Sabrina Carpenter’s catchy new track “Espresso” has quickly become a viral sensation, not just for its infectious beat but also for a particular lyric that has sparked widespread debate: “that’s that me espresso.” For English speakers, the phrase can sound a bit unusual, leading to confusion and numerous interpretations. Is it “me espresso” as a noun, like a personal espresso drink? Or is “espresso” functioning as something else entirely? Let’s dive into the lyrical analysis of this Espresso Song and unravel the mystery.
One intriguing interpretation, championed by grammarians, suggests that “espresso” is being used as an appositive for “me.” In grammatical terms, an appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames or describes a noun right next to it. Think of the sentence, “I am Sabrina Carpenter, the singer of Espresso.” Here, “the singer of Espresso” is an appositive describing “Sabrina Carpenter.” Similarly, in the espresso song, one could argue that “espresso” is describing “me.”
Sabrina Carpenter Espresso album art
Under this appositive interpretation, the lyric “that’s that me espresso” isn’t about a coffee beverage at all. Instead, Carpenter is saying “that’s that me,” and further defining “me” as “espresso.” This suggests that she is portraying herself as energetic, stimulating, and perhaps even addictive – just like a shot of espresso. As one might say, “I am the espresso that’s keeping you up at night.” This reading adds a layer of clever wordplay to the espresso song, elevating it beyond a simple pop lyric.
However, the internet is rife with alternative understandings. Many online sources and memes interpret “me espresso” as a single noun phrase. Phrases like “don’t talk to me until I’ve had my me espresso” suggest a colloquial understanding where “me espresso” is treated as a drink order, implying a personalized or perhaps even exaggerated need for caffeine.
Adding to the confusion, official sources seem to contradict each other. Lyrics websites like Genius often present the lyric without a comma: “that’s that me espresso.” Yet, other media outlets and fan interpretations sometimes include a comma, “that’s that me, espresso,” which would strongly support the appositive theory. Even official Sabrina Carpenter channels offer mixed signals. Apple Music displays “That’s that me espresso” without a comma, while the YouTube closed captions for the espresso song use a line break: “That’s that me / Espresso.” This line break could visually represent the pause one might take if “espresso” were indeed an appositive.
Ultimately, the true meaning of “that’s that me espresso” in this hit espresso song remains delightfully ambiguous. Without explicit clarification from Sabrina Carpenter herself, both the appositive interpretation and the “me espresso” noun phrase reading hold weight. This lyrical puzzle only adds to the allure of “Espresso,” making it a track that’s as intellectually stimulating as it is musically catchy. Whether you hear it as a clever grammatical construction or a quirky coffee order, “Espresso” is undoubtedly a song that keeps listeners buzzing.
