A Sermon on the Song of Summer & Sabrina Carpenter's Espresso Ice Cream

Short n' sweet n' not to be taken too seriously. ☕️🍦

Okay, let's set the scene. It is definitively summer 2024, and this follows you everywhere like a serial killer.

I mean, I know it follows me.

Whether I’m walking down Driggs Ave with a caramel cold brew in hand, or on Rivington Street in my red Coca Cola slip—the one catching ceaseless “I love your dress!” comments—this is the soundtrack. Occasionally I’ll put it on poolside or sometimes it floats out of an ice cream truck (“Pop Goes the Weasel” is just not the vibe anymore). Technically, it doesn’t even have to be playing. From the moment I go to bed, to the moment I wake up, what’s looping in my head is Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.” And I’m good with that.

Since “Espresso” debuted in April, several challengers have approached in the battle for Summer’s Anthem. There’s strong contenders in Charlie XCX’s “360” and Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe.” Technically, you could sorta count the “Espresso” sequel “Please Please Please” in the mix, with that fiery music vid co-starring Sabrina’s BF, Saltburn Sociopath Zaddy Barry Keoghan. But for me, this is a no contest situation.

Kids, there will be many Flavor of the Week tracks wafting through Memorial-to-Labor Day. But you need a *little* extra to become the Song of Summer and (eventually) immortalized by the Nostalgia Gods. Sabrina has two things on her side.

1. She cultivated a feel-good, carefree energy that’s potently addictive

There’s no question of who’s in charge when “Espresso” starts playing. “The song is kind of about seeing femininity as your super power, and embracing the confidence of being that bitch,” Sabrina told Vogue in April. And totally, “Hot Girl Power” is always an impactful tone for Song of Summer. But I got on board the second Sabrina tossed man off a boat and swiped his Gold Card for all the girlies in the coffee-filtered, retro-inspired video. Sabrina’s bawdy, “twisted” humor is a big part of her persona, and it shines brightly here. You can’t get mad at her, even her goofy little skip out of the water show the marks of a trained comedian.

Regarding the Earworm Factor, lines like “my give-a-fucks are on vacation” are gold and conveniently double as a solid OOO message. And can we admit that there’s no greater satisfaction than hearing "I guess so" rhymed with, "That's that me, espresso?” Make it into a 10 hour long ASMR video.

So the track is highly replayable and the tone is immaculate for Song of Summer. Like the pint-sized chanteuse herself, "Espresso" embodies what summer should be should be: cheeky, irreverent, sexy and playful. But the real show of power?

2. She’s releasing her own Van Leeuwen’s ice cream flavor

Piggybacking off the espresso martini trend was smart on its own, solidifying a social media ubiquitousness. By September we’ll be sick of every post of an al fresco Happy Hour captioned, “That’s that me, Espresso.” BUT IN THE MOMENT, drunk, sugared and caffeinated, it will be the only right choice.

But “Espresso’s” finishing move in the the battle for Song of Summer is this: a Van Leeuwen’s espresso-flavored ice cream, with brownie bits, chocolate chips and fudge swirls (and sweetly, half the proceeds go to the Ali Forney Center, an org aiding homeless LGBT+ youth).

Maybe that doesn’t mean anything to you because you hate ice cream and by proximity, joy. But unlike espresso—which can be an acquired taste—ice cream is the definition of “Just a Little Treat,” timeless yet seasonal all at once. She’s making a clear and) delicious association with Summer itself. And it helps that this collab is by Van Leeuwen, a brand so sacred I once Sabrina Carpenter-ed my way into getting free scoops for two years.

Actually, here’s a short n’ sweet story about my Van Leeuwen’s scheme