“fruitcake” by Sabrina Carpenter on Spotify, the Xavierite
As November first hits… merry Christmas!
Every year, it seems like the holidays arrive earlier and earlier. Stores flip their shelves from skeletons to Santa before Halloween candy has even gone on sale.
For most people, the Christmas spirit shows up in a new ornament, an afternoon at a craft store, or the first time “All I Want for Christmas Is You” sneaks into the grocery store playlist.
For me, though, that moment comes as a Fruitcake — not the dessert, but fruitcake, the Christmas-themed EP by Sabrina Carpenter.
As soon as the clock struck midnight on November first, I hit shuffle.
Released in November 2023, “fruitcake” is Sabrina Carpenter’s first holiday project, and like its name suggests, it’s a little sweet, a little kitschy, and surprisingly rich.
The six-song EP blends holiday warmth with Carpenter’s signature playfulness, offering both sparkle and bite. It opens with “A Nonsense Christmas,” a cheeky reimagining of her viral hit “Nonsense,” complete with flirty, festive lyric swaps.
It’s fun and self-aware — a perfect tone-setter for the rest of the record.
“Santa Doesn’t Know You Like I Do” shifts the energy, mixing heartbreak with a ribbon of holiday melancholy. Beneath the jingle bells, Carpenter sings about being forgotten during the most wonderful time of the year — a feeling that hits harder than most Christmas pop.
Her vocals are earnest but steady, and the track strikes a perfect balance between humor and sincerity.
Then there’s “Buy Me Presents,” which might be the closest thing the EP has to a glitter-covered anthem.
Carpenter’s knack for tongue-in-cheek writing shines here, with lyrics that turn materialism into flirtation and Christmas clichés into punchlines.
It’s the kind of song you’d play while wrapping gifts — or unwrapping them — with a smirk on your face.
“Is It New Year’s Yet?” captures the emotional hangover of the holiday season, when the decorations are still up but the magic has started to fade.
Carpenter sings, “Fruitcake just makes me sick,” summing up the exhaustion that comes with too much cheer and too little rest.
It’s the kind of track that makes you feel seen in that weird, in-between week after Christmas when time feels fake.
One of the EP’s standout moments, though, comes in “Cindy Lou Who.” Taking inspiration from the beloved Dr. Seuss character, Carpenter flips the perspective — she’s the “other girl,” left out of someone else’s holiday story.
It’s sharp, self-reflective, and a reminder that heartbreak doesn’t take time off for the holidays. Her songwriting here shows a maturity that’s easy to overlook amid the glitter and puns.
The EP closes with a cozy cover of “White Xmas,” a soft nod to tradition that rounds out the project like the final scene of a Christmas movie. It’s understated, even a little sentimental, proving Carpenter can switch from mischievous to sincere without losing her charm.
What makes fruitcake work so well is that it doesn’t try to be a classic Christmas record — it doesn’t chase nostalgia or rely on overplayed carols.
Instead, it feels distinctly modern and self-aware, bringing Carpenter’s bold pop sensibility into a genre that often leans on safe and predictable.
The production is slick but not sterile, with just enough twinkle to feel festive without turning saccharine. It’s not an album meant for the background while baking cookies — it’s something you actually listen to.
That’s what sets “Fruitcake” apart. While some holiday albums get lost in the shuffle of streaming playlists, Carpenter’s wit and warmth give hers staying power. Sure, at barely twenty minutes long, it leaves you wanting more — but maybe that’s the point. Like an actual fruitcake, it’s dense, distinct, and meant to be savored in small doses.
So yes — call it premature, call it festive chaos — but as soon as November first hits, I know what I’m listening to. For me, Christmas starts with fruitcake.