‘Espresso’: Intensity and Heat, in a Drink or a ‘Song of the Summer’ - WSJ


Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso" is a leading contender for the 2024 'song of the summer,' captivating listeners and sparking linguistic debate about its unique chorus.
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In the annual tradition of anointing a “song of the summer” that’s ubiquitous from late May to Labor Day, a front-runner for 2024 is an exhilarating shot of dance-pop: “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter. Since its release last month, the song has been topping charts around the world and has generated its fair share of memes.Many of those memes center on the unusual syntax of the song’s chorus: “Say you can’t sleep, baby, I know / That’s that me espresso.” Writers for online outlets such as Vulture and Them have analyzed the line, with linguistic experts weighing in on whether there is an implied comma between “me” and “espresso,” or whether “me” should be understood as an adjective modifying “espresso.” (I favor the latter interpretation: “that me espresso” is Carpenter’s slyly confident expression of her stimulating effect on the boy in the song.)

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