SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Dec 19, 2020 13:09:35 GMT -5
BONUS: Clouds (with Fin Argus - 2020)This song is so catchy! This is the last of the covers from the movie Clouds, and in fact, this is the song that gave the real Zach Sobiech his current level of fame. This is my favorite of the four covers from the film, because it’s so whimsical and sweet. Lyrically, the song is about remaining optimistic for better days. Both Sabrina and Fin’s vocals in this are so wonderful and pure, and the two of them have amazing chemistry together. This is a must-listen for any Sabrina Carpenter fan! Hope you all enjoyed the brief reboot of this countdown, even if it was just cover reviews
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Post by SabrinaFan on Jan 22, 2021 13:18:07 GMT -5
65. Skin
Album: Non-album single (2021) Standout lyric (in a negative way): "You can try to get under my skin, while he's on mine"
Two weeks ago, Olivia Rodrigo released her song "Drivers License," a beautiful confessional about how much she's hurting due to the loss of her lover. Olivia's song has blown up in the last two weeks, breaking numerous records, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and skyrocketing up the Mediabase Pop chart. The song was rumored to be about her ex Joshua Bassett, who is now dating Sabrina Carpenter. These rumors were more than confirmed when Sabrina released this song, "Skin," which is a diss track about Olivia. In honesty, this song makes me a bit embarrassed to be a fan of Sabrina. Sabrina comes off as shockingly tone-deaf in this song, repeatedly taunting Olivia with lyrics such as "you can try to get under my skin, while he's on mine" and "I'm happy and you hate it." Olivia's song was simply a confessional stating how much she was hurting due to losing Joshua, but Sabrina comes off as mean and rubbing it in her face in this song. Olivia did vaguely hint that her song was about Sabrina when she mentioned a "blonde girl," but the song was very kind towards this "blonde girl" and did not disparage or diss her at all. This is why Sabrina's song comes off as a completely inappropriate and petty attack on Olivia. There was just no need to completely run over Olivia's metaphorical car with a steam tractor, which is very much how Sabrina comes off in this song.
The production of the song is decent and catchy, but it's really hard to get past the obvious and cruel attack on Olivia in this song. It also feels gross, because it feels very much like Sabrina saw an opportunity to get some quick fame capitalizing off the drama, so she decided to make a song. Moreover, the fact that Olivia had just made a comment days ago about the Internet rumors saying that it didn't really matter who the song was about, and she wanted to keep it private, makes it all the more inappropriate that Sabrina would turn this drama into something very public. It was incredibly disappointing to wake up to see Sabrina had released "Skin" this morning. This song is dead last in my rankings of Sabrina's songs, even below "Hold Tight" and "I Can't Stop Me," both of which I hate. This is arguably a very low point of her career that I imagine will have lasting implications to her success, which is unfortunate but very deserved IMO for this completely inappropriate response to "Drivers License." I truly hope Sabrina realizes what a bad idea it was to release this song, because if this is the person Sabrina wants to be, I think I've lost some respect for her.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Jul 19, 2021 20:20:46 GMT -5
BONUS - Colorful (2021)
Featuring: AI, 秦 基博, Little Glee Monster, 三浦大知, Perfume, Shinee, Miyavi, Nasty C, Ayumu Imazu, Blue Vintage, Mizki, さなり, and Sing Like Talking
Omg it feels like forever since I've done this! While this isn't the redeeming follow-up I wanted from Sabrina, I'm glad she's at least putting out something again, even if she only gets one solo line in it. "Colorful" is the official song of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, featuring recording artists from all around the world. It's hard to review this as a legitimate song because all I could say is "well, the one line Sabrina sings sounds great!" lol, but I thought it would be worth including as a bonus. I know I skipped the cover of "If the World Was Ending," but I am absolutely starving for new Sabrina content to see if I can still stan her or not after the atrocity that was "Skin," so this at least gave me something. Overall, I thought all of their voices together sounded beautiful and it's pretty cool that Sabrina was chosen for this. I'd highly recommend giving this a listen, as it's very different from anything else Sabrina's ever done.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Aug 7, 2021 0:14:10 GMT -5
5. Emails I Can't Send
Album: Emails I Can't Send (2022) Standout lyric: "Thanks to you I can't love right, I get nice guys and villainize them/Reading their texts like they're having sex right now"
