Carpenter dances to the beat of her own, caffeinated, drummer

Although downing a shot the caffeinated gods may be bitter and, for some, hard to swallow, pop star Sabrina Carpenter’s new hit single, “Espresso,” portrays herself as anything but that. “Espresso” combines an upbeat, funky backtrack with Carpenter’s signature snappy lyrics to design what may be the song of the summer.

The song opens, fading into a familiar, bright backtrack, which foreshadows the rest of the tune.

Following her quick intro, Carpenter makes the reasoning behind her song title clear by comparing her presence to a quick stab of adrenaline to the heart. She references a man who hasn’t been able to sleep because of her electric company. 

Later in the track, Carpenter repeatedly references her partner’s ex and establishes her superiority over his past partner. Due to this reference it has been rumored that the man in the song is none other than Irish actor Barry Keoghan (Saltburn), who was confirmed to be dating Carpenter. Keoghan has recently been under fire after he left his wife of more than two years, Alyson Kierans, who had recently given birth their shared son Brando.  

Despite this, Carpenter and Keoghan’s relationship has been very publicized, leading to speculation of this relationship being purely for clout. 

The pop song continues, persistently making references to the compatibility and excitement that makes up the relationship. A major part of Carpenter’s songwriting consists of catchy lyrics, which oftentimes aren’t completely coherent. Lyrics like ‘I Mountain Dew it for ya’ and ‘Switch it up like Nintendo’ portray her fun, playful ways of making her point that she is unapologetically herself.   

Her odd rhymes and grammatically incorrect phrases like “That’s that me espresso” similarly portrays her carelessness to both grammar and the world’s opinions of her. A common theme throughout the song is Carpenter’s self-confidence and her own unapologetic approach to expressing her womanhood, which has also been a message throughout most of her career, including while she was an actress on Disney Channel.

However, Carpenter’s shameless self-expression hasn’t come without severe criticism. Many people have critiqued her singing, especially her songs regarding past relationships. Some have felt that her unhinged reflections on such intimacies are too cliché, and in some ways berating to the former partner. 

This criticism has been particularly directed towards her most recent release. Many feel that Carpenter’s lyrics like “Too bad your ex don’t do it for ya / Walked in and dream came true it for ya” are unnecessarily rude and damaging to this sort of anonymous ex.  

Although these lyrics may be considered a little hubristic, Carpenter’s song as a whole product is very upbeat and, for the most part, overpowers the rather problematic lyrics.  

The music video itself fits this fun vibe as well, taking place on a beach, right next to a scenic lake. Throughout the music video, Carpenter poses on surfboards, spends other men’s money, and gets a tan, all while dancing to the fun beat of her own song.

Overall, Carpenter’s newly released record makes light of her own past, while giving a fun, danceable song to play all summer long. “Espresso,” can undoubtedly be considered the song of the summer.  

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by  Zosia Bowlus Jasinski

Published May 20 2024

Oshkosh West Index Volume 120 Issue VIII