Sabrina Carpenter has unveiled her seventh studio album, Man's Best Friend, a follow-up to her breakout Short n' Sweet that blends clever wordplay with explicit themes. The album's provocative cover art has ignited online debates about misogyny and objectification. Critics praise its fuller sound and exploration of relationships, healing, and indulgence.
Sabrina Carpenter, the Quakertown-born former Disney Channel star who has been releasing albums for a decade, drops Man's Best Friend as her seventh project. Despite a recent Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, this album builds on her evolution from bubblegum pop roots. Her fifth album, Emails I Can’t Send, incorporated bedroom pop and Americana influences, highlighting her country background in tracks like “Fast Times” and “Vicious.” Since then, she has collaborated closely with producer John Ryan and songwriter Amy Allen, joined by Jack Antonoff for Short n’ Sweet, which featured Top-5 singles “Espresso,” “Please Please Please,” and “Taste.”
Man's Best Friend arrives amid controversy over its cover, depicting Carpenter on her knees caressing a man's inner thigh as he holds her hair. Online reactions have accused the imagery of misogyny, sexism, and objectification, though the album itself is described as intellectually sharp alongside its raunchiness. Tracks like “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night,” “House Tour,” and “Sugar Talking” delve into matter-of-fact intimacy and emotional complexity. Lyrics such as “Gave me his whole heart and I gave him head” and “He used to be literally obsessed with me, I’m suddenly the least sought-after girl in the land” from “My Man on Willpower” reveal candid takes on relationships and self-doubt.
The album grapples with healing in “When Did You Get Hot?” and over-indulgence in “Go Go Juice,” while “Manchild” features barbs like “Why so sexy if so dumb? And how survive the Earth so long?” It mixes genres, from country-pop in “Go Go Juice” to disco in “Tears” and R&B in “When Did You Get Hot?.” Antonoff's production shines in “My Man on Willpower” and “Goodbye,” incorporating synths, horns, and strings. Reviewers note it surpasses Short n’ Sweet in depth and balance, standing out in a stagnant pop landscape by embracing messiness and vocal versatility. Carpenter's work here turns frustration into engaging pop, questioning arousal and romance without simplification.
