image creds
short n’ sweet bts photo from sabrina carpenter’s social media
writer:
aggy kazlauskas
a *very subjective* ranking of the twelve tracks from short n' sweet
an era that was ever so short, but certainly sweet. sabrina carpenter’s sixth studio album, short n’ sweet, marked its first anniversary this week – and, well, what a year it has been.
it’d be impossible to sum up everything that has taken place over the last twelve months, and that further testifies to why carpenter’s rise to pop stardom is more than warranted.
so, to celebrate short n’ sweet‘s first birthday, it was only right to rank its twelve songs. and if you don’t agree with this list, let’s pretend you simply didn’t see it.
it’s all subjective, anyway.
12. coincidence
‘coincidence’ is one of those songs that sounds better live. as carpenter frolics around the heart-shaped stage with a tamborine in hand, you can’t help but sense a certain type of magic in the atmosphere.
don’t get it twisted, though – it’s still a banger through and through.
11. slim pickins
observant, light-hearted, and (rightfully) sharp-tongued. that’s exactly how carpenter finds herself in ‘slim pickins’ – a song about how you’ve just got to, although really unfortunately, ignore a few flaws here and there. almost like a painting that you need to view from a distance.
bonus points for the hilarious “this boy doesn’t even know the difference between there, their, and they are” line.
10. dumb & poetic
a song that calls out the self-centered men whose communication skills are nearly that of a five-year-old’s; the men who like shiny things just to abandon them once they get bored; and the men who use performative tropes just to make a good impression.
‘dumb & poetic’ doesn’t hold back, and justifiedly so.
9. lie to girls
some people will go out of their way to convince themselves that the person they’re in love with is the one. a knight in shining armour, even – when, in reality, they’re just okay (throwback to the ‘feather’ music video). ‘lie to girls’ beautifully taps into this concept.
8. taste
an infectious pop-slash-slacker-rock blend that simply gets stuck in your head.
it sees carpenter claw back her self-worth, from references to online turmoil (“Yeah, I know I’ve been known to share”) to lyrics which remind you that her presence won’t fade anytime soon.
7. juno
a love song like no other. quite literally.
6. espresso
this is how you’re supposed to do pop music. it’s safe to say that ‘espresso’ launched carpenter to pop stardom. it was the perfect lead single. duh. but more than that, ‘espresso’ gradually turned into a music Phenomenon that still echoes around to this day.
5. please please please
“i don’t think i’ve ever seen someone fumble a second single this hard. my goodness.” those were the exact words a (very mistaken) social media user posted online when ‘please please please’ was first released.
if a single that went #1 on The Billboard Hot 100 is a single fumbled, then there’s no hope for the rest of us.
all jokes aside, ‘please please please’ is a timeless classic in the making, and rightfully deserves its spot in the top five.
4. good graces
carpenter excels at the track three trope, that much is clear. from ‘hold tight’ to ‘read your mind’, they’re usually some of her most irresistible songs – and ‘good graces’ is no exception.
3. sharpest tool
in the best way possible, ‘sharpest tool’ reminds me a lot of ‘tornado warnings’ from carpenter’s previous studio album, emails i can’t send.
both songs are highly introspective and offer some of her most distinctive writing yet. whereas the lyrics in ‘tornado warnings’ indirectly lie to the listener as if they were the therapist mentioned, ‘sharpest tool’ sees the musician embrace a new challenge in the pre-chorus, where she takes the last word of a line and then starts a new one with it.
2. bed chem
one of the most tongue-in-cheek songs in carpenter’s discography. ‘bed chem’ is so undoubtedly her, from the Double entendres to risqué little jokes – and, in my opinion, it deserves a music video.
1. don’t smile
if you’re a fellow ‘honeymoon fades’ admirer, this placement should come as no surprise.
clocking in at well over three minutes, ‘don’t smile’ isn’t just a song; it’s a poignant reminder of the heartache that comes with longing.
amidst sparkly, mesmerising production, carpenter’s lyrics reimagine the singer stuck in an infinite loop, pondering the what ifs and maybes. add the song’s silky-smooth vocals to the mix, and you’ve got yourself the winning formula, which places ‘don’t smile’ at the top of this list.
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