Sabrina Carpenter’s “Man’s Best Friend” proves her bark is just as fierce as her bite

Sabrina Carpenter is taking her criticisms in stride with the release of her new album, Man’s Best Friend, named after her not-so-affectionate nickname.

Coming off the widespread success of her sixth studio album Short N’ Sweet, Carpenter surprised fans by releasing her new album just over a year after sharing her song of the summer, “Espresso,” with the world. Carpenter announced the album on June 6 with the music video release of the country-pop single, “Manchild,” which charted at number one in the United States.

The release of the album cover, featuring a photo of Carpenter on her knees getting pulled by the hair by a man off-camera, quickly sparked controversy. Critics claimed that the cover made light of domestic abuse, while Carpenter’s fans argued that she was simply making a satirical jab at traditional gender roles. Carpenter, not new to controversy, took it in stride by releasing an alternative cover alongside the original, which she jokingly described as being “approved by God.” 

While some songs on the album resemble Carpenter’s past work of Short N’ Sweet and Emails I Can’t Send, the majority of songs serve as a way for Carpenter to experiment with different musical genres and combine them with her well-known pop style. “Tears”, which was accompanied by a music video featuring a heavy homage to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, presents a more disco-style sound similar to the final track on the album “Goodbye”. Curating the same country-pop sound as “Manchild” is “Go Go Juice” which underlays with a bouncy pop-country tune that juxtaposes the lyrics expressing heartbreak; similar to the work of Dolly Parton whom Carpenter had worked with previously to release a country-style version of her song “Please, Please, Please”.

Some songs on the album, however, break the bounds of traditional musical genres. What appears to be the most personal song on the album, “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night” slows the album down with a style which one can only associate with being featured in a 2000s Disney Channel Original Movie montage moment in which the protagonist is at their lowest. 

This hodgepodge of styles can at times make the album feel too congested and nowhere near as cohesive as Carpenter’s past albums. This may be for Carpenter’s benefit however, as the stark departure from her Short N’ Sweet sound may allow her to avoid becoming trapped in one style of music. 

The experimentation allows for the songs within the album to feel more personal, with songs such as “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night” and “Nobody’s Son” depicting the realization of being in a relationship where the other person isn’t as invested as they once were. Listening to these songs feels more conversational, like Carpenter is chatting with a friend, sharing her fears and feelings directly with the listener. The lack of more upbeat songs helps strip Carpenter down to her raw self, allowing her to move away from her sexualized brand and focus on her storytelling.

Despite Man’s Best Friend serving as Carpenter’s pathway into more genres, Carpenter still knows what her fans want and is happy to give it to them. She is just as cheeky, not afraid to throw in lyrics such as, “Naked twister back at your place” and “Tears running down my thighs”. In the “Tears” music video, she even states that “Someone has to die every video”, acknowledging the recurring trend of characters in her videos dying in violent and bizarre ways.

Within this album, Carpenter demonstrates that she is more than her sexual branding and can portray relatable feelings of love and loss through her lyrics. The strongest tracks are the ones that allow Carpenter to heavily feature her wit and charm, aspects that make her stand out in the industry and that her fans have come to love.

Man’s Best Friend is a fun mixture of camp and honest lyrics that serves as a strong next step for Carpenter and her career. This album proves once again that Carpenter’s strength lies in her ability to resonate and connect with audiences through the messy feelings of life, love, grief and girlhood.