It's Time to Decaffeinate "Espresso"
Feel like Espresso is being forced down your throat? It's not just you
If you haven’t listened to "Espresso" by Sabrina Carpenter, I commend you for living off the grid yet still getting our newsletter. Those who live in modern society likely have listened to "Espresso" many times already, and not all by choice. If you feel you can’t escape this year’s decreeded song of the summer, it’s not just you. Many have noticed this "Espresso" phenomenon that’s flooding across the internet.
Vox recently delved into this with an investigation of the consistent shot of "Espresso" ending up in Spotify queues. The catch-all culprit here is the algorithm and likely good old-fashioned promotion fueled by labels. There is no doubt Sabrina is a talented and charming star, but there is a component of manufacturing a hit here. And that’s not anything novel or illegal; it’s been happening as long as there has been a modern music industry. Payola is the practice where it’s illegal to pay radio stations to play a song without disclosing there was a payment; however that restriction doesn’t apply to music streaming platforms.
The nuances and updates needed at the FTC won’t be discussed here. A more dynamic regulator is instead the online discourse. "Espresso" isn’t a bad song; it’s an unusually catchy song at that. Anything though, no matter how sweet, will eventually become cloying.
We just passed the halfway point of summer, and we will have to see how the second half plays out. Despite "Espresso's" persistent suggestion by streaming, no clear song of the summer has fully emerged. 2024’s summer mix includes Charli XCX (#BratSummer), Chappell Roan's mainstream breakthrough, the mandated Taylor Swift pop chart presence, a country music plurality, and the Drake-Kendrick beef. Variety really is the spice of life.