghan. Keoghan starred as Carpenter’s unruly boyfriend in the original “Please Please Please” music video when the pair were dating in real life, but the faceless man tied up in the back of Carpenter and Parton’s truck in this version’s video allude that Keoghan faced Carpenter’s promised wrath after embarrassing her “like the others.”
Now, as much as I can appreciate this new take on an already great song, I’m not quite sure that I love this version overall. Some of the harmonies between Parton and Carpenter just sound a bit… off. I feel like the mixing could’ve been improved at times, because while both women sound great in their own regards, they don’t blend seamlessly very often in the song. And wow, have people on social media agreed…
Still, I understand what Carpenter and Parton intended with this track! Carpenter’s received a lot of praise when dipping into the country genre, and with other recent pop-country albums like Beyonce’s “Cowboy Carter” rising to high fame, this song could’ve been very good. The twangy guitar and softer drumming style are appealing, cultivating a folksy little song I could see being played by Lucy Gray Baird and the Covey from “The Hunger Games” series’ “A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”
If you liked “Please Please Please (feat. Dolly Parton),” you’d probably enjoy these other songs of Sabrina’s: “Slim Pickins,” “Bad for Business,” “Lonesome” and “Bad Reviews”
“couldn’t make it any harder”
Three words to describe it: soulful, feathery, vulnerable
In a ballad severely reminiscent of Olivia Newton John’s “Hopelessly Devoted To You,” “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder” relays Carpenter’s struggles with vulnerability and trust in relationships due to being burned in the past. Carpenter seems remorseful but resigned in her inability to connect with her current partner how she desires. Fame, lingering comments, anxieties and maturity or a lack thereof between her and her past partners all seem to contribute to this.
One thing about me is that I’m a sucker for sad Sabrina Carpenter songs. While she’s mastered quippy upbeat pop, Carpenter’s no stranger to more stripped-down inner monologues. I imagine this song was heavily inspired by “Hopelessly Devoted To You,” both in the technical aspects like the melody, time signature and lush orchestration, but also by the avid fan support she received in covering “Hopelessly Devoted To You” during her time opening for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
Interestingly enough, “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder” is somewhat of an inverse version of “Hopelessly Devoted To You”. Or perhaps it’s the more jaded version of the song Sandy in “Grease” would’ve sung when she was older and less naive towards love.
The stripped down guitar, romantic strings and rich piano accompaniment give a classy feel to this resonant track. What starts out light and aching swells to a dramatic crescendo of strong vibrato seemingly plucked straight from Carpenter’s heartstrings. The bridge of this song feels to me like a disco ball hanging by a lone thread, slowly cascading its glow to fill a room once alive with young love and possibility.
If you liked “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder,” you’d probably enjoy these other songs of Sabrina’s: “opposite,” “Dumb & Poetic,” “decode” and “things i wish you said”
“Busy woman”
Three words to describe it: confident, playful, nonchalant
A sarcastic, egotistical track, “Busy Woman” toys with the idea that if a boy wants her, Carpenter will be the ideal domestic wife, but if her interest isn’t reciprocated, Carpenter can easily find a myriad of other eager partners.
While the lyrics are chocked full of sexual innuendos fans now come to expect from Carpenter, there are also clever references to marriage vows, like “but if you want my kisses / I’ll be your perfect Mrs. / ‘til the day that one of us dies.” The most memorable lyric, though, seems to be “if you don’t want me, I’ll just deem you gay.”
Now, this lyric is really funny. It goes perfectly with the overzealous girlboss energy of the song, and Carpenter clearly doesn’t mean it in an offensive fashion. In fact, it seems to spin a common sentiment that guys use when rejected by women: well, she was ugly/clingy/crazy anyway. It’s the practice of shrugging off rejection in pursuit of bigger and better things.
But doesn’t Carpenter’s “deem you gay” lyric seem oddly reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s “Picture to Burn” lyrics that had to be changed due to homophobic accusations? In Swift’s self-titled debut album, she altered the lyrics “so go and tell your friends that I’m obsessive and crazy / that’s fine, I’ll tell mine you’re gay” to “that’s fine, you won’t mind if I say”. Some people thought Swift’s original lyrics used gay in a negative connotation, seemingly like an insult. Many others thought this lyric change was an overreaction and that Swift hadn’t written the original with bad intentions.
Regardless, for fear of sounding too woke, aren’t Carpenter’s “Busy Woman” lyrics essentially the same situation? Neither situation needs to be that deep, and the context and culture surrounding both songs have certainly changed over time, but this parallel really stood out to me upon my initial listen of “Busy Woman.”
But I digress. Whatever connotations this song may contain, it’s a fun whirl of flirtatious falsetto, perfect for a rom-com getting ready montage. The thumping bass, touches of funk and jazz and conversational tone give the song a very personal and energetic feel you’ll want to listen to again and again.
If you liked “Busy Woman,” you’d probably enjoy these other songs of Sabrina’s: “Juno,” “Good Graces,” “Please Please Please” and “Nonsense”
“bad reviews”
Three words to describe it: folksy, heartfelt, bittersweet
As the final taste of this deluxe album, “Bad Reviews” leaves a tender impression on listeners with its exploration of how love can be motivated by many factors, including public discourse, loneliness and reputation. Carpenter’s mild and empathetic delivery color lyrics that seem to strongly reference past relationships of hers, some more recent than others.
Barry Keoghan is highly suspected to be a main reference of this song. Before he started dating Carpenter in 2023, he faced many “bad reviews,” receiving public scrutiny over his appearance, family struggles with addiction, rough childhood in foster care and actions as a parent to his now two-year-old son, shared with ex-girlfriend Alyson Sandro, a Scottish dentist and orthopedic therapist. When he and Carpenter split around Dec. 2024, Keoghan received mass online hate, leading him to deactivate his Instagram and release a statement on X urging people to be respectful.
“Bad Reviews” also seems to allude to Joshua Bassett and the alleged love triangle between him, Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo in 2021. The lyric “I can’t lose another boy that’s not even my boyfriend” comes across as a relatable but exasperated nod to the massive strife and online hate Carpenter herself encountered as “the other woman” in the love triangle. Fans seem to resonate with the line and complexity of today’s dating culture, though many felt a bit attacked by Carpenter’s candidness.
Despite all the possible drama connected to the lyrics, “Bad Reviews” speaks to the persistence of love amongst challenges. With a blended folk, country and pop composition, Carpenter showcases her range both in lyricism and vocals. Tender strings and soft acoustic guitar and piano nurture an image of a sunny, flower-filled field in listeners’ ears.
If you liked “Bad Reviews,” you’d probably enjoy these other songs of Sabrina’s: “Slim Pickins,” “Coincidence,” “Sharpest Tool” and “Seamless”
Overall, I’m very intrigued and delighted by the additions that were brought on by “Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe).”
I sincerely hope that Carpenter doesn’t listen to any bad reviews or meet the end of her 15 minutes of fame anytime soon. Though she’s a busy woman, please please please may she keep releasing music that we can laugh, cry, dance and sing along to at the top of our lungs.
Carpenter couldn’t make it any harder to wait until her next album, but until then, stream “Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe)!”