Almost immediately off of the first listen, this song is absolutely heartbreaking. "Intro" details Sabrina's father cheating on her mother with another woman, and the emotional pain that has caused her. It's very clear from the lyrics that she still loves her father, but feels she can't trust him anymore, which has caused immense heartache. The lyrics specifically mention that this occurred "October 13 at 10:15," and Sabrina's parents were still married in the past year, meaning that this just happened this past October. Despite that this is Sabrina's shortest song to date, I can arguably say that this is one of her most vulnerable, raw tracks. I hesitate to say most, because "Run and Hide" is pretty intense, but this is super close, if not tied with that (and that's just off of a first listen less than an hour after it came out, so that could change). The fact that this song was done with such a simple melody on the piano while still hitting the listener like a rock shows Sabrina's lyrical finesse. This song incorporates everything I love about Sabrina - her incredible vocal range, her deep writing, and meaningful lyrics. Of course, I would never have wanted it to come out through Sabrina having to face such heartache, but I do feel like the deep, meaningful lyrics had been a bit lacking recently. Speaking of which, this song makes me take back everything I said about "Skin." It's clear Sabrina is going through one of the worst things she has ever experienced, which caused her to lash out at Olivia in an immature way. That's not to say it was right of her to do so, but it's definitely more understandable knowing this was just an outburst from much deeper emotional trauma. At the end of the song, Sabrina pleads for her father to "fix this," while also having conflicting feelings about him demonstrated through her saying he was all she ever looked up to, but now she can't even look at him. A part of her wants her dad to make it all better like he probably always has for her, but she also makes it incredibly clear that she feels intense anger for him throwing away their family in one selfish, horny night. The rawness of Sabrina's lyrics in this song are absolutely off the charts in this song, and my heart hurts just thinking about what she's going through. It's so rare for an artist to be able to express their deepest feelings in such a simple, understandable way, but Sabrina does that perfectly in this song.
It's ironic, in a sad, twisted way, that one of Sabrina's most known roles on Girl Meets World was playing a character (Maya), whose father left her and her mother to be with another woman, and now Sabrina is forced to go through the exact same thing in real life. I truly hope that Sabrina has a good support network among friends, other family members, and hopefully even her fans now that we know she's struggling so much. My heart goes out to Sabrina in what must be a horrible, confusing, heart-wrenching time. Given how powerful this raw, emotional confession song is, this is climbing all the way to #5 on my rankings, before "Sue Me" (now #6) and after "Space" (#4). I hope Sabrina's fifth album will be a cathartic way for her to get some of her emotions about this out, and I absolutely cannot wait to see what's coming next.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Sept 9, 2021 13:45:05 GMT -5
47. Skinny Dipping
Album: Emails I Can't Send (2022) Standout lyric: "What it was and what it wasn't"
This was admittedly not at all what I was expecting. I was thinking this would be a sort of sexual song, but the song and music video were surprisingly very innocent and lighthearted. While the chorus was amazing, the verses left something to be desired. I've never been a fan of the "am I singing or am I talking" type artists, but that's what the verses felt like. It reminded me of Selena Gomez's "Bad Liar" a little, which isn't necessarily a good thing as I don't care for that song all that much haha. I did like how one verse mentioned Sabrina's sister Shannon, since her other sister, Sarah, seems to be always the one getting the spotlight between being a backup singer at Sabrina's concerts and being a co-star on Girl Meets World. The music video was quite quirky as well and felt like a nod to classic Sabrina, which I loved. Overall, I would say the song was subpar. The verses leave something to be desired lyrically, but I did quite like her voice in the chorus. I wouldn't mind if Sabrina went in this more quirky direction again, but I'd prefer she keep the "talk-singing" to a minimum.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Dec 29, 2021 22:49:48 GMT -5
BONUS: Sign of the Times (with Jasmine Thompson - 2017)
It's been a while since I've done one of these! I discovered this cover the other day, which is the only Sabrina Carpenter song available on streaming services that I have not yet reviewed. Given this, I thought it deserved to be reviewed. This cover of "Sign of the Times" absolutely does justice to the original by Harry Styles. I only know of Jasmine Thompson from her song "Funny," a collaboration she did with Zedd in 2020. Her voice fits so well with Sabrina's in this song, and captures all the magic of the original track. I would highly recommend checking this cover out.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Feb 18, 2022 16:35:54 GMT -5
