If you told me back in 2014 that the girl who played Maya Hart in Girl Meets World would have started a music career that would include 6 studio albums and a decade to rise back into the spotlight, I would’ve slapped you in the face. Yet here Sabrina Carpenter stands, a testament to the virtue of patience in entertainment.

Although only 25 and widely considered to be a new face in music, Sabrina Carpenter has been making music for the better part of a decade. Her 5th album “Emails I Can’t Send” started her rise back into superstardom, with her 6th studio album “Short N’ Sweet” being the magnum opus of her career and the catalyst that sent her back into the spotlight. 

The decade of experience before turning 30 is a feat that very few artists will ever achieve. I like to think this record was her graduation from the minors to the major leagues of pop music. A part of that move-up comes in her ability to both not take herself too seriously as well as not take life too seriously. 
When it comes to her humor, she tends to walk the border of care-free vs frank and tragic and she does both very well. 

She’s also shortened her production team with this record, bringing back past collaborators (Julian Benetta and John Ryan) as well as bringing in some Pop heavy hitters (Anne Kirkpatrick and Jack Antonoff)

Anchored with 2 of the biggest songs of the summer “Espresso” and “Please Please Please”, the record debuted at number 1 on the Billboard charts and garnered Sabrina 78 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

In the context of the record, “Espresso” is really solid. Arguably the song of the summer and rightfully so. Sonically great and Lyrically great, the only travesty is that it failed to top the Billboard Top 100 chart. “Please Please Please” was another track that excited my expectations. Lyrically, this is right up Sabrina’s alley. It tells the story of being with a guy that she’s ashamed to be with and begging her not to “embarrass me mother f’er”

She does hammer down on the point of partner intelligence being a prominent role in who she decides to date which kinda makes her sound like a jerk. Another example of this comes with “Sharpest Tool” where she’s admitting that her partner isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. 

Dumb and Poetic is a welcome change of pace from the upbeat intensity of the record. However, the issue I have with this record comes with the narrative (there really isn’t one). It’s a very angsty and sad track and Sabrina’s strong suit really doesn’t fit into this idea. 

A major highlight on the record is “Coincidence”. In the album, it feels like it smushed together the country twang/acoustic guitar version of the record, with the infectious vintage pop beats on the record. Lyrically it tells the story of a partner love running bipolar, depending on the status of whether or not he’s thinking about his Ex or if she’s in town or not

We get a similar narrative in the opener “Taste”. Its clean-toned electric guitar-heavy instrumental is addictive, and the vintage pop beats are a welcome addition to a very solid opener. There’s a very understandable bitterness in the lyrics as she’s upset with her ex for getting back with his ex. 

There is some deeper and more Sabrina Esque. hits deeper into the album such as “Bed Chem” bringing a funk-pop sound mixed with some good-humored lyrics to the table. “I mean Camaraderie” (Iykyk) “Why not uponeth me” just feels exactly like the modern-day Sabrina. 

“Juno” is another one of these tracks that feels off the rails (also my favorite song of the record sonically). A song based on pure attraction and wanting to get “freaky”. I also love how she explains exactly what she’s looking for in a man with the line “Don’t have to tell your hot A%^ a thing, oh yeah you just get it”. You understand things without me having to tell you. The bar is in hell. 

In moments where Sabrina may be batting triple zeros in the dating world, she turns them into songs and records that bang. That’s what she does well and that’s what’s made her as famous as she has been in 2024 and will likely continue to be for years to come.

Given that this album is nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy’s, the question has to be asked. Is it possible for this record to take home the win? 

Given that it is my personal favorite of the entire field, I would love to see this album take home the award. The record is infectious, filled with great pop blends, and addictive instrumentals. However, it’s hard for me to imagine the academy going with this “off-centered” pick given its history and Sabrina’s breakout into the mainstream. 

I would love it, but I’m not betting on it.