By: Chloe Kowalyk

(Above: Sabrina Carpenter in “Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe)” album cover).

This year, Valentine’s Day was made a bit sweeter as Sabrina Carpenter released the deluxe version of her “Short n’ Sweet” album directly at midnight on Friday, Feb. 14.

Fans anticipated the album’s release, as it was teased that Dolly Parton would be joining Carpenter on one of her most streamed songs: “Please Please Please.”

“Please Please Please” was Carpenter’s first No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, released in anticipation of the “Short n’ Sweet” album in June 2024.

The “Short n’ Sweet” album itself was released in August 2024 and recently won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album. Carpenter also took home best Best Solo Performance for her song “Espresso,” which was included on the album after it was first released as a single in April 2024. Carpenter also received six other Grammy nominations.

The album centers around themes of love, romance and heartbreak. Carpenter navigates complex relationships and terrible partners in songs such as “Lie to Girls” and “Sharpest Tool,” tough, petty breakups in songs like “Taste” and “Don’t Smile,” loneliness in “Slim Pickins” and even lust in flirty songs such as “Bed Chem” and “Juno.”

However, with “Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe)” came four new songs, and the highly anticipated collaboration with Dolly Parton on “Please Please Please.” Plus, the original 12 songs from Short n’ Sweet’s initial release remained in their places on the album.

“15 Minutes” was the first song showcased in the new album release, and explores the expression “15 minutes of fame.” In this catchy piece, Carpenter explores how fleeting fame can be, and how quickly it can swarm you.

The lyrics paint the picture of being spun around by fame so fast, that your surroundings are blurry and you can’t quite make out what’s happening. Through the chaos, Carpenter maintains her bubbly personality that can easily be heard in this piece.

Dolly Parton and Sabrina Carpenter become one in their shared sassy, empowered nature as they duet in Carpenter’s “Please Please Please.”

It’s certainly a duo I didn’t expect (seriously, when I found out about the collab, I had to ask a friend if I was reading correctly), but it’s not completely crazy. A few of Carpenter’s songs have some twang to them (most notably “Slim Pickins”). Nonetheless, Carpenter and Parton’s voices blend together in a feminine, dynamic manner, with Parton taking lead on one of the verses herself.

One major change between the song versions is found in the song’s lyrics “Heart break is one thing / My ego’s another / I beg you don’t embarrass me motherf*****” In the version featuring Parton, the lyrics are changed to “I beg you don’t embarrass me like the others.”

Many have joked that Parton would never speak such profanity, which would explain the lyric change, as the song’s clean edit changes the lyrics to “I beg you don’t embarrass me little sucker.”

Honestly, if you’re looking for clean music, Carpenter may not be the artist for you, as even if a song isn’t directly suggestive, an innuendo is slipped in somewhere (listen to “15 Minutes” again if you somehow didn’t catch it on the first listen).

With the song’s release came a brand new music video featuring both Carpenter and Parton singing their parts of the song in a conversational style while driving a car down the road. In a “Thelma & Louise” crossed with an old western theme with black and white visuals, it is later revealed that the duo have a tied up a man the back of the car they have been driving.

As a bit of an easter egg, the original “Please Please Please” music video shows Carpenter and actor Barry Keoghan navigate a life of crime as Carpenter begs him not to embarrass her in the song’s lyrics as he continues to get the pair into trouble.

At the end of the video, Carpenter handcuffs Keoghan and places duct tape over his mouth. The man tied up in the video with Parton appears to match Keoghan’s look, wearing the same outfit (although his head is covered by a bag, so we do not get a clear look at his face). So yes, it appears Keoghan may have embarrassed her, although nothing has been confirmed reflecting the couple’s actual relationship as of yet.

The next song, titled “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder,” is a major mood shift, as Carpenter dives into self deprecation and negative self thoughts.

She describes how she feels that she makes it hard for her partner to love her as she experiences emotional detatchment from the pain she has experienced in the past.

The song itself is beautiful, as Carpenter’s strong vocals are at their fullest effect. I felt that the piece sounded a bit like “Hopelessly Devoted To You” by Olivia Newton-John from “Grease.”

Specifically the part that goes, “But now there’s nowhere to hide / Since you pushed my love aside / I’m out of my head / Hopelessly devoted to you” can be heard when Carpenter sings “But I couldn’t make it / Any harder to love me / Your arms are reachin’ / And your eager heart is throbbing.”

“Busy Woman” is a flirty, yet empowering song. It emphasizes the importance of knowing your worth and setting boundaries. You should never lower your standard or self worth at the hands of a man, and Carpenter embodies that ideal in this piece.

As a busy woman, Carpenter notes that she’ll give the love back that she receives, and she’ll make that effort if it’s given back, but anyone who does not value her worth and appreciate her love doesn’t fit into her busy schedule.

It’s a confident, feminist piece that screams self confidence and self respect.

“Bad Reviews” is the story of how Carpenter has heard a lot of “bad reviews” and negative things about her romantic interest, yet chooses to stay with them. She acknowledges the red flags present in the relationship — and she’s self aware, too.

It can be likened to the end of a relationship or a fling, as you may know in your heart that it isn’t quite right, but you still want to love and be loved despite all of the warnings from friends and warning signs that things aren’t going how you’d like.

In the song, Carpenter sings, “‘Cause I refuse to be wrong again,” in an apparent attempt to save whatever ego remains in her. There exists a duality between knowing that your relationship is failing, yet not wanting to accept the loss in anticipation of judgement and perceived failure, and the looming feeling of loneliness.

For a Valentine’s Day release, there sure was a mix of romantic emotion present in just five songs Carpenter put out.

With a song for everyone and a variety of situations, listeners can share in her frustrations, confide in her emotions and celebrate empowerment as Carpenter rounds out the complexities that exist in young love — especially in the public eye.

As Carpenter continues to be thrust onto the world’s stage (with her recent performance at the Grammys and appearance on the cover of Vogue’s March edition), many excitedly await what her future as a young, rising artist holds.