21. Fast TimesAlbum: Emails I Can't Send (2022) Standout lyric: “Sky looks so purple, I can taste it” This is the highest ranking song since 2020! Our queen Sabrina delivers with that delayed f-bomb a year and a half after she self-censored herself when she was about to say it in “Blueberries” (from Clouds) haha. This definitely wasn’t a “Betty” moment for me though, as Sabrina had included the “wtf is patience?” line in several different emails (sent to her mailing list) so it was kind of obvious that was going to be the lyric. I would have preferred if she wouldn’t have said anything about that lyric at all, and perhaps I would have been more surprised about it. Honestly, this song represents the direction I would prefer Sabrina to be going in, rather than the R&B type songs she was releasing most of last year and on Singular Act II. I love the dreamy production of this song, both in the verses and the chorus. My only minor complaint which kept this from going higher is that the switch-up in the production between the verses and the chorus doesn’t feel like it flows very well. It feels a bit sudden to me for some reason. I really like how her voice sounds in this track. I feel like it’s a perfect balance between her strong voice and her more airy, light R&B vocals. The song lyrically discusses how life moves quickly, so we need to take advantage of every moment because we never know when it could be over. The song encourages you to do what your heart tells you, and be a free spirit. I’m quite happy with the direction she went with this track, and I hope the remainder of her upcoming album (which is confirmed to come out this year sometime) sounds like this! A few different plugs, you should absolutely check out Tall Girl 2 featuring Sabrina if you haven’t already! I watched it right when it came out last Friday and it was incredible! It’s one of my favorite roles that Sabrina has played, because she gets down Harper’s deadpan attitude so perfectly! Also, if you haven’t seen already, I’m currently doing a series of reviews just like I did for Sabrina with a different Disney artist, Bridgit Mendler, so be sure to check it out if you haven’t already!
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Post by SabrinaFan on Jul 1, 2022 14:27:16 GMT -5
54. Vicious
Album: Emails I Can't Send (2022) Standout lyric: "You don't feel remorse, you don't feel the effects / 'Cause you don't think you hurt me if you wish me the best"
So out of the blue, Sabrina not only dropped this new single but announced her entire next album will be coming on July 15. Lyrically, the song talks about a person who everyone believes they are super nice, when in reality, they are secretly aggressive and hostile, and don't care about others. While I was really excited about this one and wanted to like it, it was more middle-of-the-road for me. To put it very bluntly, while there were elements of this song that I liked, there were just as many that I didn't. I really liked the build-up in the second chorus and the eventual production shift to be more intense and rock-influenced. It reminds me of "Happier Than Ever," although I do like that song better than I like this. However, I will say that I don't really care for the verses. I don't like that Julia Michaels-style of "am I talking or am I singing?", and that goes for any song, not just Sabrina's. I hated Selena Gomez's "Bad Liar" for this reason. It just sounds awkward and off-key to me, and I'm not a fan of it. Although Julia isn't credited for this song, you can definitely see the influence she had on this track (and it's been confirmed Julia helped Sabrina write most of this album). In this particular song, I thought it came off kind of generic and emotionless. I loved the last 45 seconds we got since it was bursting with emotion, but otherwise, I sadly felt like the track was kind of forgettable and didn't really feel like a single. I really hope the rest of the album is more like "Fast Times," because I admittedly haven't been super impressed with "Skinny Dipping" or this.
That being said, I'll do reviews of the remaining nine songs on the album every day beginning the day the album drops, July 15, through July 23 and continue the countdown just like I used to. I'm really excited to hear what Sabrina has in store for us!
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Post by SabrinaFan on Jul 15, 2022 13:26:27 GMT -5
15. Read Your Mind
Album: Emails I Can't Send (2022) Standout lyric: "You're not my friend, and baby, you never were"
This is such a major bop! This is easily my favorite track off of Sabrina's new album, Emails I Can't Send. Lyrically, this song talks about a love interest sending mixed signals, thus creating confusion about what is wanted from the relationship. This is one of the few tracks where I'm unsure if this is about Joshua, or if Sabrina is just giving us a random sampling of all her past relationships with these songs, but she has confirmed this is about someone she previously dated. I love how suddenly this takes off after the slow intro! The dance-pop production and Sabrina's vocals work together excellently. To me, this track felt like it was a return to her Singular Act I sound, and given that's one of my favorite Sabrina albums, I was so here for that sound from her again. The sassy, empowering feel of many of the songs is one of my favorite things about Act I, and this really brings that vibe back. That chorus is such an earworm and this track really stood out to me from this album. I honestly wish she would have made this a single instead of "Skinny Dipping," I feel like it at least could have pulled a "Sue Me" on pop radio and made it to the 31-40 range.
