"Short n' Sweet" Deluxe Album Review

Sabrina Carpenter, the woman that you are.

Carpenter released the deluxe version of her Grammy-winning album “Short n’ Sweet” which includes four new songs, and a feature on her song “Please Please Please.”

The new songs feature a mix of songs that fit the majority of the “Short n’ Sweet” theme, with upbeat vibes similar to “Espresso” and “Juno”, but also a healthy mix of songs that give ode to “Dumb and Poetic” and “Lie to Girls.”

“15 Minutes”

This song was a fantastic opening to the deluxe version of this album. It feels like the sister version of the album’s opening song “Taste”.

This song is another beautifully written song by Carpenter, with the double entendres flowing like water down the river.

“15 Minutes” is alluding to the popular phrase “15 minutes of fame,” as Carpenter is recognizing she has hit the pop scene like wildfire, and prays she survives the dreaded 15 minutes with lyrics like “I hope I make it through the night,” and “It’s fleetin’ like my battery life.”

She also recognizes that she can make the most of her time in the spotlight with lines like “I can do a lot with fifteen minutes … take a couple bucks, turn em’ into millions.”

The second verse is written perfectly as well, as Carpenter notices that all of a sudden, people are suddenly very nice to her since she’s famous and are hoping to ride her coattails to stardom.

She ends the song by insinuating that when her time is up she might cling to it with her life, saying “I’ll leak some pictures maybe, say something batsh*t crazy,” something we have seen other fading celebrities do in recent years.

Overall, this song is easily one of the best off of both the original album and the deluxe, and it kickstarted the party with a bang.

“Please Please Please” (feat. Dolly Parton)

Every artist has a dud every once in a while, and unfortunately this is the one for Carpenter.

There is a new country twang to this rendition of the hit song, which while catchy, doesn’t mix well with the Dolly Parton feature on this song.

Now don’t get it twisted, Parton is an icon and one of the best to ever do it, but unfortunately this song just didn’t capture that essence, and is easily the most forgettable track off this deluxe record.

However, the music video saves this rendition quite a bit, with a reference to the first “Please Please Please” music video and Carpenter’s now-ex boyfriend Barry Keoghan, as his character from the first video seems to have gotten himself into a bit of trouble in this video.

“Couldn’t Make It Any Harder”

THIS song, just, WOW.

Carpenter shows off her incredible vocal range in this song that gives very similar vibes to “Hopelessly Devoted to You” by the late and great Olivia Newton-John.

Sabrina is beating herself up in this track, talking about how she wishes she could be better for someone, but she “couldn’t make it any harder to love me.”

The person in this song is willing to stay through everything, despite what Sabrina is putting them through, and she feels awful, wishing she is “meeting you as the glass-half-full version of me.”

Verse two really hits the hardest in this song, as Carpenter mentions how previous boys are the reason that she is so stand-offish and quick to judgement, something that probably 90% of people can relate to.

“For the graveyard in my stomach, filled with pivotal formative comments. Meanwhile, you’re just tryna tell me I look nice.”

This line is almost the opposite of the common feeling of butterflies in your stomach, Sabrina is void of those emotions because of what has happened in the past, and instead are replaced with remarks hoping to make her strive to improve, which in turn blocks out the comments about her appearance.

By the end of the song, Carpenter is convinced the man in the song is going to leave her because of how difficult she makes it, saying “One day, believe me, You’ll want someone that makes it easy.”

A beautiful heartbroken melody, and it shows the angelic vocals that Sabrina used to hypnotize several millions around the world on her rise to stardom.

“Busy Woman”

For several Carpenter fans, myself included, this song was a LONG time coming.

This track has been teased for quite some time, and it truly lived up to the hype.

The first song that was fully written by the artist herself, “Busy Woman” is the perfect song for anyone who is dealing with someone who can’t decide what they want.

The back-and-forth lyrics throughout this track are what make it so fantastic with lines like “I’m so mature, collected and sensible, except when I get hit with rejection.”

The chorus is a perfect example of being fed up with an indecisive person, going from driving straight over to their house to saying you never wanted them in the first place.

The best line is this song is easily in the second verse, as Carpenter plainly says that if anyone doesn't want her, it’s more about themselves and not her in any way, with the iconic line “If you don’t want me, I’ll just deem you gay.”

Long story short, this soon-to-be famous Carpenter song has the perfect mix of “I’ll love you forever” and “You’re dead to me, please block my number.”

“Bad Reviews”

A perfect ending to the deluxe, dipping deeper into the country style of Carpenter’s repertoire, “Bad Reviews” is another possible sister song, this one related to “Please Please Please.”

This song opens up with “I’ve heard all the bad news and the bad reviews, couple bad gut feelings, well, I’ve had them too. But still, I choose to be in love with you.”

Carpenter acknowledges that the current relationship she is in has gotten a lot of heat and criticism, and in her head she knows it’s probably right, but sometimes the heart gets what it wants.

She follows this up with “If I close an eye, it’s almost like your red flags are blue,” doubling-down on her refusal to acknowledge the problem lying directly in front of her.

Two lines really stick out in this song, “I’m intentionally careless, least I got self-awareness,” and “All the friends tryna save me, well I cut them loose.”

Recognizing that you are hurting yourself and your friendships but you are too scared to admit it or leave because “I refuse to be wrong again and I can’t lose another boy that’s not even my boyfriend, “ might be some of the realest lyrics of the 21st century.

And hey, you know what Sabrina, we’ve all been there, or had a friend that’s been there, and there’s no better way to end a deluxe than with a song that friends, and ex-friends, can all relate to.

Reviewer’s Favorite Song: “Busy Woman”

Reviewer’s Least Favorite Song: “Please Please Please ft. Dolly Parton”

Songs that should have made the original cut: “15 Minutes” & “Busy Woman”

Joshua Bartosik is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jsb6137@psu.edu.