Sabrina Carpenter recently released her deluxe version of the Grammy award-winning album “Short n’ Sweet.” However, people have mixed feelings about the additional 15 minutes of deluxe tracks, resulting in both good and bad reviews.
“[The] themes she takes from other genres or other eras… it all revolves around things that were popular,” said OH music teacher Tyler White. “So, like, she has Dolly Parton collaborate in one of those songs there,” said OH music teacher Tyler White. “There’s a little of that country twang… and that was very popular when Dolly Parton was around, and country is… kind of back.”
Released on Valentine’s Day, a few of Carpenter’s new tracks have more of a country feel, slightly deviating from the rest of the album’s disco, pop, and synth sounds. Carpenter does duet with timeless country singer Parton, a homage to the country genre.
“I think they’re similar in the ways that they use humor, they’re both really confident women,” said OH social studies teacher Rachel Forgue. “I think that’s why…there’s tons of different generations of music fans [that] like her. I think that’s the same thing that Sabrina Carpenter has… confidence and knowing who you are and not apologizing for being who you are.”
While the two singers share similar personalities, some fans find the pair odd on the country rendition of “Please Please Please.”
“I feel like [Parton’s] voice didn’t fit with the song. She could have done better on ‘Slim Pickens’ or something. She shouldn’t have done that song,” said OH senior Audrey Jomant.
Parton may indeed have appealed more to an audience if she had joined in on a song that already had banjo strings and country twang, but Parton is an accomplished singer with a range of abilities.
“[Parton’s] primarily country, but she does some pop stuff… and I feel like pop and country go hand in hand, like more now than before,” said Forgue.
It is appropriate for fans to have a liking toward a certain genre, but fans shouldn’t pressure singers to feel like they have to stick with one. Soon-to-be graduates might know of this impending pressure as they decide on college majors and careers, though Carpenter seems to have found her calling in pop.
“[Carpenter’s] grasping for other things and trying to make this cool, mixed culture of genres to make pop come out more,” said White.
The “pop” in pop music is short for popular and Carpenter sure knows how to make her music well-known. In songs like “15 Minutes” and “Busy Woman,” the upbeat, 80s funk-inspired instrumental complements Carpenter’s comedic lyricism and wordplay.
“Something I stress in [music] production a lot is when we’re writing songs I don’t care about language or explicit content in there,” said White. “The purpose of the song you’re writing, especially in pop music, is to get something off your chest, to portray something, and I think [Carpenter] does an awesome job.”
No matter the type of sound, whether it be stereotypical pop or subtle country, Carpenter’s willingness to play around with her style allows her to convey all sorts of emotions.
The album ends bittersweet with the song “Bad Reviews,” sounding as if a car were riding off into the desert sunset as the credits rolled.
Though the song, and the rest of the deluxe tracks, might receive bad reviews for sounding a little different as expected, Carpenter has shown she isn’t afraid to try new things, which suggests even more growth for her future music career.
I am a senior and this is my first year as a student journalist for 42Fifty. I currently play the trumpet in the OHS Marching Band and I am a member of BIONIC as well. I am excited for learning and gaining experience in journalism this year. You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
