Back catalogue: Pop

Review: Short n' sweet is perhaps the prevalent ideal of pop music today. Sabrina Carpenter's nectarous new record is a delightfully brief pick-me-up, one that nails the style. Described as a "pocket-sized popstar with a larger-than-life artistic presence" by Polydor, Carpenter's depiction as an idol of convenience and portability feels apt for today's always-on, attention-frazzling zeitgeist. Quick songwriterly syrups brightened-to-perfection productions help Carpenter trade in themes of youthful exuberance and glib spirit, as echoes of country music efflux through trap and ratchet pop; a quick rinse-off in an infinity pool of post-Taylor-Swift gloss. Titles like 'Sharpest Tool', 'Espresso', '15 Minutes' and 'Bed Chem' all seem to affirm the record's effective immediacy: and Carpenter owns the stimulant shot, as she taunts a romantic rival: "you'll just have to taste me me when he's kissing you..."