
Sabrina Carpenter didn’t expect Espresso to become the record-breaking hit it did. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the pop star admitted she was initially unsure if the song would “connect” with people.
The Please Please Please singer—who recently partnered with Dunkin’ Donuts for her own Sabrina’s Brown Sugar Shakin’ Espresso drink—called the song’s success “kismet the way that worked out.” Espresso became one of the most streamed songs on Spotify in 2024, surpassing 1.6 billion streams.
Carpenter, who released the track in April, initially worried about its timing. “I remember deciding to put this song out at the beginning of summer and thinking, ‘Espresso? Coffee is kind of more of a fall beverage,’” she explained.
Despite her skepticism, she was confident in the song’s “sentiment” and infectious energy. “The confidence that it carries was something I really believed in,” she added.
The Bed Chem singer also shared that the song mattered to her deeply at the time. “That’s something I try to remember over and over again,” she reflected. Espresso—the lead single from her latest album Short n’ Sweet—helped Carpenter earn six Grammy nominations for 2025, including a win for Best Pop Solo Performance.
Elsewhere in the interview, she admitted that the song has been “addictive”—even for her. “I think that’s the whole point of it. It’s somewhat addictive,” she said.
She also revealed to The Guardian in August that Espresso was a “manifestation tactic” since, at the time, no one was “obsessed” with her like the lyrics suggest. Clearly, that’s changed.