Melissa Kacar

Coming just a year after Short n' Sweet , Sabrina Carpenter is already back with a follow-up record and it's clear she's striking while the iron's hot. Man's Best Friend  feels like a playful extension of the persona she's been building, with a level of her signature humor and self-awareness that lies within each song. Much of the inspiration behind this album stems from her on-again-off-again relationship with her ex-boyfriend. It chronicles the emotional highs and lows she was experiencing in real time, and  Man's Best Friend  feels like it was a creative outlet born from that turbulence. It also became a space for her to experiment with sounds she hasn't explored before. Sabrina worked on the entirety of this album with her frequent collaborators, producers John Ryan and Jack Antonoff , as well as songwriter Amy Allen . Her previous releases were made with a much bigger team of songwriters and producers, but it's clear that this was a much more ...

"Don't Smile" closes out Sabrina Carpenter 's Short n' Sweet on a lush, understated note, which beautifully contrasts some of the more playful energy that made up so much of the rest of the album. It's a glittery, jazzy slow burn that is so full of emotion. This is such a refreshing sound for Sabrina to be experimenting with, especially as it allows her vocal range to shine so effortlessly.  I often think of it as if it were the song rolling at the ending credits of this album, fading out as the metaphorical party ends. On this song she takes the common phrase "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened" and reverses it to "Don't smile because it happened, baby, cry because it's over".  In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, she opened up about the inspiration behind the song; "That title is so... it's on every Pinterest board, on every sewn pillow, but the opposite; don't cry because it...

With So Close To What , Tate McRae showcases herself in a way like never before, making it her strongest and most confident body of work yet. This album not only highlights her growth as a vocalist and songwriter but also reveals a deeper emotional and artistic maturity. It is bolder and more candid than any of her work thus far, as she opens up about her newfound sense of womanhood, falling in love, and the complexities of navigating relationships and personal growth in the spotlight. The ambiguous title of this album embodies both sides of Tate that this record explores. "While I was writing the album, I was on tour, living the same day over and over again. It felt like I was trying to change, but I couldn't quite," Tate said in an interview with Vogue.  "I was feeling grown up for the first time, but I'm still 21, which was confusing. I really felt like a woman for the first time - feeling confident about my sexuality and empowered - but then some days waking...

Following the release of her Grammy winning album   Short n' Sweet last summer, Sabrina Carpenter is giving us a taste of something even sweeter - five new deluxe tracks! Every single song on the standard edition of  Short n' Sweet   is pure pop perfection, the deluxe tracks only further enhance the original album. Of course, all five additions also carry through so much of Sabrina's signature charm and humor that is very present throughout all of the music she makes.  Across these five songs, she worked with all of the same collaborators as the rest of the standard edition, Amy Allen , Julian Bunetta, John Ryan, and Jack Antonoff . Short n' Sweet  was one of my favorite albums of 2024 and I've been continuously obsessed with every single song on it since it was released.  "15 Minutes" is the first of five new songs on the deluxe edition of the album, which gives the listener a glimpse into her life following the release of Short n' Sweet   and the...

"Espresso" was the first introduction we got into Sabrina Carpenter 's now iconic Short n' Sweet , initially just supposed to be a "little song" for her to perform at Coachella back in April 2024. It actually ended up transforming her entire career and became one of the biggest songs of the entire year. Is it that sweet? I guess so! This song quickly took off and became a phenomenon that I don't think anyone could have expected. It perfectly blends pop, funk and even a little bit of a disco influence. It's truly the definition of a perfect pop song. Sabrina describes the rush of a new relationship in such a cute way, with super fun word-play throughout the song. "That's that me espresso" is probably the most iconic line from the song, but "I'm working late, cause I'm a singer", "I know I Mountain Dew it for ya" and "Switch it up like Nintendo" are just a few more of the most quotable phrases from t...