Sabrina Carpenter built her first record around a simple idea: a girl who wants love but isn’t sure she can handle it. Eyes Wide Open runs 12 tracks and 40 minutes, and it plays like a diary set to music, full of small dramas about trust, doubt, and the mess that comes with both. The record doesn’t reinvent pop, but it doesn’t need to. What Carpenter delivers is confidence, honesty, and a knack for melody that carries the whole thing.
Opening With the Title Track
The title track opens the record with a promise: eyes wide open means facing everything, good and bad. It sets the tone for what follows — a young woman who isn’t hiding behind irony or distance, but singing about feeling things fully. “Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying” follows at 2:49, a quick, rueful shrug about a relationship that didn’t work out the way she wanted. It’s a solid opener, but it’s the setup, not the main event.
“The Middle of Starting Over” slows things down at 3:33, a song about moving past something broken. It’s a strong track, though the chorus doesn’t quite land with the force of the verses. “We’ll Be the Stars” is the record’s emotional peak, and it earns that position. At 3:07, it’s the most direct statement of hope on the album — two young hearts, reaching for something bigger than themselves. This is the track critics singled out for good reason.
Two Young Hearts Through White Flag
“Two Young Hearts” picks up the pace again at 3:54, a bright, earnest song about falling for someone new. It’s pleasant but slight, more mood-setter than standout. “Your Love’s Like” follows at 3:29, a song about comparison — his love against her past relationships — and it’s one of the record’s more interesting lyrical moments. It doesn’t hit the same heights as “We’ll Be the Stars,” but it shows a willingness to dig deeper than surface romance.
“Too Young” runs 4:14, the longest track on the album, and it’s the closest the record gets to a breakup ballad. Carpenter sings about being too young to know what she wants, and the song’s weight comes from that uncertainty. “Seamless” is a shorter, more breezy track at 3:06, a breath of air after the heavier middle stretch. It’s fine, but it’s also the least memorable moment here.
“Right Now” and “Darling I’m a Mess” form the back half’s quieter stretch. The former is a mid-tempo plea to hold on, while the latter is a confession of being messy — both are competent without being essential. “White Flag” closes this stretch at 3:18, a song about surrendering pride for something real. It’s a solid closer, but it doesn’t leave the listener with the same sense of resolution as “Best Thing I Got.”
Closing With Best Thing I Got
The album ends on “Best Thing I Got,” a 3:19 closer that looks back at the whole record and sums it up. It’s a song about holding onto what matters most, and it lands with more warmth than the songs around it. The final track feels earned, not tacked on.
Where It Lands
Not every track here reaches the level of “We’ll Be the Stars.” The middle stretch drags slightly, and a few songs feel like they’re repeating ideas already stated elsewhere. But the record’s best moments — the title track, “We’ll Be the Stars,” “Too Young” — are genuinely strong, and they carry the album.
Here’s how the record’s highlights rank:
- “We’ll Be the Stars”
- “Eyes Wide Open”
- “Too Young”
- “Best Thing I Got”
The lesser tracks don’t sink the record. They just don’t elevate it.
Eyes Wide Open is a confident debut from a young artist who knows exactly what she wants to say. It’s not a perfect record, but it’s a promising one. Carpenter has a voice worth following, and this album shows why.
- Eyes Wide Open3:13
- Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying2:49
- The Middle of Starting Over3:33
- We’ll Be The Stars3:07
- Two Young Hearts3:54
- Your Love’s Like3:29
- Too Young4:14
- Seamless3:06
- Right Now3:35
- Darling I’m a Mess2:59
- White Flag3:18
- Best Thing I Got3:19