I'm excited to be continuing these reviews again, and will be posting my review of one song from the new album per day through next Saturday, July 23.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Jul 16, 2022 14:32:51 GMT -5
10. Tornado Warnings
Album: Emails I Can't Send (2022) Standout lyric: "I think somehow in my mind if I could convince him, if he doesn't see it, then maybe it doesn't exist"
This song is arguably one of the darkest things Sabrina has released, besides "Run and Hide" and "Exhale." All throughout the song, she talks about ignoring the warning signs that this relationship is unhealthy, including that her therapist directly saying that her significant other is an unhealthy person to be around. Sabrina chooses to lie to her therapist and say she's ended the relationship, even though she actually hasn't. The lyrics display genuine emotional conflict, where Sabrina knows this person is not healthy to be around and is feeling some discomforting warning signs. On the other hand, she still has romantic feelings for her significant other and can't let go of him. To mitigate this, Sabrina sings about compartmentalizing the relationship, essentially splitting herself into two different people: her rational self who knows this is bad for her, and the compulsive version of her who believes it is okay to use the relationship as an escape every now and then. Sabrina's lyrics vividly paint a picture of the emotional conflict she is going through, and the angsty, moody production complements this perfectly. What makes this song feel so dark is that it really feels like we are seeing Sabrina's innermost feelings of her struggles with mental health regarding this relationship. The listener gets a sense of how Sabrina is caught in a cycle of escapism, which she is unable to break due to still feeling romantically about the person. This song shows a side of Sabrina that we have rarely gotten to see as listeners, and that's ultimately why I ranked this so high. For anyone confused about why "Read Your Mind" is a little lower than this despite saying it's my favorite, please note that I am ranking these purely based on lyrics and not necessarily factoring my personal affinity for the songs into this.
As a side note, I find it interesting that this gets marked as explicit on streaming services for Sabrina saying "son of a bitch," yet "I Can't Stop Me" isn't marked as explicit at all despite Saweetie saying "pussy" in her verse. Granted, I'm not offended by it or anything, I just find it a bit odd.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Jul 17, 2022 19:11:37 GMT -5
6. Because I Liked a Boy
Album: Emails I Can't Send (2022) Standout lyric: "Tell me who I am, guess I don't have a choice"
By now, everybody knows about the "Skin" debacle of last year. Even as a big fan of Sabrina, I wasn't too pleased with her response. It felt like such an extreme response to Olivia simply saying that Sabrina (might I add that she only said "blonde girl" and never named Sabrina) made her insecure. "Skin" felt like a way to rub this in Olivia's face and capitalize on the drama, basically responding to Olivia's "I'm a little jealous of this girl" remark with "yeah, I'm fucking your man non-stop, how does that feel?!?" In contrast, "Because I Liked a Boy" feels like a much more mature, thought-out response to this situation. "Skin" blamed others and tried to rub it in their face, whereas "Because I Liked a Boy" is just Sabrina saying "this is how it made me feel." This feels like an honest reflection of the mental health struggles the situation caused for Sabrina, and given what we know from "Emails I Can't Send" about her father having an affair, Sabrina must have been going through so much at the time. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't excuse "Skin," but I feel this song at least gives us the explanation for why she was acting out. The heartbreaking ballad really feels like Sabrina is pouring out her soul here, and coupled with the depressing instrumental, it works perfectly. I want to highlight the lyric "tell me who I am, guess I don't have a choice" here because it's such a powerful line in the song. Not only is this talking about her being harassed online, it's talking about how the media likes to label people and shout it from the rooftops so loud that it leaves the actual subject voiceless. In the final chorus, Sabrina also drops the bomb that her and Joshua had just broken up before the drama happened, which must have made this even harder. Sabrina was being called a homewrecker and a slut, and even received death threats, for a relationship she already realized was not good for her, and felt like she couldn't say anything without being attacked further. While I don't think "Skin" was the right reaction, I commend her for putting out this song and opening up to the world about what she went through. "Dating boys with exes, I wouldn't recommend it" is another powerful line, because it's simple, yet so effective conveying the narrative society created around her being a slut. The public assumed that Joshua was messing around behind Olivia's back, and Sabrina and him just so decided to fuck one night, but we don't know if this is what happened at all. Granted, I do think Sabrina needs to take some ownership that many people (like myself) never judged her until that petty, immature reaction, but I do at least understand why she had the reaction she did now. Whereas "Skin" felt petty and like a cry for attention, this feels like a genuine reflection of the situation, and it's the first one we've really gotten from her since she seems to dodge the question whenever it comes up in interviews. This must have taken a lot of vulnerability to put out, and I commend Sabrina for doing it.
