Sabrina Carpenter’s Grammy-winning album Short n’ Sweet made her a household name following its release in 2024 and introduced her as an up-and-coming artist for music-listeners to watch. Carpenter recently released Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe), adding five new tracks to the original album. While the additions to her album showcase her signature lyricism, the songs feel flat and homogenous at times. We ranked the new tracks based on three factors: production, lyrics and vocal delivery.
5. Bad Reviews
The shortest of the five new songs, “Bad Reviews,” also has the least to offer. Carpenter attempts to go for a country feel with this song, whose instrumentation comprises banjo strums and fiddle solos over a train beat, which stands in awkward juxtaposition with her use of modern lyrics like “red flags” and “fresh out of rehab.” Carpenter fails to form any sort of cohesion between the contrasting elements in the song, and the result is a discordant two-minute track. —Kai Park
4. Please Please Please (feat. Dolly Parton)
Parton’s iconic voice lends itself interestingly—but not well—to this song. The original track’s disco-pop production is replaced by a traditional country-pop aesthetic, reflecting Parton’s signature style. Carpenter’s appreciation for the greats is endearing, but her choice of a country singer for a pop song causes the track to suffer from the same issues as “Bad Reviews:” a poorly executed blending of two genres, and the consequent lack of harmony between country and pop. — Kai Park
3. Busy Woman
“Busy Woman” is a signature Jack Antonoff–produced track that incorporates elements of synth-pop and dance-pop. While the production on this song is polished, it is painfully similar to many other tracks on the album, such as “Bed Chem” and “Taste.” Carpenter has perfected the technique for creating catchy hooks; however, she tends to stay in the same box creatively. The hook to this song is an energetic earworm that feels like a formulaic radio hit. Lyric-wise, this is one of Carpenter’s most poorly written songs. The song tackles topics of independence and empowerment: “Yeah I’m a busy woman, / I wouldn’t let you come into my calendar any night.” However, the message shifts with the following lines, “But if you want my kisses / I’ll be your perfect Mrs. ’til the day that one of us dies.” These lyrics feel one-dimensional and tap into the superficial “I don’t need anyone” attitude which didn’t work for me in the context of a love song. —Alex Hughes
2. Couldn’t Make It Any Harder
Carpenter’s versatility as a pop artist shines through on this ballad. I appreciated the acoustic guitar riffs in the intro, which set an intimate and personal tone. The lyrics “I couldn’t make it / any harder for you to love me” paint a picture of Carpenter’s struggles in past relationships and tell the listener about how her struggles have made her cautious to be vulnerable with someone new. Carpenter’s vocals build gradually from a breathy tone in the first verses to a more intense and powerful sound as the song progresses. These dynamics make her belts during the choruses and bridge resonate even more than if it were just a straight power ballad. I was surprised by Carpenter’s ability to pull off a raw and relatable song, and this was by far one of the most heartfelt vocal deliveries I have heard from her. —Alex Hughes
1. 15 MinutesThoughtfully composed instrumentation, well placed vocal embellishments and an overall harmony of musical elements all lend themselves to what we found to be the best of the five new tracks. “15 Minutes” is a lively and catchy song—musically airy and upbeat, while lyrically cleverly suggestive. The song maintains its energy for its entire duration; its persistent beat drives each section forward and into the next smoothly, leaving no awkward, empty spaces between phrases. Carpenter’s vocal performance complements the composition well; she carefully hones the relationship between her voice and the instrumentation, maintaining balance in the verses and soaring above the balance for the choruses. This song is certainly a strong contender to be one of her biggest hits, like “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.” —Kai Park