Busy Woman

Album

Short n' Sweet

Label

Island Records

Genre

Yacht Rock

Duration

6:00

Composer(s)

Amy Rose Allen,;Jack Michael Antonoff;Sabrina Carpenter

Entered Chart

Jan 3, 2025

Peak Date

Jan 3, 2025

Released

August 29, 2024

Recorded

March 7, 2025 Studio Sharp Sonics (Los Angeles) Electric Lady (New York City

Sabrina Carpenter's "Busy Woman" is an ode to balancing a high-powered lifestyle with a flirtatious invitation for the right suitor to "come into her calendar." Though rejection shatters her composure, she protects her ego by acting indifferent, as she is too busy to entertain anything less than what she deserves. The song provoked some controversy. The lyric "If you don't want me, I'll just deem you gay" sparked debate, with some listeners calling it insensitive and others defending it as satire. Carpenter's longtime support for the LGBTQ+ community was cited as evidence of the latter. Comparisons were made to Taylor Swift's original "Picture To Burn" lyric, where Swift sang, "That's fine, I'll tell mine you're gay" before later revising it to avoid offense. Lyrical quibbles aside, "Busy Woman" is a musical sugar rush, co-written with Amy Allen and produced by Jack Antonoff, whose signature maximalist pop tendencies are on full display. The track was a last-minute creation, arriving just after Carpenter had finalized her Short n' Sweet album. Determined not to let it languish in the archives, she squeezed it onto a limited digital edition, titled Short n' Sweet(er), before eventually giving it a full-fledged release on the album's deluxe edition. The recording of the song spans both coasts, with sessions at Sharp Sonics Studios in Los Angeles and Electric Lady Studios in New York. Antonoff plays a staggering array of instruments on the track (acoustic guitar, bass, drumkit, drum programming, electric guitar, percussion, sitar, synthesizer). Carpenter contributes percussion, while Bobby Hawk's fiddle injects a subtle country-pop flair. Fans turned Carpenter's wittiest lyrics into TikTok soundbites and Twitter gold, with lines like "My openings are super tight" and "I wouldn't let you come into my calendar any night" becoming instant meme fodder.

Oh, hey
Oh
I'm so mature, collected and sensible
Except when I get hit with rejection
To turn me down, well, that's just unethical
I'll turn into someone you're scared to know
But if you need my love
My clothes are off, I'm comin' over to your place
And if you don't need (if you don't need) my love
I didn't want your little bitch-ass anyway
Yeah, I'm a busy woman
I wouldn't let you come into my calendar any night
But if you want my kisses
I'll be your perfect Mrs. 'til the day that one of us dies
Oh, hey
(Busy woman all the time)
(Busy woman)
So much to shave and lipstick to reapply
Maybe for you, though, I could accommodate
I'm flexible, so just tell me what you like
Tantric yoga, baby, namaste
If you don't want me, I'll just deem you gay
But if you need my love
My clothes are off, I'm comin' over to your place
And if you don't need (if you don't need) my love
I didn't want your little bitch-ass anyway
Yeah, I'm a busy woman
I wouldn't let you come into my calendar any night
But if you want my kisses
I'll be your perfect Mrs. 'til the day that one of us dies
Busy woman all the time
Busy woman for the rest of my life
My openings are super tight
Busy woman, unless you call tonight
Night (ooh), ooh
But if you need my love
My clothes are off, I'm comin' over to your place
And if you don't need (if you don't need) my love (my love)
Well, I didn't want your little bitch-ass anyway
'Cause I'm a busy woman (oh, hey)
I wouldn't let you come into my calendar any night
But if you want my kisses
I'll be your perfect Mrs. 'til the day that one of us dies