Sabrina Carpenter: “Good Graces” Track Review

Sabrina Carpenter isn’t afraid to speak her mind. Her Polly Pocket persona might suggest she’s an easygoing lover, unbothered by her partner’s screwups, but don’t get comfortable. “Don’t mistake my nice for naive,” she declares on “Good Graces,” a twinkly Miami bass-influenced highlight from her new album Short n’ Sweet, issuing a simple warning to potential lovers: Don’t piss her off.

Behind Carpenter’s poised pop star façade, there’s always something a little twisted waiting to sneak up on you. Think of her delivery of “motherfucker” on “Please Please Please,” sounding as tender and yearning Dolly Parton on “Jolene”—and equally capable of turning the tables. On “Good Graces,” Carpenter merges sugar with spice: She’s as quick to daydream about raising a family as dropping your ass for the next guy in line. There’s dashes of Dangerous Woman-era Ariana Grande in her whispery vocal runs, and the schoolyard chant of “I won’t give a fuck about you” recalls Erika de Casier’s work on NewJeans’ last EP. Just remember: It’s not an empty threat.