I do want to comment on the merch, however. If you are unaware, Sabrina has put out some t-shirts that read "I'm a homewrecker" on the front and "I'm a slut" on the back. The slut part is totally okay and I'm glad she's trying to take back that word, but "homewrecker" feels like a very strong word to me and like it kinda needs the context of the song to work. At least 90% of people probably don't know this song or who Sabrina Carpenter even is, so just wearing an out of context shirt saying "I'm a homewrecker" was probably not the smartest marketing move on her part since it's doubtful people will want to buy it.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Jul 18, 2022 12:15:30 GMT -5
30. Already Over
Album: Emails I Can't Send (2022) Standout lyric: "How am I supposed to close the door when I still need the closure?"
I enjoyed this track, even if it is a bit more mid for this album. The song is incredibly relatable as it talks about being confused about your own emotions. Sabrina repeatedly mentions needing a sense of closure in the song, but I like that she keeps it vague enough to be open to interpretation. Personally, I interpret it as her wanting closure from herself about what she most wants, but being unable to get it because she is so emotionally conflicted. What I ultimately took away from the song is that you can't really control outside circumstances, so sometimes the only closure you're going to get is by processing through what you want on your own. She does a great job going back and forth between what she wants, with some of the lyrics directly contradicting one another ("how am I supposed to close the door if I can't have the closure" in contrast to "I make my bed, but it likes you too"). The chaotic production in the chorus only amplifies this sentiment, which I think was an excellent touch. I also like how the production changes from very slow and thoughtful to a more jumpy, cluttered chorus. All of us have probably been in a situation at one point in another where we're not really sure what we wanted to happen, and Sabrina does a great job. This song perfectly fits the theme of vulnerability, because there's a high level of vulnerability involved when you are unsure of your emotions, and often the only way to find the answer is to dig into your innermost thoughts and figure out what you most want. Although it's not the best track on the album, I do appreciate this one and think she did a great job.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Jul 19, 2022 16:32:41 GMT -5
22. How Many Things
Album: Emails I Can't Send (2022) Standout lyric: "You used a fork once…turns out forks are fucking everywhere!"
You’ve got to give credit to Sabrina, “you used a fork once…turns out forks are fucking everywhere!” is certainly an attention-getting way to start a song. Although the first line might make you think it’s going to be a whimsical song, it’s actually quite a sad one. Sabrina heartbreakingly sings about feeling like her lover is slipping through her fingers and slowly losing interest in her. The song continues this theme of loss that’s been present all throughout the album - loss of respect for her father in “Emails I Can’t Send,” loss of self in “Tornado Warnings,” loss of control over the public reception to her in “Because I Liked a Boy,” and loss of comfort in understanding her emotions in “Already Over.” Sabrina perfectly conveys the emotion of how this gradual emotional loss of presence is even harder than a sudden loss, because she knows inevitably that this emotional distance will lead to a physical loss of presence. You can really hear the hurt in her voice as she talks about retreating into escapism, hoping that maybe she is wrong about her lover leaving ("I still make excuses for you constantly”). She also admits that she is trying to let go of this person knowing what is going to happen, but confesses that she is struggling to lose a person she turned to for comfort (“I can't help it, it's a habit. Your corner in my mind is well established.” Sabrina definitely is more vulnerable on this album than any of her previous four, and it’s most evident in ballads like this. You can really see a growth in Sabrina’s artistry since she released Singular Act II a few years ago, and I can’t wait to see how her artistry continues to progress.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Jul 20, 2022 8:52:41 GMT -5
44. Bet U Wanna
Album: Emails I Can't Send (2022) Standout lyric: I bet you hate the way that you said goodbye and you still can't even tell me why"
A few people have told me how this is their favorite song on the album, and quite frankly I don't see it. It's a good song, but it's one of the weaker tracks here IMO. This song feels like a switch from what the rest of the album is doing, in the sense that Sabrina is quite vulnerable in most of the other songs, whereas here, she's taunting her former lover and saying he was foolish for leaving her. Although not explicitly stated, this song feeds into the overarching narrative of control and vulnerability, in the sense that Sabrina realizes she did not have control over her lover leaving her. However, she is choosing to reclaim her own sense of control by saying that she knows her worth, and that her former love interest screwed up by leaving her because she is so desirable. It sort of goes back to the Singular Act I style of empowerment bops, in a sense. This song feels like it has the implication that loss of control is scary, but the way you can regain control is to find the personal power within your own emotions. I also want to say the production and the interpolation "Lovefool" by The Cardigans sounds great here.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Jul 21, 2022 8:56:15 GMT -5
