Standing at just 4’11, Sabrina Carpenter might be small, but her new album Short ‘N Sweet packs a punch. The singer behind the viral hit, Espresso, has finally released her long awaited album and it’s filled with pop hits. If you haven’t been singing, “That’s that me espresso,” all summer, this album might make you start.

     Carpenter’s songs are witty, fun, and raunchy, with themes that pull on the kind of honest relatability that’s currently topping the charts. It’s a clear step up from her last record, Emails I Can’t Send. This album has a clearer vision and shows Carpenter stepping into her own as an artist. However, while the songwriting shines, the production has some listeners raising their eyebrows.

     The problem? Many of the songs sound more like nods to other artists than unique creations. “Taste,” the album’s opening track, has the edgy energy of early 2000s Paramore, while “Good Graces” sounds like it was taken straight out of an Ariana Grande album. Despite Short n’ Sweet being promoted as her “sophomore album,” it’s actually Carpenter’s sixth studio release. So, why is it still so hard to pinpoint what makes a Sabrina Carpenter song distinct?

     Shaamak Goyal, a senior at Monte Vista High School, bluntly summed up the issue: “I think the songs where her voice comes out more it just sounds like a really bad Dolly Parton song,” he said. 

     “I think that the songs that are more disco just sound like a really bad Dua Lipa song, and I think that songs that blend the country notes and the Dua Lipa notes- I think that’s more of her tone and her voice…”

     This lack of a clear sonic identity begs the question of whether Carpenter can truly stand out in today’s crowded pop scene. Although this album has done a lot to solidify Carpenter’s status as a main pop girl, it’s still unclear whether she can go beyond catchy hooks and clever lines to become a defining voice in this new generation of pop music. One thing is for sure: the whole world will be listening.