“Short n’ Sweet,” Sabrina Carpenter’s long-awaited sixth studio album was released this past week on Aug. 23, featuring 12 songs total. Previously released hit singles “Espresso,” and “Please Please Please”, both of which made it to the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, are also included in the album.
The music video of the album’s title track “Taste,” was directed by Dave Meyers and inspired by the 1992 film “Death Becomes Her.” What surprised fans most of all was Carpenter’s collaboration with actress Jenna Ortega, known for her role in Netflix’s “Wednesday” (2022).
Unlike Carpenter’s previous music videos, this one lies somewhere between comedy, horror and romance. Dark humor is portrayed through the use of overly exaggerated graphic violence. Carpenter and Ortega attempt to murder each other throughout the whole video as Ortega is dating Carpenter’s ex-boyfriend, played by Rohan Campbell. The two repeatedly come alive like zombies, however, and are seen chasing each other around endlessly. Although the use of graphic violence seemed excessive and unnecessary at first, its use is found to compliment the comedic storyline in an artistic way to the audience.
A depiction I found to be rather humorous yet sinister was when Carpenter controlled the actions of Ortega by breaking and abusing a doll of her appearance. Ortega soon took revenge, throwing a blonde doll into the fireplace, setting Carpenter on fire.
The music video ends with a plot twist, when Ortega accidentally kills her boyfriend instead of Carpenter. The two leave his funeral giggling in conversation and jokes, leaving the audience with surprise. Carpenter throws the ironic line of “You kill me,” to Ortega as the music video comes to an end. It conveys that friendship, or girlhood, trumps all relationships.
Through this album and song, Carpenter aims to portray her past relationships, especially those that have been the shortest, but have left her with the biggest impact, hence the album name “Short n’ Sweet.” It’s clear that Carpenter is making an effort to connect with those who have gone through such relationships, especially women who have had their self-esteem put down by them. She exhibits the idea of leaving past relationships not as a past of pain, but rather an experience of learning and growth.
“Oh I leave quite an impression/Five feet to be exact,” Carpenter sings in the opening lines of “Taste,” asserting her confidence with the launch of the song. “You can have him if you like/I’ve been there done that once or twice/And singin’ ‘bout it don’t mean I care/Yeah I know I’ve been known to share,” Carpenter delivers the line in a nonchalant yet slightly bitter attitude.
“Taste,” was a music video filled with juxtaposition, from Carpenter’s sweet voice contrasting the graphic visuals and savage lyrics, all the way to the opposing aesthetics of Carpenter’s light blonde hair and Ortega’s jet black hair. It won’t be surprising to see some Halloween costumes this year referencing the “Taste” music video.