Why Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Short n’ Sweet’ Rollout Is So Genius
variety.comDaniel D'Addario Chief TV Critic The pop rollout is a tricky thing to nail. And few, lately, have done it better than Sabrina Carpenter.
The 25-year-old is preparing to release her sixth album, “Short n’ Sweet,” next month, but it’s already a breakthrough — this week, she notched her first Billboard Hot 100 hit, “Please Please Please.” Some of the song’s success may be owed to its video, which stars Carpenter and her rumored real-life boyfriend, the much-memed Irish actor Barry Keoghan, as a mismatched pair, a ne’er-do-well and a regretful partner: He robs banks, as she looks on with sorrowful recognition that she’s in love with a criminal.
This follows on the remarkable success of “Espresso,” which — though not quite topping the charts, peaking at No. 3 — managed to carve a phrase into the zeitgeist in a manner that recalls “Hollaback Girl” or “Wrecking Ball.” If the song gets stuck in your head at some point this summer — well, that’s that Sabrina espresso.
The songs are strong. But songcraft alone isn’t quite enough in the age of virality, and few have lately proven themselves as adept at surfing the waves of public attention as Carpenter.
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