Why date a man when you could listen to Sabrina Carpenter sing about one instead?
Sabrina Carpenter’s latest album, “Man’s Best Friend,” met its awaited release on Aug. 29, including 12 tracks total. Although Sabrina’s previous music shaped her into one of the biggest mainstream pop artists, I have been awaiting material that leans more into her identity and her fun, satirical personality. From the album cover to the music, this release did it for me.
Before its release, the album cover left cheeks flustered, depicting Sabrina on all fours to match its witty title. Some argued that she was “setting women back 100 years” with this album cover. My question is, why are women not allowed to embrace sexuality and humor? Why is it okay for men to put naked women on their album covers, but when a woman does something so much less extreme it is suddenly unacceptable? Since her Disney days ended, Sabrina’s brand has included a raunchy flare that makes her the artist she is, so fans should not be surprised by the concept.
Due to the controversy surrounding her album cover, the masses had already formulated a negative opinion on the quality of her new music before even hearing it. Tough crowd. However, once her actual music was released, minds were suddenly changed, and her new songs began trending effortlessly.
Opening with her pre-released single “Manchild,” Sabrina set the tone for new tracks while still carrying her signature pop sound that she showcased in her previous studio album, “Short n’ Sweet.” Starting with “Manchild” feels like an acknowledgement of her old era and a segueseague into her new album, setting a blueprint for the very obvious theme of “Man’s Best Friend:” Sabrina’s perspective on her unfortunate attraction to men. She covers topics like breakups, rejection, infatuation, lust and more.
Although her new music sounds very similar to her recent work, with “Man’s Best Friend,” Sabrina did a better job of mixing her personality with her artistry. Although her past attempt at a pop-country sound, “Please Please Please (feat. Dolly Parton),” was objectively a flop, Sabrina came back better than ever, integrating country with pop in songs like “Goodbye,” “Go Go Juice” and “Nobody’s Son” to establish a more prominent musical sound and differentiate herself from other current pop artists.
One of my favorite things about Sabrina’s music is her lyricism. Her lyrics in this album showcase her hyperbolic humor and cleverness, especially in “Go Go Juice,” “Never Getting Laid” and “My Man on Willpower.” Her silly lyrics like “I just hope you get agoraphobia someday” and “my man won’t touch me with a 20 foot pole” sung in a cheery, upbeat mood matches her satirical personality perfectly and makes her music unique.
She closes off the album with “Goodbye,” an upbeat breakup song where Sabrina decides to choose herself after struggling to grasp her emotions for so long. This song was a fun way to end the album, wishing goodbye not only to a man, but also to her audience.
Even though she played it safe and did not get very experimental with this new release, I love what Sabrina brings to the table for the pop genre. Her lyricism, satirical concepts and fun, pop sound mixed with a touch of country is unreplicable. It is safe to say that “Man’s Best Friend” is going to be my playlist’s best friend, too.
