React: Sabrina Carpenter - Fruitcake (EP)
Get ready for A Nonsense Christmas.
I've been a fan of Sabrina Carpenter practically since the beginning. She puts out great music and as her fanbase often says, she's “criminally underrated.” Although, she's now opening up for Taylor Swift for the Latin America portion of The Eras Tour.
Anyway, this will be my first reaction to her new Christmas EP, Fruitcake. This includes the single she released last year, A Nonsense Christmas, which is a remix of her hit song Nonsense.
Without further ado, here are is my initial reaction to Fruitcake.
A Nonsense Christmas
If you've never heard a Sabrina Carpenter in your life, then A Nonsense Christmas will give you insight into her sense of humor. Much like the live outros to Nonsense the lyrics to this remix are quite comical and a little dirty.
And that's just it. Outside of the generic Christmas shaker added, the song sonically is the same compared to the original.
The lyrical structure is the same, but Sabrina completely reworked the lyrics for the holiday theme.
I won't highlight any lyrics here as they're all very good, funny, and a bit dirty. But if you liked Nonsense, this remix is even more (excuse the pun) nonsensical. But especially pay attention to the outro. It's always a treat.
buy me presents
What immediately stands out to me is the guitar that's in the right channel. It's very low in the mix, but it sorta fills in the gap for the lack of a hi-hat throughout the song.
Again, I love the non-seriousness of the lyrical production. I love that in the second verse, she adds a bit of sassy spoken vocals in between.
The saxophone solo/break is chef's kiss. That going into the breakdown final chorus. Ugh, so good.
This song just makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. It fits in well with the holiday theme of the album.
santa doesn't know you like i do
I love the beat to this song followed by the “oh” every second bar.
It only makes sense that through the midway point, Sabrina gets all serious, right? RIGHT?
This song made me break out in tears. It's so sad. It's about a relationship where your partner keeps thinking there's someone out there who's better than you. But in reality, you're intimate with them. You know them from top to bottom. But they just don't care and/or don’t see that.
Lyrics that stood out to me, “Santa doesn't know you like I do. I've been there through the good and bad. Know how to make you laugh. Kiss all your tears away, babe. I know all your favorite songs. Pick up each time you call. So why can't I be the one.”
We once again end with a stripped back chorus for the outro. I love that.
cindy lou who
Here we are. Another sad song. The strings in the first verse, followed by the synth break are really good. It sets the mood for the song.
Sabrina sounds a more raw and honest here. I can definitely hear the heartbreak in her voice. It has a bit of grittiness to it.
Lyrics that stood out to me are, "If you're waking up now in his old bed. At his family's house, know that you're just breaking my heart. 'Tis the season I guess."
It's a relatively short song, clocking in at just over two minutes. But that's all it needs. Sabrina is notorious for writing fantastic short songs. This is one of them.
is it new years yet?
After that very good, yet very sad mid-break, it sounds like we're back to the wacky upbeat portion of the album.
The drums and the driving bass immediately indicate a mood shift. It sounds like we're gonna have a dance track. We'll see.
From the title of the song and the very first verse, this song is for those who absolutely hate it the second you hear Mariah Carey come on when the clock strikes midnight on November 1st.
"I'm sick and tired of this holiday. Not good at being present anyway. The songs are catchy but they're overplayed. My relatives always know what to say to piss me off." Damn.
The song also seems to be about being away from your partner and being “stuck” with family. Selfish? Maybe. But I know a lot of us have at least thought about it. It's a long holiday month and for some people, it's the longest they'll be away from their partner. “December is a prison.”
The bridge is absolute fire. It reiterates how long this period could be and sometimes wishing you could skip the week between Christmas and New Year's.
Overall, I think it's a fun, catchy tune. I think the sonic tone of the song indicates that Sabrina isn't being too serious about the lyrics.
white xmas
This is the only non-original song on this album. Yet, it being the last track on the album gives you the biggest glimpse into Sabrina's sense of humor. It's the only song on the album that takes itself seriously as a Christmas track. I think it’s a great end to the album.
My takeaway from this song is that all Sabrina wants is for everyone to have a beautiful Christmas. It makes you feel warm and cozy inside.
“May your days be merry and bright. And may all your Christmas' be white.” That's all that needs to be said. A great cover to a classic Christmas song.
Conclusion
It's refreshing getting a Christmas album that isn't rehashing songs we’ve all heard before. Maybe that's the meaning behind is it new years yet?
Fruitcake is a very good holiday EP. It succeeds at being a rollercoaster of an album. It starts at the top. It makes you think it's all fun and games. A Nonsense Christmas and buy me presents are great examples of that.
Then you start going down the rollercoaster, but you haven't quite made it to the bottom just yet with santa doesn't know you like i do and cindy lou who.
is it new years yet? makes you think you're back on the upswing again, but you're really not sure. The song is upbeat, yet the lyrics make you wonder who hurt her and why does she want the holiday to be over so soon?
Lastly, you have white xmas which is the only cover song on the album. It's a fantastically vulnerable ballad.
As I mentioned at the top: If you've never heard a single Sabrina Carpenter song in your life, Fruitcake will give you a glimpse into that world.
Note: This reaction was done after listening to Sabrina Carpenter’s Fruitcake (EP) on Apple Music at 24-bit, 44.1kHz with Lossless audio enabled.