The deluxe edition of “Short n’ Sweet” by Sabrina Carpenter, which was released on Friday, Feb. 14, was a nice Valentine’s Day treat. The expanded album was announced just two days after Carpenter won her first Grammy award, expanding the world of her award winning album and serving as the perfect thank you to her fans. There were five new tracks, including a collaboration with Dolly Parton for “Please Please Please (feat. Dolly Parton),” “Busy Woman,” which she performed on tour for her surprise song segment, “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder,” “Bad Reviews” and “15 Minutes.” The deluxe brings songs the singer couldn’t fit on its original version while also giving fans a way to reconnect with the album, which released back in Aug. 2024.
The fan favorite song “Busy Woman” debuted with 5.27 million streams. The song creates an upbeat atmosphere and is a standout among the additions. Carpenter said the song was written after the album was submitted to producers Jack Antonoff and Amy Allen, meaning it was unfortunately too late for it to be added. “Busy Woman” is the perfect track for when you need to know your worth, but also know you still have people pleasing tendencies at your core. While this long awaited song met expectations, others didn’t land as well.
As much as I love Parton, the “Please Please Please” remix featuring the iconic country star did not live up to expectations. Some of the harmonies were wonderful, but sometimes there seemed to be a note difference between the two. Fans online are blaming the situation on the new record’s mixing, arguing that Carpenter should’ve rerecorded her vocals to match Parton’s.
Back with the sexual innuendos, “15 Minutes” gives listeners an idea of Carpenter’s thoughts regarding her sudden rise to fame. While the 25-year-old has been in the industry for over 10 years, she didn’t start gaining popularity until 2020 when drama occurred between her and fellow Disney Channel alums Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett. Two years after the feud, she released the album “emails i can’t send,” which featured hits “Nonsense” and “Feather.” Despite the two songs’ popularity towards the end of 2023, Sabrina’s 2024 summer hit “Espresso” is what ultimately cemented her as a main pop girl.
“Couldn’t Make It Any Harder” shares similarities with “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” which Carpenter covered multiple times during her stint on Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour.” The song was entirely written by Carpenter, once again showcasing her skilled lyricism. “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder” is one of few songs the Philadelphia native solely wrote alongside Jack Antonoff, later confirming on X that she wrote “Sharpest Tool” alone as well. This track has a complete 180 twist, as she blames herself for sabotaging her relationships rather than the other party.
Ending the deluxe edition with “Bad Reviews” left me with the same melancholic feeling that “Don’t Smile” did when I first heard it. The track left me with a satisfied feeling that this album is another hit for Carpenter’s music career. This song serves as the flip side of “Please Please Please” where she instead stays with a boy even against the judgement of her friends. With multiple tracks on the album revealing the influence of country, Carpenter has the ability to pull a Swift and dip into more country music in the future.
With more songs from Carpenter, and what one could assume is the end of the Short n’ Sweet era, the two-time Grammy winner proves she is a respectable and talented musician in this industry. Showing her empowered, vulnerable and comedic sides, “Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe)” is sure to leave fans ready for what’s next.
