The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2024 - Issue 36

bitemusicceleb In 2022, Sabrina released her fifth studio album, Emails I Can't Send, the first under Island Records. This folk-pop, dance-pop and storytelling offering is themed around emails and messages she wrote but did not send. She conveys intense emotions on tracks 'Vicious' and 'Read Your Mind'; on 'Tornado Warnings' and 'Decode', she explores vulnerability and self-observation. The tracks 'Skinny Dipping', 'Fast Times', 'Vicious', 'Because I Liked a Boy' and 'Nonsense' were released as singles. This year, it finally happened! The singer's sixth studio album, Short n' Sweet , propelled her to musical heights, debuting at the top of the US Billboard 200 with standout singles Skin', 'Nonsense', and the summer hit 'Espres- so'. Sabrina told Apple Music she wrote 'Espresso' dur- ing "one of those times in my life where it was just, like, I thought I was the sh** in the moment. And I think you don't always feel that way, so you kind of have to capture those moments that you do." She added, "For me, equating it to caffeine and that ad- diction was enjoyable, and I definitely have a caffeine addiction as it is. So, it really ends up being a full circle for me." The song revolves around the subject of a lov- er's desire and waking them up like an espresso. Lines like "Say you can't sleep, baby, I know / That's that me, espresso" showcase the singer's wit and playful style. The infectious synth groove and escalated drum build- up leading into the chorus transform the song into an addictive listen. The singer released the song before Coachella 2024, which marked her first time performing at the annual event. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent five non-consecutive weeks at #1 in the UK. Singer Adele said the song was her jam as she could relate to the lyric: "I'm working late because I'm a singer.” Entertain- ment and culture journalist Hollie Geraghty said, "There's a lightness and warmth to Espresso's funky sound that makes it perfect for carefree summer listening." Her next single, 'Please, Please, Please’, is a playful yet heartfelt song about the complexities of love and re- lationships. It explores the tension between wanting to protect a relationship and dealing with insecurities. The music video shows the singer being released from a holding cell as a dark-haired man, played by actor Barry Keoghan, is led into the prison. The two characters fall in love, but Sabrina struggles to believe in her partner despite his flaws and hopes he will not disappoint her. The catching pop-rock song 'Taste' delves into the lin- gering presence of a past relationship, where the singer addresses her ex's new partner and hints at the lasting impact she has on him. In the blood-gruesome music video, Sabrina and her ex’s girlfriend, played by Jenna Ortega, fight with lethal weapons. Jenna shoots Sabrina with a shotgun, and Sabrina, although impaled by the white fence, throws a knife that lands in Jenna's right eye. They battle until the boyfriend is accidentally killed. Sabrina is on her Short n' Sweet tour and will hit Dublin and the UK in March 2025. www.sabrinacarpenter.com