Get the latest gossip

Why Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Short n’ Sweet’ Rollout Is So Genius


The 'Espresso' singer is true at every turn to the sly, witty persona she's crafted.

The 25-year-old is preparing to release her sixth album, “Short n’ Sweet,” next month, but it’s already a breakthrough — this week, she notched her first Billboard Hot 100 hit, “Please Please Please.” Some of the song’s success may be owed to its video, which stars Carpenter and her rumored real-life boyfriend, the much-memed Irish actor Barry Keoghan, as a mismatched pair, a ne’er-do-well and a regretful partner: He robs banks, as she looks on with sorrowful recognition that she’s in love with a criminal. An early sign, perhaps, was her late-2023 and early-2024 booking as the opening act for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Latin America, Australia, and Asia; the mere fact of the gig was one thing, but Carpenter cannily turned each night into an event. And in film, new stars including Glen Powell, Sydney Sweeney, Ayo Edebiri, and (especially) Keoghan himself seem both hyper-image-conscious and un-vain, remaining aware of how they’re perceived in order that they might perpetually undercut that image, remind you that it’s not that serious.

Get the Android app

Or read this on Variety

Read more on:

Photo of ‘short n’

‘short n’

Photo of Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter

Related news:

News photo

Here's Why Sabrina Carpenter Is Eligible for Best New Artist at 2025 Grammys, Despite Having Five Previous Albums

News photo

How Did ‘Please Please Please’ Become Sabrina Carpenter’s First Hot 100 No. 1?

News photo

Barry Keoghan Just Earned High Praise For His Behavior On The Set Of Sabrina Carpenter's "Please Please Please" Music Video