There is a difference between good and great. Some earn the title of being good, while others strive beyond that…they strive for greatness.
There is a difference between good artists and great artists. Great artists dig deep. They become vulnerable to their listeners. Despite her success, I do not see that with Sabrina Carpenter.
Although her music is extremely catchy, there is nothing else. Good music is catchy and melodic. Great music has something more.
In great music, there is always a deeper meaning hidden in the lyrics, some sort of internal conflict or something they want to say. Sabrina often comes close to being vulnerable but then backs off.
In “Short n’ Sweet,” I see songs that sound the same and that are written the same. Occasionally, she has some relatable and deeper lyrics but she needs to expand on them.
For example, in her song “Don’t Smile” she starts to open up by singing “My heart is heavy now, it’s like a hundred pounds / It’s falling faster than the way you love to shut me down.” After she sings that line, she goes into an unserious and light chorus. She does not expand on her feelings. She does not explore those emotions through her lyrics.
Carpenter does this again in “Slim Pickens.” She starts to expose her heart by singing, “Guess I’ll end this life alone / I am not dramatic, these are just the thoughts that pass right through me.” In most of her songs she starts to touch on a sensitive subject but then pulls away. She has to keep going and searching for something meaningful.
I understand she is taking a more unserious and lighthearted approach to this album, but there needs to be something more.
Her entire album explores her love life and perspectives on dating, but oftentimes relationships can be a dense subject. In order to relate to listeners, Carpenter needs to delve further.
After starting as a young actress on Disney Channel’s hit series “Girl Meets World,” she faded into the background. She regained popularity when she opened for Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour and then releasing the hit singles “Espresso” and “Please, Please, Please.”
Although she is just starting out as a popular artist and already gaining fame, I hope to see that she not only becomes one of the goods, but one of the greats.
Her skills and talents have already brought her to the top charts, but digging deeper into herself as a person could make sure she stays on them.