On August 23rd, pop superstar Sabrina Carpenter released her 6th album, Short n’ Sweet, mixing country, rock, disco, bluegrass, and R&B styles into one quirky and cheerful album. Although only 36 minutes long, this release depicts themes of neglected areas of modern relationships like revenge, self-respect, and the importance of communication. Such a message produced with a sparkling, bubblegum-pop feel makes her album unquestionably Short n’ Sweet.

The 25-year-old saw instant success with this release, as it secured the number one spot on billboards and sold 362,000 copies the week of its debut. This is Carpenter’s second independent album, the first four released with Disney from her time acting in one of the company’s shows, Girl Meets World. Her independent music can be summed up as a mix of witty and moody, which one can hear from her 5th album, emails I can’t send.

Although Short n’ Sweet has been recognized for its cheeky humor and catchy hits, Carpenter uses the eleven tracks to guide the listener through the messy, emotional rollercoaster that is her love life. My personal “Slim Pickins” of favorite songs include: “Good Graces”, “Please Please Please”, and “Bed Chem”. 

In “Good Graces” and “Please Please Please”, Carpenter introduces themes of self-respect with lyrics like “I beg you, don’t embarrass me”, declaring the importance of her image, and also how her lover needs to respect the boundaries she sets. However, “Please Please Please” depicts this with comedic suggestions and synth/country pop, while “Good Graces” further explains both her adoration and possible indifference to her partner’s actions in a y2k, R&B style that she notably also uses for “Bed Chem”. The themes of infatuation and use of comedic innuendos in this track are more similar to those of “Juno” or “Taste”, however, what sets “Bed Chem” apart is Carpenter’s stunning vocal range with a high-pitched chorus and influence from synthpop and disco.

Carpenter proves once again how she can nail comedic genre-mixing and hidden messages in a fresh, colorful way. With her unique work and time spent opening for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour last year, the stardom associated with Sabrina Carpenter clears the path for a long, highly successful future and golden career. 

Speaking as a fellow fan- or “Carpenter”, as she calls her fanbase- I can only hope her next album is as catchy and upbeat as Short n’ Sweet, continuing to push boundaries and shock us all with her evolving artistry and signature style.