Bed Chem

"Bed Chem"
Song by Sabrina Carpenter
from the album Short n' Sweet
Released	August 23, 2024 (2024-08-23)
Recorded	The Perch (Calabasas, California) Juicy Hill (The Bahamas) The Playpen (Calabasas, California)
Genre	Synth-pop R&B
Length	2:51
Label	Island
Songwriter(s)	Sabrina Carpenter Julia Michaels Amy Allen John Ryan Ian Kirkpatrick
Producer(s)	John Ryan Ian Kirkpatrick

"Bed Chem" is a song by American singer Sabrina Carpenter from her sixth studio album, Short n' Sweet (2024). Carpenter wrote it with songwriters Julia Michaels and Amy Allen and its producers, John Ryan and Ian Kirkpatrick. The song became available as the album's sixth track on August 23, 2024, when it was released by Island Records.

Background

In January 2021, Sabrina Carpenter signed a recording contract with Island Records. She announced that she was working on her sixth studio album in March 2024, exploring new genres and expecting that it would herald a new chapter in her life. In anticipation of her performance at Coachella, Carpenter announced that a single called "Espresso" would be released on April 11, 2024. The song was a surprise success, becoming her first number one single on the Billboard Global 200 chart and her first song to enter the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. She followed this with "Please Please Please" (2024), which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Preceding an official announcement, billboards bearing tweets about Carpenter's height began appearing throughout New York City. On June 3, 2024, she announced that the album, titled Short n' Sweet, would be released by Island Records on August 23, 2024, and revealed its cover artwork. The tracklist was revealed on July 9, 2024. Carpenter wrote the song "Bed Chem" with songwriters Julia Michaels and Amy Allen and its producers, John Ryan and Ian Kirkpatrick. The song became available for digital download on the album, which was released on August 23, 2024.

Composition

Music and production

"Bed Chem" is two minutes and 51 seconds long, and has been called a synth-pop song. It was recorded at the Perch in Calabasas, California, Juicy Hill Studios in the Bahamas, and the Playpen in Calabasas, California. Ryan and Kirkpatrick produced and programmed the song. They play drums, guitar, keyboards, percussion, and bass, and they engineered it with Jeff Gunnell. Nathan Dantzler mastered the song with assistance from Harrison Tate, and Serban Ghenea mixed it at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach with engineering from Bryce Bordone. Billboard's Jason Lipshutz described the song as "a dreamy flirtation full of pinpoint vocals, personal touches, sexual innuendos and melodies".

The song has a tempo of 95 BPM and is in the key of D major. It is set in a 4/4 time signature and features high energy. The chord progression is D-Bm-G-A.

Analysis

Carpenter was inspired by American singer Christina Aguilera's (left) work; the song is also surmised by various journalists to be about her boyfriend at the time, Irish actor Barry Keoghan (right).

Upon its release, various journalists have analysed the song, its lyrics and their subsequent meanings. The title of the song, "Bed Chem", is shorthand for "bedroom chemistry", and its lyrics revolve around Carpenter feeling an intense attraction to a man, leading her to imagine what they would be like together in bed. She sings about how the man has captivated her and she invites him to "come right on me", despite their different timezones. She uses slang terms relating to sexual intercourse, references the 69 sex position and also makes several euphemisms about penis sizes in its lyrics.

Paper magazine writer Erica Campbell felt that the song highlighted Carpenter's sultry side. Describing its conception, Carpenter jokingly stated that, "there was a lot of steam in the studio. It was real hot and heavy". Carpenter noted that that going into the studio, she wanted to "write a song both sexy and lighthearted". She cited American singer Christina Aguilera as an inspiration for the song, stating that the song's retro vibe was influenced by Aguilera and other music she grew up listening to.

Various journalists also compared the song's lyrics to the relationship between Carpenter and her then-rumoured boyfriend, Irish actor Barry Keoghan where Carpenter remembers wearing a "sheer dress", while the man in the song wore a white jacket and had a strong accent. Elle's Maya Ernest and StyleCaster's Sophie Hanson perceived several references to Keoghan, while Dylan Kickham of Elite Daily opined that Carpenter "made the muse of [the song] incredibly clear" adding that the song is "all about her boyfriend Barry Keoghan's prowess in the bedroom." Keoghan himself later stated on Instagram that the song was his favorite from Short n' Sweet.

Critical reception

Campbell picked "Bed Chem" as a highlight on Short n' Sweet. Lipshutz ranked it fourth among the twelve album tracks, stating that it has "melodies strong enough to be main hooks that then lead into even better melodies. As a phrase, 'Bed Chem' is about to enter the cultural lexicon faster than you can say 'me espresso'; as a showcase for what Carpenter does best, the song is both sensual, earnest and unafraid to make you laugh. Regardless of how 'Bed Chem' performs on the charts, clock this one as a no-doubt fan favorite." Capital's Sam Prance thought that in the context of Carpenter "being unashamedly horny in her music", she had "outdone herself" with the song. Rhian Daly's NME finds out "Bed Chem" alongside the track "Good Graces" are "moulded in Ariana Grande’s image. Carl Wilson of Slate believed that it or the track "Juno" were the "horniest" ones on the album, and he agreed that the titular phrase would become popular online. Nylon included it in their list of the seven best songs of its release week, with Sofia Ante stating that Carpenter was "at her most charming — cheeky, seductive, and impossible to resist — that'll leave you blushing for three full minutes".

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Short n' Sweet.

• Sabrina Carpenter – vocals, songwriter
• John Ryan – producer, songwriter, drums, guitar, keyboards, percussion, programming, engineer, bass
• Ian Kirkpatrick – producer, songwriter, drums, guitar, keyboards, percussion, programming, engineer, bass
• Julia Michaels – songwriter, background vocals
• Amy Allen – songwriter, background vocals
• Jeff Gunnell – engineer
• Nathan Dantzler – mastering
• Harrison Tate – mastering assistance
• Serban Ghenea – mixing
• Bryce Bordone – mix engineer

Charts

Chart performance for "Bed Chem"

Chart (2024)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)	10
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)	17
Global 200 (Billboard)	14
Greece International (IFPI)	47
Ireland (IRMA)	5
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	10
Philippines Hot 100 (Billboard)	16
Portugal (AFP)	30
Singapore (RIAS)	11
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)	98
UK Streaming (OCC)	16
US Billboard Hot 100	14