- Prepared to be the one who instigates your tears of emotion.
According to Sabrina Carpenter, her "Espresso" was the hit of the summer. For months, the catchy tune from the successful American artist could be heard playing from the speakers of ice cream shops, poolside gatherings, and graduation trips of high school graduates. The secret behind the 25-year-old blonde's popularity? A playful confidence.
In the song, Carpenter talks to an imaginary partner and explains her actions with the phrase: "That's that me Espresso" - as is common in pop, the best lines are hard to translate, like here with "That's the espresso buzz I bring around."
Carpenter is on the rise, but not an overnight sensation
Now, Carpenter is releasing an album titled "Short 'N Sweet." With 36 million followers on Instagram and almost 2.5 billion views of her videos on YouTube, the singer is one of the rising stars of the year. But if you take a closer look, you might be surprised: her YouTube channel has been around since 2009. In fact, Carpenter's career is not an overnight success. She was a child star in the Disney universe years ago, and she gained fame among teen audiences in 2014 as independent Maya in the series "Girl Meets World."
Carpenter first gained attention when she came in third in the singing competition "The Next Miley Cyrus Project." Like Cyrus, Carpenter is trying to distance herself from the Disney image. Cyrus had to fight for a long time to be taken seriously as a singer, partly using eccentric behavior to draw attention to herself.
So far, Carpenter has fewer scandals attached to her name - but it's clear that she's also a product of the Disney machine, which has produced world-famous superstars such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Olivia Rodrigo, and Selena Gomez for decades.
What do the twelve new tracks sound like?
So, what do the twelve tracks on the 36-minute "Short 'N Sweet" sound like? Sadly, they often sound like a monotonous copy machine. The opener "Taste" and some other tracks remind me of Taylor Swift, even down to the spoken-word sections with less instrumentation.
The "Espresso" follow-up single "Please Please Please" becomes a catchy pop earworm with a great flowing chorus, but it doesn't hold interest for the full three minutes. However, the Irish rising star Barry Keoghan made headlines in the accompanying music video - he and Carpenter have been seen together frequently in recent months, and rumors of a relationship didn't take long to spread.
The lyrics are definitely stronger. Carpenter is listed as co-writer on all songs. Apart from the "Espresso" wordplay, there are many winks heard throughout the album. For example, she sings: "I heard you're an actor, so why don't you play the part of a stand-up guy" or "I know you're craving fresh air, but the ceiling fan is so nice."
Sabrina Carpenter often shares snaps of her adventures in New York City on her Instagram, showcasing the city's iconic landmarks as backdrops to her everyday life. During her high school graduation trip, 'Espresso' played in the background as she explored the vibrant streets of New York City, making the song even more nostalgic for her fans.
As her album "Short 'N Sweet" gains popularity, fans eagerly wait for new music videos to be filmed in the heart of New York City, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite artist exploring the city they both love.