35. Nonsense
Album: Emails I Can't Send (2022) Standout lyric: "Woke up this morning, thought I'd write a pop hit"
There’s nothing quite like “Nonsense” in Sabrina’s discography. Besides the fact that Sabrina is rapping, the song has a sense of whimsy and playfulness to it that we haven’t seen with other songs of Sabrina’s. The lyrics are a little ridiculous at points, but it’s all very tongue-in-cheek (“It feels so good I had to jump the octave”) and it works well. She captures the initial feeling of love well here - that carefree silliness that often comes with being smitten. It also sort of feels like it’s a return of old, quirky Sabrina, whom we don’t see much anymore. In watching interviews with her, at least to me, she seems guarded in kind of a weird way that she didn’t used to be (which is somewhat understandable given what she’s been through in the past year), but it was really fun to see that part of her personality come out here. I would also argue it’s Sabrina’s most blatantly sexual song to date between the second verse and “How quickly can you take your clothes off? Pop quiz.” Although it was a joke, I have to point out that "Woke up this morning, thought I'd write a pop hit" line. Girl, chill, you aren’t Lil Nas X. In fact, you haven’t even gotten any hits on pop radio yet lol. Regardless, this song was a ton of fun and not only a standout from this album, but I’d argue a standout from her entire discography.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Jul 22, 2022 13:37:33 GMT -5
39. Bad for Business
Album: Emails I Can't Send (2022) Standout lyric: "If I'm just writing happy songs, will anybody sing along?"
It’s really surprising to consider that “Bad for Business” may have been the first single. If you’re unsure what I’m referring to, in her “Skin” music video, a brochure reading “Bad 4 Business” with an April 23, 2021 date could be spotted. However, nothing happened on the date, but it seems like the song was held over for the album with a slight title switch (presumably the ‘4’ was removed so it wasn’t too similar to Olivia Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U.”) I for one am quite glad this was not released in April 2021. I think it would have only worsened the drama, and likely would have made Sabrina seem like a one-trick pony. You might even say it would have been bad for business haha. In the song, Sabrina talks about being so consumed by her love interest that it is difficult to focus on anyone or anything else. She uses very attention-getting lyrics to showcase this neglect of her previous life, most prominently "you stole my life, and it's showing.” Sabrina’s airy vocals work really well with the chill, relaxed production, and the fluctuation in tone at the end is a perfect metaphor to represent how being smitten can have its highs and lows. I want to specifically highlight the lyric "If I'm just writing happy songs, will anybody sing along?" It seems so odd and out of place, and makes me wonder if Sabrina feels that she has to release music that isn’t true to her to appease others. I certainly hope she doesn’t feel the need to change herself to attract others’ attention, but as I mentioned in a previous review, lately she has been a bit more guarded and trying very hard to be “mature,” but (at least in my opinion) it comes off forced. Even if it makes me sad, I can certainly understand why she would feel the need to act that way to strip herself of the Disney label, but either way, it’s an intriguing lyric and I wanted to point it out.
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SabrinaFan
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2022 Pop Poster of the Year
Joined: August 2019
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Post by SabrinaFan on Jul 23, 2022 8:15:30 GMT -5
36. Decode
Album: Emails I Can't Send (2022) Standout lyric: "Being myself, did that emasculate you?"
I’m going to be honest, at first, I didn’t really like this song as a closing track to the album. The production felt too bland and simple, but upon further listens, I think it works perfectly here. The song is about Sabrina realizing she needs to let go of a person, because there’s nothing left to save. The simple instrumental perfectly represents the realization that Sabrina is trying to express in the song: the fact that sometimes, instead of getting lost in your head or making excuses, sometimes you "there's nothing I can do to make this healthy for me” and move on. Realizing you don’t have control over another person’s actions is one of the scariest-yet-empowering realizations presented in this album. It’s always scary not to lose control, but at the same time, it’s also empowering because even though you’re losing control of a relationship, you still have control over your thoughts and reactions. This song goes to show that sometimes the most empowering decisions are the hardest ones to make, because they mean putting your own mental health over an unhealthy relationship that you may be invested in. Sabrina is essentially trying to tell the listener that situations like this don’t need to be as complicated as we make them, because sometimes, we know in our heart that something is wrong or unhealthy. While it took a little while for this song to connect with me, I quite like that it’s the last track on the album. Almost all of the album tackles this concept of vulnerability and control, and the last track being about Sabrina learning to let go feels like it brings the album full circle.
