I Listen To 'emails i can't send' by Sabrina Carpenter

My favorite mutual released an album, what now?

If you follow me on anything, you should probably already know by now that Sabrina Carpenter is one of my favorite singers. She actually follows me on Twitter, which is something I think about a completely rational amount.

(Pictured Above : my gorgeous twitter mutual, the multi-talented Sabrina Carpenter)

Anyways, she hasn’t released a full body of work since Singular Act II (one of my most streamed albums of 2019, by the way) on July 19th 2019. Almost exactly three entire years ago, which doesn’t necessarily seem like a long time but for an average person it feels like a decade, and for a Carpenter it feels like three lifetimes ago. She has sporadically been dropping singles since, which I’ll get into soon. Now, on July 15th 2022, she is finally dropping her fifth studio album ‘emails i can’t send’. I have yet to delve into album reactions on this newsletter, but for such a special occasion I decided to do my version of a live tweet reaction on a newsletter and give a very rough first impressions ranking. 

(Pictured Above : album cover for Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘emails i can’t send’)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS :

I had to watch the ‘because i liked a boy’ video first. Honestly, arguably one of her most star-making moments yet to me. The visuals and her looks in the video were stunning. Her lyrics and vocal delivery are instantly iconic to me as well. My hype for the album couldn’t have gotten any higher!

TRACK 1 : emails i can’t send

She’s already posted this on social media, but it’s nice to have an official audio for it. She sounds gorgeous and it’s one of her best written songs yet and I love how track 1 and track 2 transition into each other. Already can tell this album will serve from that alone! Such a strong intro. Her best opening track, possibly.

TRACK 2 : vicious

I didn’t post about this too much because I don’t tweet much anymore, but this is one of my favorite singles from her actually. Lyrically and sonically it could be becoming one of my all time favorites from her the more I listen to it. 

TRACK 3 : Read your Mind

Oh, this beat is hot to me. Something fun for the Summetime. I will dance to this. 

TRACK 4 : Tornado Warnings

You can check my twitter and see evidence of me claiming this as my track. I was inclined to stan it but I actually got so excited listening to this by the chorus, when I tell you it immediately shot up to my favorites territory, it was within the first 30 seconds. I’m (obviously) not a music critic but I think this played to the talk-singing she’s been doing the best yet. I really loved it here and it worked so well for the song.

TRACK 5 : because i liked a boy

A great choice for a music video release alongside the album release. I know she didn’t release this as her comeback single, but I think releasing it as a single with the album also works as a culmination of everything that’s been happening within this past era. 

TRACK 6 : Already Over

I heard the snippet for this a few days ago and I was actually quite nervous. It has a country vibe to it and nothing else she’s been releasing has that sound, I thought it’d sound jarring - but this album does actually sound very cohesive and it works so well as a body of work. I should’ve never doubted her!

TRACK 7 : how many things

One of her most stunning vocal performances to date and I think the lyrics will stick with me a lot over time. Sad girl Summer.

Side-note, I’ve been forming my ranking as I go along, and I am so stressed. I feel as though I’m doing Read your Mind so dirty right now because I keep ranking tracks directly above it. This is why I don’t do first impression reactions and rankings often!

TRACK 8 : bet u wanna

I am obsessed with the beat. This is sort of Looking At Me’s sister sonically and vocally a little bit. Do you hear what I hear? Am I delusional?

TRACK 9 : Nonsense

“I had to jump the octave” with her jumping the octave. That’s history. The second verse. I moved. The outro. This could become a favorite for me.

TRACK 10 : skinny dipping

I won’t lie. I was not the biggest fan of ‘skinny dipping’ when it first came out. I can’t even pretend right now, because if I lied right now, I would have followers who would say “you are such a nasty liar, you were not a ‘skinny dipping’ stan last year.” And they’re right. However, as times changed, as people grew, as I grew with the song, I realized I really like it. The instrumental building throughout the song, her vocal delivery in the chorus, the second verse transition into the chorus, I actually really grew to like this song! I liked her Jimmy Fallon performance, too. We don’t always get it the first time, but I got it eventually! 

TRACK 11 : Bad for Business

I like this. I like the little micro-breakdown in the bridge.

TRACK 12 : decode

The chorus is TOO excellent, we need to discuss this. “Done looking for signs in…. the gaps in the silence.” had me screaming every single time. I’m overwhelmed right now. This album overwhelmed me.

FINAL THOUGHTS : 

Trying to come up with notes for every track after listening to them once made me realize this is a format of newsletter I should never do literally ever again. I don’t know music. I don’t have the degrees. But wow, what an experience. I feel as though every song is going to grow on me in different ways but I genuinely liked every song at least upon first listen. Could this be Sabrina’s best album yet? Possibly. Definitely her most mature and the one with the most to say, I think. I love some of the lyricism throughout, a lot of songs were really great sonically, and I love her vocal delivery throughout the entire album.

I don’t have a rating, but I did do a ranking as I listened. Mind you, I have a vague memory of what every song sounds like, but for the most part this is a very rough ranking and is subject to drastic change because… I only listened to this album once.

first impression rankings : 

1. tornado warnings

2. because i liked a boy

3. decode

4. how many things

5. bet u wanna

6. Nonsense

7. already over

8. read your mind

9. Bad for Business

I did not count the songs that I have heard before tonight (the singles + emails i cant send), even though I do believe the context of the album makes them hit differently.

Anyways, it is almost 1 AM. I can’t think words anymore. Enjoy the album! We love you, Sabrina Carpenter!

Edit, 7/15/22 : It has occurred to me that I had completely overlooked mentioning Fast Times. I could explain or excuse this, but nothing can excuse this sickening oversight. I always liked Fast Times. It’s one of her best videos, too. I hope we can all learn and grow from this error. Love and light.