Sabrina Carpenter takes us on an intimate ride in her new album
Via Island Records & Universal Music
Sabrina Carpenter has released her new full-length album emails i can’t send.
The 13-track album details Carpenter’s personal life (yes, even the post-Olivia Rodrigo fiasco) and almost reads like a secretive diary at times. It touches multiple genres like pop, disco, and country even. The pop star released skinny dipping and Fast Times previously as singles.
The title track, which serves as the album's opener plays over a soft piano as Sabrina narrates melodically what seems to be her relationship with her father. “Don't think I'll find forgiveness as fast as mom did/ And God, I love you, but you're such a dipshit” she sings as she bares out her emotions. The track is a great opener setting the tone for a personal and intimate album.
because i liked a boy is one of the hard-hitters on the album and shows Carpenter reflecting on the harsh spotlight she found herself in after the release of Olivia Rodrigo’s hit drivers license which paints Sabrina as a villain in the love triangle between herself and fellow Disney actors Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett. In the song, she shares her experience after receiving an enormous amount of unwarranted hate on the internet. “Now I’m a homewrecker, I’m a slut, I got death threats fillin’ up semitrucks / Tell me who I am, guess I don’t have a choice / All because I liked a boy,” she sings beautifully. The music video for the track showcases a beautiful Sabrina performing and working in a circus metaphorically symbolizing how Sabrina and her emotions were put on display for entertainment. The track itself begins with a relaxed guitar that continues throughout highlighting Sabrina lyrics.
Vicious is absolute pop perfection. Sabrina uses clever lyricism detailing her experience with a cruel ex-lover over the initial simple repetitive beat. As the song continues over a layered beat and culminates at its peak, we hear Sabrina sing over a solo intense guitar, pushing her vocal limit effortlessly.
Another success on the album is Read Your Mind which breathes much-needed fresh air into the project. The track, which stands out sonically with its heavy disco influences, displays a different aspect of Sabrina as an artist. The song can definitely become commercially popular if it receives more push on radio and social media.
In Tornado Warnings, Sabrina narrates her infatuation with someone unfit for her. Sabrina sings melodiously as she confesses lying to her therapist about this person. The song is a soft balance between Sabrina’s gentle vocals and delicate drum beats and is one of the more triumphant tracks.
Other songs such as skinny dipping, Already Over, and Bad For Business all fall short either due to a lack of unique production, standout lyrics, or simply the absence of what makes the “heart” of the project.
What makes this album special is its level of intimacy. Sabrina takes her audience on a rollercoaster of emotions showcasing her talent as a vocalist and songwriter along the way. The album is her most evolved and shows a promising future for Sabrina as a pop artist in the music industry. Though the album has a few misses, the hits are absolutely outstanding and display Carpenter’s abilities perfectly.