Shifting towards my thoughts on the album overall, I as a listener can see a lot of personal growth in Sabrina since Singular Act II. Sabrina is well-known for making empowering bops, and this album felt like it presented this same concept in a very different way. In other words, you can say “I’m a bad bitch, nothing affects me!” all you want, but nobody is immune to the difficult situations that life presents. Sooner or later, you will find yourself faced with a hard or unexpected situation that you won’t know how to handle. With this album, you can see that Sabrina has realized being vulnerable with yourself is the most empowered you can be. You can cover up your troubles with confident facades, or try to escape them, but being reflective and in tune with your emotions is the only way to truly be empowered in who you are in those difficult moments. I really enjoyed this album, and I can’t wait to see how Sabrina’s artistry continues to evolve.
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SabrinaFan
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2022 Pop Poster of the Year
Joined: August 2019
Posts: 18,891
Pronouns: She/her
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Post by SabrinaFan on Dec 7, 2022 21:28:25 GMT -5
78. A Nonsense Christmas
Standout lyric (in a negative way): "Look at all those presents, that's a big sack!" Album: Non-album single (2022)
“Nonsense” was one of my favorite songs on Emails I Can’t Send. That being said, I strongly disliked this Christmas remix and found it unnecessary. The original song centers around Sabrina being so head-over-heels for a person that it puts her in a silly, carefree daze. This is represented by the goofy nonsensical lyrics, and markedly noted marks Sabrina most sexual song to date. I enjoyed the original and thought it was done well.
This, on the other hand, I did not care for at all. Her lyricism pushing more sexual in the original "Nonsense" was a welcome milestone in her discography and I thought it was done well. Here, the lyrics are mainly just puns that sound like she just walked out of sex ed class for the first time. Even as someone who considers herself a pun lover, every single pun here is so cringey, especially the “big sack,” “down my chimney” and “change your contact to huge North Pole” ones. Sabrina's energy in this song being "can you believe I’m talking about sex, teehee?!?" comes off as immature. If she wanted to make a Christmas sex song, the least she could have done is make the puns at least a little bit creative and not middle-school level sex references. All of these puns were painfully obvious and not even the slightest bit clever.
Even though the song isn't meant to be taken seriously, I feel like Sabrina can do so much better than this. I can't see myself ever returning to this, and it is close to "Skin" levels of bad for me.
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SabrinaFan
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2022 Pop Poster of the Year
Joined: August 2019
Posts: 18,891
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Post by SabrinaFan on Mar 17, 2023 11:13:26 GMT -5
81. Opposite
Album: Emails I Can’t Send Fwd: (2023) Standout lyric: None
I'm excited to announce that I'll be rebooting this for the next couple days as I review the deluxe tracks on Emails I Can't Send! This is the song that Sabrina teased the first 10 seconds to her email list a few weeks ago. Lyrically, the song features Sabrina commiserating about her lost love, wondering what he’s doing with his new lover and pondering why her lover did not want her. I don’t really like the attitude of this song, tbh. Generally, I tend not to be the biggest fan of songs that are just hopeless wallowing without any purpose or message, and that’s kinda what this song feels like. I don’t love the attitude of this song either, where Sabrina is saying she would have changed anything for her lover, such as getting brown contacts if he liked brown eyes better. While there’s nothing wrong with that type of attitude, it contributes to the “hopeless pining” feeling of the song, which is kind of a hard sell for me. I definitely wouldn’t return to this one.
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SabrinaFan
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2022 Pop Poster of the Year
Joined: August 2019
Posts: 18,891
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Post by SabrinaFan on Mar 18, 2023 9:34:47 GMT -5
80. Lonesome
Album: Emails I Can’t Send Fwd: (2023) Standout lyric: “If I fall in love with all my problems, will they leave me too?”
Honestly, I was not really a huge fan of this song. It’s not bad in any way, it’s just kind of a boring ballad that doesn’t stick out. The production is a bit stale here, and I felt it could have built up to something more. The echoes in the chorus sound good, but the chorus itself is otherwise kind of repetitive and not overly memorable. I will say though that “you can’t spell lonesome without me” seems like a very quotable lyric for TikTok; I could see people using it a lot as a sound on there. The song lyrically talks about missing a lover and torturing yourself with the thought of why the person did not want you. The wild west-sounding production in parts of this reminds me a bit of “Bet U Wanna,” but the production definitely inferior to that track. I can see why she left this off the main version of the album.
