Sabrina Carpenter is back, this time with the deluxe edition of her acclaimed album, Short n’ Sweet. The blonde’s star power has been on the rise since the album’s original release in August of 2024, with singles like “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” topping the charts. The new version of her album has 4 new tracks: “15 Minutes”, “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder”, “Busy Woman” and “Bad Reviews”. It also has a remix of her single “Please Please Please” featuring country titan Dolly Parton.
The original version of the album debuted number one on the Billboard Hot 100. After her commercial success following this release, the pop star embarked on the Short n’ Sweet Tour in September, which is ongoing. The album received eight Grammy nominations, and won Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance for her single “Espresso”.
The first deluxe track, “15 Minutes” was an upbeat and cheeky reminiscence on how her fame has forced her to be more productive, “I can do a lot with 15 minutes/ Lot of pretty boys, lot of funny business”. At the end of the song she reflects on the fleeting nature of fame and what she’ll do, “when [her] time’s up”.
“Please Please Please (feat. Dolly Parton)” sees Carpenter reimagine one of her original singles in a more country focused direction, as opposed to the original synth-heavy production. People online have had mixed reactions to the new version, with many noting that Parton’s aging voice sounds out of place alongside Carpenter. In the music video for the song, colored in grayscale, Parton and Carpenter drive around singing, all while her ex-boyfriend is tied up in the truck bed.
“Couldn’t Make It Any Harder” is one of the few ballads on the album, filled with both heartfelt lyrics reflecting on her shortcomings as a partner, as well as the innuendo Carpenter has become known for. It’s reflective in a way that Carpenter has overlooked in favor of upbeat pop during the rest of this album cycle, joining other ballads like “Lie To Girls” and “because i liked a boy” in her discography.
“Busy Woman” sees Carpenter return to the upbeat pop she is so known for. The song, which harps on how her calendar is always full, cheekily reflects on her issues with rejection. “If you don’t want me, I’ll just deem you gay,” the singer exclaims during a verse.
In the final track on the deluxe, “Bad Reviews”, Carpenter tells the story of ignoring her friends’ warnings and her partner’s bad reputation to preserve her relationship. The pop star justifies her choices to ignore these bad signs, singing, “‘Cause I refuse to be wrong again/ And I can’t lose another boy that’s not even my boyfriend/ Still I choose to be in love with you”.
This deluxe, which gained 37.9 million streams upon debut, just goes to show that Carpenter, in all her five-foot tall glory, is here to stay.
