When Sabrina Carpenter announced her upcoming seventh studio album, Man’s Best Friend, it was met with equal parts surprise and controversy. The cover, mainly, is what stirred a conversation.
Carpenter is depicted on all fours with her hair tussled by an anonymous man. Paired with the reference the title makes, comparing women to being submissive dogs to men, she was hit with a lot of backlash and accused of setting women back 50 years.
True fans of Carpenter know she’s no stranger to singing loud and proud about her sex life, and she’s fully self-aware. The discourse asks the question: Is Carpenter downgrading herself to be submissive to the man she’s chosen to spend time with, or is she calling out men who treat women like their pet dog?
Regardless of how you want to see it — Carpenter recently stated that the cover is meant to be open to interpretation — there’s no doubt she knows how to handle controversy and be as unapologetic as her music.
Carpenter’s latest album dives deeper into the same themes she explored in last year’s release, Short n’ Sweet, except this time with a little more disco beats and less introspection.
Short n’ Sweet’s theme was all about short-lived romances and flings, and still being on the search for “forever.”
Man’s Best Friend is more “in the moment.” The album starts with the lead single, “Manchild,” and the first lyric is “Oh boy.” From the beginning of the album’s journey, Carpenter knows what she’s getting herself into.
In an interview with Gayle King, Carpenter says, “I think as a young woman, you’re just as aware of when you’re in control as when you’re not — knowing when you’re putting yourself in a situation that will probably end up poorly, but it’s going to teach you something.”
Man’s Best Friend isn’t a deep analysis, but it is a fun, light-hearted commentary on what it’s like to be a young woman in the dating scene and making the most of a bad situation.
These things are less about thinking and more about feeling — similar to the listening experience of the album.
When she dropped all the album track names, “Tears” was assumed to be about heartbreak. Upon release day, it was revealed that it was about anything but that. It’s a very upbeat, true disco song about how Carpenter gets turned on when her man treats her the way he’s supposed to.
The music video dropped for it the same day as the album’s release, and it’s a Rocky Horror Picture Show-inspired video featuring Colman Domingo in drag. Carpenter knows what works for her brand, and it’s retro-themed horror, similar to the music video for “Taste.”
Following “Tears” is “My Man On Willpower,” which sounds like a powerhouse anthem on the inevitable crash out one has when their person starts to lose interest, and you can’t explain why. Carpenter pokes fun at the drama that comes with that realization when she sings, “I’m suddenly the least sought after girl in the land.”
“Sugar Talking” and “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night” are slower, dreamier melodies, mostly about the excuses someone may come up with and the vicious cycle of letting things slide, but not having the gall to call it quits.
One song leads into the other with “Nobody’s Son” and “Never Getting Laid” — self-deprecating and self-aware in the former and pure sarcasm in the latter.
The second half of the album is pure fun with twangy country sounds in “Go Go Juice,” R&B beats in “When Did You Get Hot?” and Cyndi Lauper-esque in “House Tour.”
In her Instagram post the day the album was released, Carpenter wrote, “I encourage you to listen loud, in order, top to bottom…this is sonically and lyrically my favorite way to experience this album.”
That’s exactly what Man’s Best Friend is—Carpenter’s experience as a then 25-year-old (when she wrote the album) getting herself into trouble and singing through heartbreak. Lyrically, it’s her most unapologetic. Sonically, it’s her most loud and most punchy.
Man’s Best Friend says heartbreak doesn’t have to hurt, but it also doesn’t have to be a deep commentary on the experience. Sometimes, the best way to get through something is to feel it all and make the most of it.
Perhaps we should be taking Man’s Best Friend as seriously as Sabrina takes her situationships—simply not at all.
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What is your favorite track off of Man’s Best Friend? Let us know in the comments below!
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Samantha Barker
Samantha Barker is a writer and fangirl from New Jersey. When she's not rewatching Daredevil or listening to the Beatles, she's cosplaying and attending comic-cons with her friends. Sam also co-hosts a podcast called Fangirl Confessions and writes for her Substack, Samantha, etc. Connect with her on X: @0nyourleftsam and IG: @onyourleftsam.