Sabrina Carpenter is a familiar name to those of us who grew up watching Disney Channel. However, she’s gone from spending her days on Disney Channel sets to dominating the Billboard music charts. After opening for Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour in 2023, Carpenter’s popularity skyrocketed. Her increased exposure, along with the release of her No. 1 singles “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” cemented her place as a 2024 pop culture icon.

Last Friday, Carpenter released her sixth studio album, “Short n’ Sweet.” It’s safe to say that this album has marked a turning point in Carpenter’s career and contributed to the resurgence of pop music. The release of “Short n’ Sweet” showcases Carpenter’s talent and her individuality in the genre.

Carpenter starts off strong with her opening track, “Taste,” engaging in a sexually charged and beautifully dynamic mixing of rock guitar, country-tinged vocals and disco melodies. With the release of its music video starring Carpenter and actress Jenna Ortega, which has garnered over 23 million views on YouTube, this electrifying anthem has entered the pop music pantheon alongside her singles released earlier this summer.

The third track, “Good Graces,” uses the buttery sound of 90’s R&B and pop to insulate listeners from the coldness of the post-break up ballad. In this song, Carpenter reminds her beau to keep her in “good graces” and promises she won’t hold back if he doesn’t. One of the most recognizable characteristics that Carpenter has included in her songs is the sexual innuendos she incorporates. Starting with her variety of outros for her song “Nonsense,” Carpenter has gone on to create a lovable way to get away with talking about sex to the public without directly stating it.

The heart of the fourth song, “Sharpest Tool,” is nostalgia for a failed romance. Carpenter scavenges the details of her heartbreak and forces her way into your heart, with many listeners no doubt able to relate to the lyrics. There is clear influence from Jack Antonoff, a producer and friend of Carpenter’s, on this song. The picked guitar strings leading to the syncopated beat are present in many of his works, including The 1975’s “Being Funny in a Foreign Language.” However, Carpenter amplifies the corners of the song with unmasked anger and pain, elevating the song’s meaning tenfold.

On the sixth track, “Bed Chem,” listeners can fully embrace the Carpenter experience with its dreamy flirtation full of pinpoint vocals, personal touches, continued sexual innuendos and melodies strong enough to be main hooks that lead into even stronger ones. This sensual song showcases what she does best, with its fearlessness making you laugh while having the catchiest rhythms and sweetest vocals. Regardless of how it does on the charts, this song is certain to be a fan favorite. The phrase “Bed Chem” is sure to enter the cultural lexicon as fast as you can say “me, espresso.”

As a whole, this album is one full of pain and sadness, yet an acceptance and guiding hope for the future. It may have been released too late to be the summer album it’s meant to be, but it’s still worth listening to for its complexity and purely magnificent sound.

Rating: 5/5