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SabrinaFan
Diamond Member
2022 Pop Poster of the Year
Joined: August 2019
Posts: 18,891
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Post by SabrinaFan on Mar 19, 2023 8:52:20 GMT -5
79. Things I Wish You Said
Album: Emails I Can’t Send Fwd: (2023) Standout lyric: “I waste my time, I waste my life on idiotic things”
Yay, another sad song on the deluxe edition haha. The lyrics discuss Sabrina remembering her lost love and thinking about all the things she wishes her lover had said to her before they broke up. The production does not really do it for me; it is very stale and doesn’t really build up to anything. It is a fine enough ballad but it is one of the least memorable songs in her discography.
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SabrinaFan
Diamond Member
2022 Pop Poster of the Year
Joined: August 2019
Posts: 18,891
Pronouns: She/her
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Post by SabrinaFan on Mar 20, 2023 7:33:56 GMT -5
30. Feather
Album: Emails I Can’t Send Fwd: (2023) Standout lyric: Floating through the memories like whatever, you’re a waste of time
This is a bop. While the other songs on the deluxe edition kind of blend together, this one is the standout for me. Her light, airy vocals work so well with the dreamy melody of the chorus. I absolutely love the production of the song, it feels very carefree and uplifting. Sabrina conveys the feeling of freedom from a toxic lover really well in her lyrics and attitude throughout the song. I have experienced the feeling of being happier without a toxic person in my life, and I feel Sabrina encompasses that feeling super well within the lyrics. This absolutely should have been included on the standard edition of the album.
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rihannabiggestfan
Platinum Member
Talent Stan. Progressive Queen Dr. Jill Stein 2024. Corrupt Genocide Joe and Hunter for Prison
Joined: December 2020
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Post by rihannabiggestfan on Oct 15, 2023 16:22:51 GMT -5
1. ThumbsAlbum: EVOLution (2016) Standout lyric: “Don't believe everything that you hear / Let it go through your left and right ear / Don't just march to the beat of that drum / Don't be one of them people just twiddlin' them thumbs!” We’ve made it to the best Sabrina Carpenter song! “Thumbs” is all about getting out of monotony and not being afraid to stand out from the crowd. Her first two verses highlight monotonous situations that occur in everyday life, the first about a family reproducing mindlessly, and the second being a metaphor for a dead-end job where you’re just “working for someone else,” in the form of a cop letting a robber go, because he’s just working for someone else and doesn’t care about his job. Being still under Disney, Sabrina could never say this, but much of the song sounds like she’s taking on capitalism as a whole, with lyrics like “The bank robbed the people so the people robbed the bank.” Arguably, the first verse about the family reproducing could also be how capitalism thrives on the institution of family, and just reproducing to create more workers, and thus more money. It’s tough to work in throwing shade at capitalism in a song without directly saying it, so kudos to Brina for that! The bridge is a call to action, to get out of this monotony and view the world with our “eyes wide open” (see what I did there?). She argues we shouldn’t just march to the beat of the drum, and be our own person who lives life intentionally to the fullest extent. Sabrina’s vocals are exemplary throughout this song, even doing a jazz skat in the chorus. But, why is this song above more raw, passionate ones like “Run and Hide” and “Exhale”? The reason I put this one first is because it’s so relatable to everyone, and almost tells a story within the song, which demonstrates the lyrical finesse that Brina has, especially when she works in ideals like capitalism so flawlessly. This song shows what a great artist Sabrina Carpenter truly is. (the most recent post in this thread is from the current year, so mods, I think it's fair to post here) Funny how Karl Marx has been really quiet after this and Rina Sawayama's "XS" I wish Sabrina had writing credits on this house/electropop bop (like she does on the rest of the album), but she clearly endorses the populist, pro-working class message of the lyrics (thus, based). Ended capitalism. An iconic #1, but deserved to be on the Hot 100 rather than the Bubbling Under
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SabrinaFan
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2022 Pop Poster of the Year
Joined: August 2019
Posts: 18,891
Pronouns: She/her
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Post by SabrinaFan on Oct 15, 2023 21:33:15 GMT -5
(the most recent post in this thread is from the current year, so mods, I think it's fair to post here) Funny how Karl Marx has been really quiet after this and Rina Sawayama's "XS" I wish Sabrina had writing credits on this house/electropop bop (like she does on the rest of the album), but she clearly endorses the populist, pro-working class message of the lyrics (thus, based). Ended capitalism. An iconic #1, but deserved to be on the Hot 100 rather than the Bubbling Under Legend has it these two songs put Marx in a coma from intense fear. All he can do now is mutter "Gimme just a little bit (more), little bit of (excess)," and twiddle his thumbs during his brief moments of lucidity lol.
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