Last year, American singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter opened up her heart to the whole wide world with her fifth studio album, called emails i can’t send. Everyone was looped into a metaphorical thread of thirteen emails so candid that even the 23-year-old musician seemingly had a moment of doubt before sending them off. Fortunately, that wasn’t the end.
A couple of weeks ago, Carpenter picked up where she left off with four brand-new songs — or, in other words, MP3 files — attached to the deluxe reissue of that good ol’ email thread. With a playful take on the online communications lingo, the now-retitled emails i can’t send fwd: is a continued exploration of the painfully beautiful aftermath of a break-up… and, well, anything and everything within that realm.
Whereas the standard edition ends with “decode,” a heart-wrenching ballad about learning to embrace situations beyond one’s control, Carpenter kicks off the deluxe with “opposite,” a midtempo track that, indirectly, unveils her struggles with slipping back into old habits; quite a paradoxical tracklisting choice that certainly adds an intimately introspective layer to the 51-minute-long project.
“opposite” highlights one of Carpenter’s newly found strengths — straightforward lyricism that packs one confessional punch after another, previously conveyed in the album’s title track. There’s not much room for imagination when it comes to this particular song’s lyrics (“Does she say nothin' so you feel good?” and “Does she step out the spotlight so you bathe in it?”). However, each word carries intent and that exact intent is pretty rare to come by nowadays.
“Feather,” the second musical offering off the deluxe, is one of Carpenter’s most infectious songs to date. From faultless vocal riffs that elevate the track’s catchy production to the singer’s endearing charisma, this disco-influenced number further testifies to Carpenter’s musical versatility and is a must-listen for anyone ready to twirl around, be it from the comfort of their own bedroom or at the park, with one’s eyes fully shut and volume turned up to the maximum. And the song’s irresistible groove of 124 beats-per-minute solidifies that.
Ultimately, the final couple of tracks, “Lonesome” and “things i wish you said,” bring the project to a rather sombre finish line. The former of the two contains an atmospheric feel similar to a ‘60s western all'italiana, such as the final duel in Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly; that unique sound, previously explored in “bet u wanna” (albeit briefly), now feels like a sophisticated string of melodies that elevates the song’s lyrical content. “Lonesome” feels like a gentle gush of wind, which lulls the listener to a deserted place; a place where tumbleweeds act as harsh reminders of one’s loneliness — and, in this case, it’s a feeling that Carpenter has grown to know all too well. Fortunately for those who have, too, felt it before, this might feel like a sense of comfort after what appears to have been a destructive storm… and what an eloquent sense of comfort, in fact.
And if “Lonesome” didn’t twist the knife in one’s heart enough, “things i wish you said” ought to finish the job.
Although it could’ve easily been placed on the standard edition of the album, right after “decode,” it makes perfect sense why “things i wish you said” has been chosen as the final act of this story. It accurately summarises each of these seventeen emails and provides a thoughtful conclusion to why now’s the time for Carpenter to press the send button one last time.
It’s a bittersweet end but, nevertheless, one that provides a tiny glimpse of hope for the future; and, hopefully, it’s the future where neither Carpenter herself nor anyone else feel the need to question the all the whys and hows of life anymore.