As soon as her song “Espresso” began playing over America’s AirPods a few months ago, anticipation began to build for a new album by singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter. On Friday, the album arrived in the form of the endearingly titled “Short n’ Sweet,” a fun roller coaster ride that still endures its fair share of bumps.

From its opening moments, “Short n’ Sweet” makes Carpenter finally sound like a superstar. The confidence and spunk she exudes with every lyric on the opening track, “Taste,” demonstrates why she’s captivated millions, proving that her newfound stylistic quirks — comedic lyrics, beach -ready synths and a heavy teaspoon of charisma — fit her like a glove.

Daily headlines, sent straight to your inbox.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with the latest at and around USC.

The same goes for the album’s singles, the aforementioned “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.” Both hit number one on the global Billboard charts, and both demonstrate Carpenter’s new direction at its best. This pair of frothy pop anthems with smirk-inducing lyrics and unadulterated self-confidence made “Short n’ Sweet” one of the most anticipated albums of 2024, and one would hope that the entire album was full of tracks just like them.

Those hopes are somewhat answered by the full album, but there are definitely some low points featuring slower tracks that lurch the party to a disappointing halt. Songs like “Sharpest Tool” and “Lie To Girls” attempt to bring some hard-hitting truths to the table, but these tracks are ultimately inoffensive at best and boring at worst. Carpenter’s energetic performances of campy and comedic pop tracks are what have led her to sell out arenas, and these songs are an inexplicable regression to the same singer-songwriter archetype that she has so expertly subverted in recent years.

That said, the promise of a good time is still delivered on this album — especially on “Bed Chem,” which discusses the beginnings of Carpenter’s ongoing relationship with “Saltburn” (2023) star Barry Keoghan. The lyrics unfold over a funky and replayable track that draws clear inspiration from her pop princess predecessor Britney Spears in its maximalist self-confidence. It’s also where Carpenter displays her incomparable tongue-in-cheek wit with clever one-liners like “Where art thou? Why not uponeth me?”

But the shining example of Carpenter’s new direction has to be on the country-infused sing-along “Coincidence,” where she catapults her pettiness into overdrive with lyrics that will make you spit out your morning coffee — for example, “Your car drove itself from L.A. to her thighs.” Somehow, “Coincidence” is one of the few clean tracks on the album, but you would never know it — and that’s only a credit to the sheer energy that courses through the song. If another music video is coming, “Coincidence” would be a great pick.

Her country and comedy bona fides are further solidified with “Slim Pickins,” where she delivers entertaining remarks like “This boy doesn’t even know / The difference between ‘there,’ ‘their’ and ‘they are’ / Yet he’s naked in my room.” Carpenter is great at knocking her targets down while still embracing a relatable theme for the masses — in this case, the lack of eligible and high-quality bachelors.

The only time Carpenter’s new style completely falls apart is on “Juno.” This is the longest track on the album, and it shows. “Juno” feels a bit stiffer than the other upbeat songs on the project, and the outright declaration that “I’m so fuckin’ horny” is a lot less exciting than she was probably hoping. “Juno” feels like a mishmash of everything she’s trying to accomplish, and thus falls apart under its sheer weight. Also, this is the only song where the jokes really don’t land — Carpenter makes a reference to “objectifying” her partner that is supposed to sound sly but instead comes across as slimy.

Unfortunately, it’s not all innovative material on this project. “Dumb & Poetic” delivers one of the weakest “soul-baring” tracks released in some time. Tracks like these prove once and for all that her Taylor Swift impression is not nearly as enjoyable as her Britney Spears one.

Making matters worse, “Dumb & Poetic” directly follows “Espresso” and “Bed Chem.” The drop in entertainment value there is so stark that you’d be scared if Tom Cruise jumped off of it. Then there’s “Good Graces” and album closer “Don’t Smile,” which both obviously borrow from Ariana Grande’s discography with varying degrees of middling effectiveness.

“Short n’ Sweet” wears its influences as obviously as Sabrina Carpenter wears her blonde hair, but her new album is at its best when she forges a new path. Her uncharted journeys into comedic country-pop or synth-heavy grooviness work well most consistently, whereas her best impressions of Swiftian breakup anthems and Grande R&B don’t stick the landing.

Still, this new album has an above-average amount of genuine hits and memorable lyrics, making it nothing less than one of the best pop albums of the year so far. This new project feels like a successful coronation for the former Disney star. It’s quite the sweet experience, indeed.