Graphic made by Janycia Otero.

On Aug. 23, Sabrina Carpenter released her seventh studio album “Short n’ Sweet.” Consisting of 12 songs spanning over 36 minutes, Carpenter sings about heartbreak and self preservation over top of twangy pop production.

With lead single “Espresso” releasing in April of this year and hitting number one on the Billboard Global 200 chart, Carpenter’s latest record has been highly anticipated. After the release of her last album “Emails I Can’t Send” in July 2022, the singer has only left her listeners craving more of her signature flirty lyrics and satisfying melodies.

Carpenter introduces the album with her latest single “Taste.” The opening lines “Oh, I leave quite an impression / five feet to be exact,” set up the confident and self assured nature of most of the songs following. I really loved the slight grunginess of this track combined with a classic pop song structure. The music video starring Carpenter and actress Jenna Ortega is equally engaging to watch as the song is to listen to.

One of my favorite tracks on the album “Good Graces” is the perfect uplifting song about Carpenter making her intentions clear with a new love interest. She exclaims “Boy, it’s not that complicated / you should stay in my good graces,” meaning that this man should treat her right if he wishes to stay in her life. The upbeat sound makes it impossible for me to stay still while listening, and the liberating lyrics are fun to sing along with.

Another song that has become a staple in my life is “Slim Pickins.” Unlike the other traditional pop tracks on the record, this song is Carpenter going full country. With a twangy guitar melody and southern drawl in her voice, I appreciate how easily she can create a great song in almost any genre. The lyricism is also tragically relatable, with Carpenter singing “This boy doesn’t even know the difference between there, their and they are,” implying that it’s difficult to find a decently smart man that can meet her standards.

The album closes with the dreamy lofi inspired “Don’t Smile.” This song puts a twist on the saying “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Instead, Carpenter sings “Don’t smile because it happened, baby / cry because it’s over.” Her layered vocals create a heavenly atmosphere and almost immediately put me in a trance every time I press play on this ballad.

Overall, I absolutely loved this album. The wide variety of sounds, genres and topics kept me engaged the whole way through. I haven’t gone a day without listening to at least one or two tracks since it came out. I look forward to Carpenter’s upcoming tour for the record starting Sept. 23 in Columbus, Ohio.