Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Taste’ Video Mixes Dark Humor with Over-the-Top Violence
Sabrina Carpenter’s latest music video for her new single “Taste,” from her freshly released album “Short n’ Sweet,” opens with a warning for “graphic violence” that might suggest a shift in tone from her previous, more light-hearted releases. However, despite the violent imagery—including murder weapons, amputations, and buckets of blood—the video adopts a cartoonish and humorous approach reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino’s style.
The video features Carpenter and actress Jenna Ortega engaged in a series of exaggerated, comical confrontations over a shared love interest, portrayed by actor Rohan Campbell. The sequence includes Ortega setting Carpenter on fire, severing her arm, throwing her out of a window, impaling her on a white picket fence, and electrocuting her. Despite the over-the-top violence, the scenes are presented in a way that emphasizes humor rather than horror, showcasing Carpenter’s ability to handle both physical comedy and visual gags.
At the end of the video, the two women, having clearly endured a wild series of events, bond over their shared experience and the troublesome boyfriend, as they leave his funeral together, casually sipping coffee.
Carpenter co-wrote “Taste” with Julia Michaels and Amy Allen, while John Ryan and Ian Kirkpatrick handled production duties. “Short n’ Sweet,” released on Friday, also features previous singles “Please Please Please” and “Espresso,” as well as new tracks including “Sharpest Tools,” “Coincidence,” “Good Graces,” “Slim Pickins,” “Juno,” “Lie to Girls,” “Bed Chem,” “Dumb & Poetic,” and “Don’t Smile.”
In an interview with Variety, Carpenter described “Short n’ Sweet” as “the hot older sister” of her previous album “Emails I Can’t Send.” She referred to it as her second “big girl” album, emphasizing that while it serves as a companion piece to her earlier work, it represents a distinct evolution in her music career. “It’s a companion but it’s not the same. When it comes to having full creative control and being a full-fledged adult, I would consider this a sophomore album,” Carpenter explained.
The “Sweet n’ Sour” tour is set to kick off with a North American leg on September 23 in Columbus, Ohio. Following the North American dates, Carpenter will embark on a tour across the UK and Europe in 2025. The North American leg includes 33 arena shows, with notable stops at Madison Square Garden in New York City and the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The tour will feature support from Amaarae, Griff, and Declan McKenna in North America, and Rachel Chinouriri will join the lineup for the international tour dates.
Fans can watch the new music video for “Taste” below.
