(January 18, 2025). When it comes to music, every man has his opinion. Recently, Trent Reznor — the mastermind behind Nine Inch Nails — offered his about last year’s big breakthrough hit for Sabrina Carpenter.
While standing on the red carpet of the Golden Globes earlier this month with his Nine Inch Nails collaborator Atticus Ross, Reznor was asked for his “song of 2024.”
“I’m gonna have to go with “Espresso,” he replied unequivocally (without naming Carpenter). We’re pretty sure he meant the song that has been brewing on the charts now for nine months and counting. Carpenter’s “Espresso,” the only one we know about musically, peaked at No. 3 back in June and has been percolating in the top ten for all but five of its 39 chart weeks — making it one of the longest-running top ten songs in Billboard Hot 100 history.
Given the ubiquity of “Espresso” over the past year, it’s not entirely surprising that the metaphor-filled tune is in Reznor’s conscience, and he certainly could have done a lot worse in song choices. But the Nine Inch Nails guy knowing about the very pop “Espresso” is one thing. Declaring it the best song of the year is on a different level altogether.
Can’t you just see it now… Reznor, 59, standing in front of the bathroom mirror and performing the “Espresso Dance Challenge” on TikTok while Carpenter’s dreamy track plays in the background with lyrics like: “Now he’s thinkin’ ‘bout me, every night, oh is it that sweet, I guess so. Say you can’t sleep, baby I know that’s that ‘Me Espresso.’”?
Nah, I can’t either. But there are millions of kids out there who have done that, which is part of the reason the song was such a big hit last year and still is today.
But “Espresso” reminds me of a song from my (and Reznor’s) youth. It was an R&B smash from a totally different era by singer Jeffrey Osborne, former frontman of the legendary soul band LTD (Love Togetherness Devotion), the group responsible for such No. 1 soul hits as “Love Ballad,” “Back In Love Again,” and “Holding On.”
The soundalike song I’m referring to peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard soul chart in 1982 and was Osborne’s first single after leaving LTD, called “I Really Don’t Need No Light.” Here is a clip of it (please focus on the guitar and bass progression that forms the main melody):
Now here’s Carpenter’s “Espresso”
Upon listening closely to the songs’ main melodies, “Espresso” reminds me of “I Really Don’t Need No Light.” Sure, there are enough changes in note progressions and differences in keys to eliminate any chance of a copyright infringement case. But, after hearing “Espresso,” the first song that came to mind was Osborne’s 42-year-old hit.
The bass-and-guitar melody of Osborne’s song is the unifying thread of both hits. But even the two songs’ lyrics feel connected. Osborne’s smooth soul classic begins, “there goes another nighttime, there goes another dream. When will it be the right time? It’s later than it seems. I used to wait for you, all that has changed so soon.”
Carpenter’s contemporary pop confection almost feels like an answer to Osborne’s dilemma: “Now he’s thinkin’ ‘bout me, every night, oh is it that sweet, I guess so. Say you can’t sleep, baby I know that’s that ‘Me Espresso.’”
Pretty confident that “Espresso” lady is, but I guess she hasn’t run across a gentleman like Osborne yet.
Ultimately, Reznor’s “best song of 2024” pick says more about the omnipresence of “Espresso” than anything else. If someone as far removed from pop as the Nine Inch Nails’ leader is aware of it, the song’s cultural saturation is undeniable. Whether that makes it “fresh” or derivative, though, depends on how much “light” you want to shine on its inspirations — or how much espresso you’ve had to keep up.
Anyway, what are your thoughts after listening to both tunes? Is Carpenter’s “Espresso” really that fresh? Or do we really “Need No Light” to see through her?
DJRob
DJRob (he/him) is a freelance music blogger from the East Coast who covers R&B, hip-hop, disco, pop, rock and country genres – plus lots of music news and current stuff! You can follow him on Bluesky at @djrobblog.bsky.social, X (formerly Twitter) at @djrobblog, on Facebook or on Meta’s Threads.
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