Breaking down Sabrina Carpenter's new single 'Please Please Please'

Sabrina Carpenter just released the second single, Please Please Please, as part of her upcoming sixth studio album, Short n' Sweet, which is scheduled to drop on all major DSPs (Digital Streaming Platforms) on 23 August 2024. The song follows up on the success of her recently released single Espresso, which peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot 100 charts.

The single was released alongside a music video starring her boyfriend and Irish actor, Barry Keoghan, playing her love interest. Please Please Please was first teased back in April when the instrumental played for less than five seconds toward the end of Espresso's music video.

The official confirmation for the song's upcoming release was through a hint in the caption of her album announcement Instagram post this past week, where the singer stated:

"I also have a surprise coming for you on thursday night so keep an eye out!!"

Two days ago, Sabrina posted the official trailer for Please Please Please across her social media handles, building up the hype for the song's release today. The single was distributed to all DSPs via Island Records and UMG Recordings Inc.

Bar-For-Bar: Dissecting Sabrina Carpenter's new single 'Please Please Please'

This review will break down Sabrina Carpenter's new single and accompanying visuals to explain the various themes and subtle hints witnessed in Please Please Please.

Sabrina's second single is a blend of affection and frustration, feelings that she highlights in the song's chorus. Although not explicitly mentioned in the song, Please Please Please is rumored to recount instances from her relationship with Barry. Some of the major themes Sabrina Carpenter's new single delves into include:

Relationships
Love
Intimacy
Desire
Hope
Pain
Heartbreak
Crime
Passion

Disclaimer: The following review is rated EXPLICIT. Reader discretion is advised.

(Verse 1)

Barry Keoghan in the music video for her new single 'Please Please Please' (Image via YouTube/@sabrinacarpenter)

"I know I have good judgment, I know I have good taste / It's funny and it's ironic that only I feel that way / I promise 'em that you're different and everyone makes mistakes / But just don't"

Before the song begins, we find Sabrina Carpenter locked up in a jail holding cell before being bailed out by an unnamed individual. As she collects her belongings, a handcuffed Barry Keoghan is brought in, who catches her attention as she starts to sing her first verse.

The visuals begin to revolve around a seemingly parodied version of their real-life relationship, where Barry is involved in a life of crime and Sabrina is unknowingly an accomplice. In the first few lines, we find Carpenter singing directly to Keoghan's character, hoping she made the right choice to be with him.

Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan in the music video for her new single 'Please Please Please' (Image via YouTube/@sabrinacarpenter)

"I heard that you're an actor, so act like a stand-up guy / Whatever devil's inside you, don't let him out tonight / I tell them it's just your culture and everyone rolls their eyes / Yeah, I know / All I'm asking, baby"

She continues to visit Barry in prison until he's released, after which they both head out to a restaurant, where Keoghan gets involved in what appears to be a shady business deal. As the actor fights off multiple individuals at once, Sabrina stands by the entrance, singing the end of her verse.

The final few lines of her verse indicate that she wishes for her love interest to make changes in his personal life and become a "stand-up guy" in a bar, alluding to Barry's acting career.

(Chorus)

"Please, please, please / Don't prove 'em right, and please, plеase, please / Don't bring mе to tears when I just did my makeup so nice / Heartbreak is one thing, my ego's another / I beg you, don't embarrass me, motherf--ker, Ah, oh, Please, please, please (Ah, ah, ah)"

The chorus cuts to a parking lot, where we see Sabrina tending to the physical wounds Barry sustained in his brawl. She begs him not to hurt or embarrass her with his actions.

As the chorus ends, Sabrina appears unimpressed and disappointed as Barry opens the trunk of his car to deal with one of the men from the restaurant brawl tied up and gagged.

(Verse 2)

"Well, I have a fun idea, babe (Uh-huh), maybe just stay inside / I know you're craving some fresh air, but the ceiling fan is so nice / And we could live so happily if no one knows that you're with me / I'm just kidding, but really (Kinda), really, really"

Sabrina Carpenter's final verse is relatively short compared to her previous verse. In it, the singer expresses a desire to shield her relationship from the public by playfully requesting her love interest to "stay inside."

The music video then showcases a scene where Barry robs a bank before getting arrested at what seems to be an arcade before the chorus plays one more time. The remaining visuals find Sabrina once again picking up Keoghan post his release from prison.

(Outro)

"If you wanna go and be stupid / Don't do it in front of me / If you don't wanna cry to my music / Don't make me hate you prolifically / Please, please, please (x3)"

As Sabrina Carpenter ends the song, we find her hoping for Barry's character to change. The singer acknowledges he may never become the person she hopes for, wishing for him to try and be a different man whenever he's around her.

In the music video, Sabrina takes Barry to an abandoned warehouse, where she cuffs him to a chair and tapes his mouth. She kisses him, leaving a red lipstick stain on the silver tape.

The lipstick stain over his mouth is a possible nod toward Barry's upcoming role as the Joker in Matt Reeve's "The Batman" franchise. Barry's Joker was teased in a deleted scene uploaded to Warner Bro's official YouTube channel not long after the film was released in 2022.

Sabrina Carpenter's Please Please Please has been performing extremely well since its release today, garnering over four million views on the song's music video.