How that iconic ‘Espresso’ line came to be

Of course, everyone loves the nonsensical line “That’s that me espresso” in Sabrina Carpenter‘s massive global smash “Espresso,” but the other line people latched onto was, “I’m working late/ ‘cuz I’m a singer.” One of Sabrina’s co-writers has now revealed the inspiration for that line.

During a 12-day break from opening for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour, Sabrina and her co-writers got together at a studio in France. Co-writer Steph Jones tell Variety, “The studio is this really beautiful place, just outside Paris, with sleeping areas upstairs so we could work till super late — that’s where the line ‘I’m working late/’cuz I’m a singer’ came from.”

As for “That’s that me espresso,” Jones says, “We were just having fun and trying stuff, and — I actually came across this in my voice notes the other day — [Sabrina] started to hum that chorus melody, and we were like, ‘What’s that?’” As for the lyric, “We were kind of like, ‘Will this line stay? It’s kind of silly,’ but obviously it worked!”

Billboard has named “Espresso” the #3 best song of the year. While it never hit #1, the publication says it’s “one of the most unmistakable, invigorating and naturally addictive singles of 2024.”