Two of the biggest releases of the last few years just received new deluxe editions this month — and no, it’s not overkill. “Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe)” and “SOS Deluxe: LANA” are the products of powerhouse creatives Sabrina Carpenter and SZA having a little more to say.
Following her Grammy wins for “Best Pop Vocal Album” and “Best Pop Solo Performance,” Carpenter announced a present for her fans “as a thank you for giving this album 2 Grammy’s :’),” she wrote in an Instagram post. The present in question: a Valentine’s Day release of “Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe).”
The deluxe version of “SOS” was first teased by SZA in February 2023, but the highly-anticipated release came over two years after the original album. In December 2024, “SOS Deluxe: LANA” added 15 new tracks, bringing the album’s total to 28.
But just before taking the stage with Kendrick Lamar for the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show, SZA attached four new songs to “SOS Deluxe: LANA,” creating a deluxe version of the deluxe album.
Lauded for its vulnerable lyrics and experimental sound, “SOS Deluxe: LANA” was a critical success. “Scorsese Baby Daddy” retains the forceful sound and clever lyricism of “SOS,” while the deluxe album’s lead single “Saturn” points to a new spin on SZA’s trademark vulnerability. The lyrics of “Saturn” capture the essence of “SOS Deluxe: LANA” — a body of work chock-full of revelations that SZA confidently shares with the world. This month’s four new songs draw out the deluxe edition’s tenderness, building a SZA-verse more expansive than ever before.
“Joni” featuring Don Toliver is short but powerful at just over two minutes. The song’s soft production places SZA’s dominating vocals center-stage, and Toliver’s feature only strengthens the sense of romance pervading the track. The explicit lyrics of “Take You Down” express SZA’s heartbreak, albeit a bit differently than “Open Arms (just SZA)” does. Travis Scott was featured on the latter track in its initial 2022 release as part of “SOS.” This time, SZA is alone as she laments a failed relationship.
Lyrics like “I know ownership is bad / But please put a leash on me anyway / Who needs self-esteem anyway? / I hate myself to make you stay” from “Open Arms (just SZA)” capture the relatability of SZA’s music and her aptitude for describing complicated relationship dynamics. Instead of shying away from the messiness of romance in the 21st century — and her own culpability in their complications — SZA sings openly about the obstacles she faces.
SZA has been fighting a long battle against music leaks, and with “SOS Deluxe: LANA,” she finally perfected and released fan-favorite songs. Coming in at less than two minutes, “PSA” was used as a teaser for “SOS” in November 2022. Now a release in its own right, the track is an immersive sonic experience and a striking ending to an extensive collection of songs under the “SOS Deluxe: LANA” umbrella.
The deluxe edition of “Short n’ Sweet” adds about 15 minutes of extra content, referenced cheekily by its opening track “15 Minutes.” The song embraces Carpenter’s audacious persona with provocative lyrics and a fun, unabashed pop sound. The glitz and glamour of “15 Minutes” is a refreshing follow-up to the standard album’s closing track: the slow-paced and sultry “Don’t Smile.”
Carpenter takes another unexpected turn with a show-stopping appearance by Dolly Parton in a remix of “Please Please Please.” The song, purged of its explicit lyrics, leans into the fun country sound that Carpenter experimented with in “Slim Pickins” and the deluxe version’s “Bad Reviews.” The song was accompanied by a music video featuring Carpenter and Parton driving a truck with a man tied up in the back — a bold reference, many fans believe, to Carpenter’s ex-boyfriend, actor Barry Keoghan. Parton’s feature crystallizes Carpenter’s recently attained echelon of stardom.
“Couldn’t Make It Any Harder” is an emotional ballad featuring Carpenter’s reflections on rebuilding trust after bad romantic experiences. The mood is lightened immediately after by “Busy Woman,” the deluxe edition’s high point. The song is snarky and self-assured, striking at the essence of “Short n’ Sweet.” Lines like “To turn me down, well, that’s just unethical / I’ll turn into someone you’re scared to know” represent the trademark empowerment that made “Short n’ Sweet” the most exciting release of last summer.
“Bad Reviews” closes out the deluxe album with a nod to the harsh criticism of both Carpenter’s work and her romantic choices. The emotional bent of songs from the deluxe album don’t detract from the brightness of the original body of work — rather, they capture the vulnerability that irreverence is often born out of.
February is a time when music takes center-stage: the Grammys and the Super Bowl LIX halftime show both occurred this month, attracting millions of viewers. A deluxe edition of “Short n’ Sweet” allowed Carpenter to honor fans while capitalizing on the momentum of her sixth studio album. The extended, deluxe version of “SOS Deluxe: LANA” keeps things fresh for fans and offers new material for SZA to showcase live as she embarks on a tour with Lamar this April.
Some may call deluxe releases redundant, but there is nothing old about Carpenter and SZA’s world expansion. With each new track, the singers continue to stay at the top of their game, pushing genre boundaries and creating sonic visions that will reverberate in the musical world for years to come.
