If you haven't heard "Espresso" by Sabrina Carpenter, then, honestly that's impressive at this point. The track, which was the most-streamed song on Spotify in 2024 with more than 1.6 billion streams, has become ubiquitous since it dropped in April as the lead single for Carpenter's most recent album, Short n' Sweet.
In spite of its massive success, however, Carpenter says she wasn't sure if "Espresso" would be a hit when she decided to release it as a summer single because, well, espressos are more of a fall vibe.
"I remember deciding to put this song out in the beginning of summer and thinking espresso, coffee is kind of more of a fall beverage," Carpenter told The Hollywood Reporter. "I really didn’t know if it would connect, but the sentiment and the sound of the song and the confidence that it kind of just carries along with it was something that I really believed in. So I had literally no idea that anyone would like it, but I liked it, and that was kind of all that mattered to me in that moment, and something I try to remember over and over again."
Spoiler alert: It connected. In fact, it connected so well that the song crossed into cultural phenomenon territory, inspiring a popular Saturday Night Live sketch starring Ariana Grande and leading directly to Carpenter's new partnership with Dunkin' and the creation the chain's Sabrina's Brown Sugar Shakin’ Espresso.
Carpenter called the Dunkin' collab a "no-brainer" and said the company's take on an "Espresso" inspired drink felt aligned with the mood of the song.
"I have this song called 'Espresso,' and when they approached me about it, I kind of realized that my window is closing for my coffee collab, and I didn’t really do it," she said when asked to share the origin story of the Dunkin' partnership. "We kind of had some moments when the song first came out, but nothing that felt really, really signature. This is just a drink I love so much, and they’ve been so supportive in kind of bringing the vision to life and keeping it really in the vein of 'Espresso,' which has been really fun."
So where do you go after having one of the verifiably most-listened-to songs of the year?
"Well, that is up to you guys, I would assume, or fate," Carpenter said when asked about what's next for her career. "But for me, I’m always sort of thinking one year ahead consistently. So, I sort of started the thought process of what would happen after Short n’ Sweet as I was making it, and that’s all I’ll say for now. But I’m very excited for the new year, because I think, again, I just allow myself the space to grow and have fun with it, not take it too seriously, and that’s what I’m going to try to do."