Can't Blame a Girl for Trying is the debut extended play (EP) by American singer Sabrina Carpenter. It was released by Hollywood Records on April 8, 2014. The EP produced two singles, "Can't Blame a Girl for Trying" and "The Middle of Starting Over" and peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Heatseekers charts.
Prior to 2012, Carpenter began releasing various independent promotional singles. She became heavily involved with The Walt Disney Company in 2012, starring in the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World, and making various appearances on Disney soundtracks, including that for ' and the soundtrack to Sofia the First. In 2013, Carpenter signed a five album record deal with Disney-owned Hollywood Records.
On March 14, 2014, Carpenter released her debut single "Can't Blame a Girl for Trying". The song was co-written by American singer Meghan Trainor who had previously recorded the song for her album Title (2015) and performed it at the Durango Songwriter's Expo in 2012.
The EP begins with the title track, described by Carpenter as a song about being foolishly in love that "perfectly described being a 13-year-old girl and being a teenage girl". The song is followed by "The Middle of Starting Over", which was compared to Taylor Swift's work. The songs are followed by the songs "White Flag" "Best Thing I Got".
"Can't Blame a Girl for Trying" was released as the lead single from the EP on March 14, 2014. The song premiered a day earlier on Radio Disney. The music video premiered on March 28 and won a Radio Disney Music Award for Best Crush Song.
"The Middle of Starting Over" was released as the EP's second single in July of the same year, and available on August 19, 2014. The music video premiered on September 21. A lyric video was also released on August 19 and featured various scenes of her playing with her sister, Sarah Carpenter.
Carpenter performed both songs at the 2014 Radio Disney Music Awards. She also performed acoustic versions of both songs on Perez TV in September 2014.
Upon release, the EP garnered generally positive responses. Dolph Malone of Headline Planet praised the EP "from a marketing standpoint", praising the song "Can't Blame a Girl for Trying" which was co-written by Meghan Trainor, calling it "even more valuable from a musical standpoint". She added that the song Trainor wrote "possesses the same self-awareness and same intimate, conversational approach that fuels Trainor's own hits". Billboard writer Monique Melendez praised the lyrical content of the EP and their relatability to Carpenter's generation. A Kid's Point of You writer Anna Marie praised Carpenter's "flawless" vocals, opining that the EP has an "undeniably sophisticated edge, and an effortless ability to inspire listeners".
Upon release, the EP peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Heatseekers charts, earning 12,000 album-equivalent units.
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Can't Blame a Girl for Trying.