On August 29, Sabrina Carpenter released her second album, “Man’s Best Friend.” Just last year, her breakthrough record, “Short ‘n Sweet” climbed the music charts with songs like “Espresso” and “Sharpest Tool”, establishing her departure from the more wholesome image she maintained for over a decade, shocking many followers. This new album dives deeper into genre fusion, creating a work that is both polished and unpredictable.
I’ve never been a super fan of Carpenter’s music. I’ve heard some of her songs on the radio and thought they were catchy but quickly moved on. However, “Man’s Best Friend” pleasantly surprised me. The mix of disco, funk, R&B, and country creates a rollercoaster of sound that feels cohesive while still giving variety. The banjo and fiddle weave in alongside synths and bass lines, highlighting the difference between traditional pop and experimental inclusions. The result is an album that feels uncertain yet confident, longful yet with a hint of disdain. It paints the picture of the real, conflicting feelings people experience in relationships.
The opener, “Manchild”, sets the tone with playful sass and disco-country swagger. It critiques immaturity in love and has already dominated TikTok and Spotify, gaining more than 425 million listens. “Tears”, my personal favorite, balances irony, longing, and flirtation in a ballad that has also topped charts. The resilience drive “My Man on Willpower” and the sultry “Sugar Talking” follow, expanding the emotional range and advancing the story.
Carpenter shifts the mood with “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night,” a conflicted breakup anthem, and “Nobody’s Son,” a raw depiction of heartbreak. The bolder song, “Never Getting Laid” puts humor into sexual frustration, while “When Did You Get Hot?” plays a cheeky and upbeat angle, masking bittersweetness behind a glamorous production. Later tracks like “Go Go Juice” and “Don’t Worry Will Make You Worry” cross between flirtation and vengeance, before “House Tour” turns more intimate with provocative metaphors. The closer, appropriately titled “Goodbye,” is a reflective send-off that ties the album’s narrative together with a bittersweet closure that also shows personal growth.
Musically, “Man’s Best Friend” is engaging and layered, but the album cover has sparked controversy. The image shows Carpenter bent over with a man’s hands gripping her hair, his face cropped out. Her startled expression and the power imbalance suggested by the pose have fueled criticism. Carpenter told Interview magazine, “The image, the way I see it, is a metaphor… But what I’m going through in this record, which is loss and heartbreak and celebration and trying to navigate my life as a young woman…” To me, paired with the album title, the visual risks evoking a disturbing message of female submission, lessening women to that of a dog or “man’s best friend”.
Despite the questionable packaging, Carpenter’s artistry shines through the music itself. The album tells a story of love’s highs and lows, exposing her as a creative visionary who is unafraid to experiment. With “Man’s Best Friend” she confirms herself as not only a former child star but as a pop innovator worth listening to.
