Sabrina Carpenter discusses the humor behind her lyrics and success of hit song "Espresso"

Espresso hit No.3 on the Billboard Hot 100 since its release

Sabrina Carpenter is known for her clever lyrics, and she recently shared her approach to songwriting during an episode of Hot Ones on July 11. 

The 25-year-old singer discussed the importance of a punchline in her lyrics, using her hit song "Espresso" as an example.

"I do like to pay attention to... if people can understand lyrics," Carpenter told host Sean Evans. "So much of what I like is the punchline. If people don’t know the punchline, it’s like, waste. That’s how I feel about 'me espresso.' I’ve heard a lot of people that were like, ‘She should’ve said, "That’s that blonde espresso, duh."

Carpenter, who performed at the 2024 Governors Ball in New York City on June 8, added, "And I’m like, ‘Well, yes. That is another song as well that deserves its spot in the world, but this one for me … ‘me espresso’ just felt like the right thing to say, and it rhymes with the line before it."

During the interview, Carpenter also reflected on her song "Nonsense" and the lessons she learned from its creation. "The lesson I learned with 'Nonsense' was, this song was so kindred with my personality and I started to get in my head on what fits a record vs. what fits Sabrina, or myself as an artist and that taught me so many lessons moving forward," she explained. "In the next record it's whatever feels the most honest and connects with me the most, I feel like will connect with other people."

Carpenter released "Espresso" on April 12 and performed it live for the first time at the Coachella music festival. Since its release, the song has spent 12 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 3.

In a June interview with Rolling Stone, Carpenter opened up about the song's viral success. “My mom has been like, ‘Do you feel crazy right now?’” she said. “I just love that people get my sense of humor."

On May 18, Carpenter made her musical guest debut on Saturday Night Live, performing "Espresso" as well as "Nonsense" and "Feather."

Carpenter is now preparing to release her forthcoming studio album, Short n’ Sweet, on August 23, she announced on social media. “This project is quite special to me and I hope it’ll be something special to you too.”

Following the album release, Carpenter will embark on her Short 'n' Sweet headlining tour across North America.