Even if you don’t have an angel on top of your Christmas tree this year, you can fill your ears with the angelic sounds of Sabrina Carpenter’s new album “fruitcake”. The natural and cool melody fits perfectly into the holiday genre, and definitely has a vintage feel. When I first listened to this I immediately fell in love. So much about this album represents the spirit of Christmas time.
From a Disney star to a pop star, Carpenter has only been rising in the pop culture world. She has had an eventful year with her “Emails I Can’t Send” tour concluding in August after 80 shows. Since then, Carpenter has been an opener for 12 of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shows, with many more scheduled in the near future. Overall, this has been a collaboration I have loved seeing. “fruitcake” is Carpenter’s second extended play (EP) which follows her five studio albums as a pop artist.
While Carpenter packs six new songs into her album, two might sound very familiar. The song “A Nonsense Christmas” is another version of her hit song “Nonsense” which was released a year and a half ago and rose up to number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Like many other holiday melodies, the upbeat song is about a romance during the Christmas season. The lyrics “You’re my wish list/ Lookin’ at you got me thinkin’ Christmas” set up the whole album’s theme so well. Something else that you might recognize is her cover of “White Christmas” originally sung by Bing Crosby, which she puts her own gentle touch on.
“Buy Me Presents” might be one of the most holiday sounding tracks on the album. The unique lyrics and sound felt very original compared to most new Christmas songs. The lyrics “Spend your cookie dough, dough, dough/ Spend it on my heart” showcase a playful take on the materialistic side of the holiday season.
“Santa Doesn’t Know You Like I Do” is similar sounding but slightly slower than “Buy Me Presents” but with a theme of being there for the loved one you’re closest to. The words, “I’ve been there through the good and the bad/ Know how to make you laugh” convey so much of that just through two lyrics. One thing that I wasn’t a fan of in this song was the ending when she stops singing and just starts talking. What she’s saying seems a little random and honestly out of place when you hear it.
The song “Cindy Lou Who” might be my favorite all around just because of the somber yet resonant sound. It tells the poetic story of the girl her ex left her for. “While he was soul searching, he found someone better/ Guess you make him happy like I couldn’t do” shows how it left her constantly wondering why. Though other than the title, an allusion to the Dr. Seuss novel and film “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, nothing about this song reminds me of the holiday genre. Even adding more instruments or some bells could have made this song so much more appropriate.
“Is it New Years Yet?” could be a sister song to “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa because the background track sounds so similar. It gives off a techno and uplifting mood that is still mellow. This wasn’t the best song on the album and did seem slightly unsuitable for it because of the techno sound.
This release seems like a forward step closer to even more popularity for her music than Carpenter already has. The whole album has a very relaxed vibe which I really enjoyed, and everything about it sounds very authentic and original to Carpenter as a singer. I encourage you to take a listen this holiday season.
