Sabrina Carpenter Seemingly Spills Tea on Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello in New ‘Short n’ Sweet’ Album While Sabrina Carpenter, a pop star, doesn’t explicitly mention names in her new album “Short n’ Sweet,” the lyrics convey a powerful message. The 25-year-old appears to make a series of thinly veiled references to her reported relationship with Shawn Mendes—and his on-off ex Camila Cabello.
Rumors surfaced that Carpenter was dating Mendes in February 2023, but he denied the romance just a month later. Although she doesn’t explicitly mention Mendes, several songs on the record appear to draw inspiration from him.
When Carpenter sings, “You’re wonderin’ why half his clothes went missin’ / My body’s where they at,” on the album opener “Taste,” she appears to be referencing Mendes, who has frequently appeared in shirtless photos.
She also sings about being in the midst of a lover’s on-and-off relationship, potentially alluding to Mendes and Cabello’s romance, which ended in 2021 after more than two years of dating, but briefly heated up again in 2023.
“I’ve heard you’re back together, and if that’s true, you’ll just have to taste me while he’s kissing you.” I’m sure you want to be with me forever. Just know you’ll taste me too,” Carpenter croons.
Later, on “Sharpest Tool,” Carpenter appears to take aim at an ex for going back to a previous relationship, which could be a reference to Mendes, who was spotted kissing Cabello, 27, in April 2023—just two months after Carpenter was said to be spending time with Mendes.
“We never talk about how you found God at your ex’s house, always. She ensured the phone was facing downwards. “It feels as though I’ve become the person you despise overnight,” she sings.
“Coincidence” also seemingly touches on an alleged love triangle, perhaps between herself, Mendes, and Cabello, as Carpenter sings about a lover’s ex having “a real sixth sense” for when they’re together.
“Now her name comes up once, then it comes up twice. And without her even bein’ here, she’s back in your life. Now she’s in the same damn city on the same damn night,” Carpenter remarks.
Mendes and Cabello’s Coachella reunion may have influenced Carpenter’s lyrics elsewhere in the song, as she references the desert location: “What a surprise, your phone just died / Your car drove itself from L.A. to her thighs / Palm Springs looks nice, but who’s by your side? / Damn it, she looks kind of like the girl you outgrew.”
Lastly, “Dumb & Poetic” seems to target an ex who is comfortable in his masculinity and enjoys meditation but can be manipulative. However, the title seems to be an umbrella term for a certain type of romantic interest Carpenter falls for repeatedly.
On that track, Carpenter declares that the subject “jacks off to lyrics by Leonard Cohen”—the legendary singer-songwriter, like Mendes, was famously Canadian. She also notes that this subject believes they had a mental and spiritual awakening by taking mushrooms, and Mendes recently revealed that he experimented with the substance on his path to self-discovery.
While Carpenter doesn’t outright name Mendes, the breadcrumbs she’s left in her lyrics have fans convinced she’s spilling the tea on her rumored relationship with the Canadian heartthrob and his complicated romantic history with Cabello. All eyes will be on Carpenter, Mendes, and Cabello when they all take the stage at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards next month.