Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso Could Be the Perfect Personality Test

Whether you like pop music or not, it’s hard to deny that this has been the summer of espresso.

Since Pennsylvania-born pop singer Sabrina Carpenter released “Espresso,” the lead single for her sixth studio album Short n’ Sweet, on April 11th, the song has topped the charts in 18 countries and amassed more than a billion streams on Spotify. So whether it’s been the “summer of ‘Espresso’” as you bump the disco-reminiscent and catchy hit on repeat by the pool, or if you interpret the “summer of espresso” quite literally like me and consume at least two iced coffees a day when it’s hot out, it’s safe to say that this season has been caffeine’s time to shine.

I am unabashedly embracing espresso — both Carpenter’s version and the ones that I dispense from the office Nespresso machine — and a recent interview with the pop sensation prompted me to wonder if espresso has come to mean something different after a summer full of singing about, sipping, and enjoying the drink. 

Last Friday, August 23rd, the same day that her new album was released, Sabrina Carpenter appeared on “Chicken Shop Date,” an intentionally quirky and awkward YouTube interview show hosted by comedian Amelia Dimoldenberg. 

As its name suggests, “Chicken Shop Date” is meant to mimic a date, with Dimoldenberg using her signature deadpan and sarcastic sense of humor to ask celebrities unexpected questions ranging from “If you were an ice cream cone, would you prefer to be licked or bitten?” to “Who would you think would win in a fight, me or a chicken?” The lighthearted interviews take place in a variety of fried chicken restaurants throughout London, with Sabrina and Amelia sitting down to chat for the latest episode at Sam’s Chicken on Watford Way in Hendon.

In this episode, Dimoldenberg, of course, starts out by offering Carpenter a cup of espresso and later asks, “Do I give off decaf energy?” Carpenter instinctively replies, “Yes,” and the two embark on a discussion of what it means to be one type of espresso. They debate whether or not dating someone who is a double shot is too much — Sabrina says no, not if you’re a decaf — and Carpenter declares that she thinks she’s a single shot.

I don’t believe in astrology, but I do believe in coffee, and when given a chance to arbitrarily ascribe personality traits to different espressos, I will take it. What does it actually mean to be a decaf, single, or double shot of espresso? Amelia and Sabrina don’t say precisely, but they both seem to implicitly understand what they’re talking about. The obvious comparison might be to say that these three levels of caffeine correlate to different energy levels in a person, but I don’t think it has to be interpreted in such a straightforward manner.

As an incredibly coffee-dependent person who’s been listening to Sabrina Carpenter on my commute all summer long, I’m entirely qualified to tell you which type of person would be which type of espresso. And if you don’t agree, then just come up with your own descriptions! That’s that you espresso.

If Amelia Dimoldenberg is a decaf — an assessment I firmly agree with — then a decaf individual must be defined by dry humor, awkwardness without a hint of self-consciousness, hopeless romanticism, and confidence. Switching over to a single-shot personality isn’t necessarily a sliding scale with lesser amounts of these qualities; instead, a single-shot person is probably an outgoing introvert (talkative with other people, but needs time to recharge), flirtatious, creative, and somewhat guarded emotionally. A double shot on the other hand, is someone who is organized, fearless, interested in learning new skills and hobbies, goofy, and talkative but able to make others immediately feel comfortable.

Don’t feel like these interpretations describe you? That’s okay, maybe my cup of espresso isn’t your cup of espresso. And after all, as Sabrina and Amelia point out in their interview, you could also be a chai or an Earl Grey tea instead.