“Fruitcake” by Sabrina Carpenter was released on Nov. 17 and is a refreshingly modern take on Christmas music, with six out of the seven songs on the album being original. The EP leads off with “A Nonsense Christmas,” a “Christ-smash”-ified remix of Carpenter’s “Nonsense” from her album “emails i can’t send.”
Following this is “buy me presents,” a song that perfectly expresses the needs of every girl this holiday season- treats and attention. Carpenter is certainly a girl that gets it.
The third song, “Santa Doesn’t Know You Like I Do,” had a music video released on Dec. 7, just in time for Christmas. While the song is cute, the video is even cuter. Inspired by “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” it is a perfect nostalgic watch for the viewer. The song itself is reminiscent of classic Christmas songs with spoken lines, for instance, in the song Carpenter states rather than sings, “You’re gonna leave me all alone? On Christmas? Baby what’d I ever do to deserve that?”
“Cindy Lou Who,” the fourth song on the album, is the only truly sad song. It tells the story of a girl who’s love interest was stolen by “Cindy Lou Who,” and one can only hope that she is not insinuating that Cindy Lou Who stole the Grinch from her. Having this song right in the middle of the album is quite refreshing, as it acts as an intermission between more lighthearted songs. Additionally, it touches on heartbreak during the holiday season, which is a rarity in Christmas songs.
The album picks back up with the upbeat and catchy “Is it New Years Yet?” While on the surface this seems like another mindlessly happy Christmas pop song, it actually touches on the thought we all have when sitting down and eating Christmas dinner with our families – “why won’t they stop talking?” Throughout the song, Carpenter walks the listener through her thoughts as she is eating dinner with her family, which essentially boils down to “…when is this over, and when is it New Years?”
Finally, the album closes with “White Xmas,” the only song that is not an original. However, this does not mean that it is not worth a listen. It is actually a mash-up of “White Christmas” and “Jingle Bells.” It seems like an odd combination, but it works quite well. Carpenter sings the entirety of “White Christmas,” with some sonic twists, and flawlessly transitions into “Jingle Bells” for the outro of the song, making for an incredibly dynamic compilation.
Overall, this is definitely the best Christmas album I have heard in a very long time. Not only are there six original songs, but the only cover on the album is unique as well. Sabrina Carpenter is also just an incredibly talented vocalist and could make even the most bland songs sound interesting.
