Sabrina Carpenter released her seventh album "Man’s Best Friend" on Aug. 29. The album’s announcement earlier this summer was met with a mix of elation and irritation. The lead single, "Manchild", became an instant hit, but the album cover left the internet feeling a bit queasy. 

“I was a little bit scared for the album with the discourse online about the cover art, but I genuinely think she was smart for it because it got a conversation going,” environmental science freshman Katherine Tentler said.

The cover art features Carpenter posed doglike while a man grabs her hair. This was thought to promote the idea that a woman should be subservient, a mentality that her music does not normally subscribe to. However, in typical, cheeky Carpenter fashion, the artwork paired with the album’s lyrics lay out Carpenter’s humorous and frustrated approach to detailing her romances, often feeling like she has to give up her own dignity to make a relationship work. 

The album follows Carpenter's widely successful 2024 album "Short n’ Sweet." Business freshman Lukas Eastman said that Carpenter easily met the expectations that he had for her, saying that she has grown as an artist in the past year and truly solidified herself with "Man’s Best Friend."

“She stuck to a more fluid story with this album,” Eastman said. “'Short n’ Sweet' was a little more all over the place, but this seems to tell more of a story.”

Carpenter stayed true to the glittery, confident and playful brand that she established with "Short n’ Sweet", utilizing funky basslines and nostalgic synth evoking the feeling of a 1970s themed party. But at that party you’re fighting with your ex, flirting with someone new and finding yourself regrettably drunk. A rollercoaster that is mapped out in the tracklist.

"Manchild"

"Manchild" serves as a proper introduction to the album. Its upbeat synths layered under Carpenter’s eye-rolling complaints of the "incompetent" men she finds herself dealing with time and time again creates the sonic equivalent of an annoyed sigh and smile. Carpenter knows what she’s getting herself into, she knows how it’s going to end, yet she is somewhat accepting of it. For anyone tuning into her for the first time, "Manchild" shows them exactly what to expect from her. 

"Tears"

The risque lyrics and discoesque sound of "Tears" display Carpenter’s flirty and thirsty side, a side that has made itself well known throughout her discography. Carpenter has been repeatedly criticized for the sexual nature of her music, but journalism sophomore Ava Cook said that most people are only taking her lyrics at face value. Cook said that songs like "Tears" offer commentary on the pressures and discontentment that women can face in romantic relationships with men, pointing to the album’s cover as a physical manifestation of these feelings.

“When you think about what she’s saying, she’s just asking for the bare minimum. She’s frustrated,” Cook said. “She’s lowering her standards and saying that men aren’t giving her enough but at this point she’ll take anything.” 

"My Man on Willpower" and "Sugar Talking"

"My Man on Willpower" and "Sugar Talking" are written with such transparency that it almost feels like you are a character in Carpenter’s personal life. "My Man on Willpower" resembles a sleepover confessional, almost fitting to be a scene in one of the Disney Channel dramas where Carpenter got her start. "Sugar Talking" shows off Carpenter’s vocal range as she continues to air her grievances, this time directly with her partner. The line, “You filled my apartment with flowers that die,” encapsulates a major theme of the album: love and its actions are unfortunately fleeting. Additionally, the distorted guitar solo on top of the glistening instrumentals creates a dichotomy of dreamy desires versus harsh realities in a waning romance.

"We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night"

"We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night" has a slow, tired sound that perfectly reflects what it feels like to be trapped in the final stages of said waning romance. The music will pick up briefly and feel exciting and new, but will inevitably decrescendo back to exhaustion. The relationship is doomed, but the few fleeting moments of joy keep both parties holding on. In terms of storytelling, this song earns a gold star for Carpenter’s use of metrics beyond lyrics to vividly illustrate her emotions.

"Nobody's Son" and "Never Getting Laid"

Carpenter continues to feel down and dejected in "Nobody’s Son", claiming that “there’s nobody’s son left” in the world that could possibly restore her faith in men, while the bitter lyrics layered over sweet sounds of "Never Getting Laid" encapsulate the calm insanity that comes after a breakup. Carpenter wants to end the relationship on a high, respectful note and has the exterior of upright intentions, but her anger seeps through the cracks and she can’t help but admit her ill wishes for her ex. 

“I like that she went with more of a vintage sound on songs like 'Never Getting Laid',” Cook said. “Those really sounded like I was in a lounge in the 1960s.”

"When Did You Get Hot?" and "Go Go Juice"

"When Did You Get Hot?" and "Go Go Juice" serve as a break from the album’s heavier themes. The former is an unapologetic spilling of thoughts as Carpenter is reunited with “an ugly kid” turned “sexy man” and the latter is an admission to the habit of dialing the numbers of exes, crushes and anybody in between after getting a little tipsy. “Ain’t nobody’s safe when I’m a little bit drunk,” Carpenter sings. Both are simple, fun and catchy tunes that showcase Carpenter’s clever humor in songwriting. They lack depth, but depth is not intended in either. 

“'Go Go Juice' is such a fun song for girls in college,” Tentler said. 

"Don't Worry I'll Make You Worry"

"Don’t Worry I’ll Make You Worry" showcases Carpenter’s irony and dual nature in a more sensitive manner as she refuses to let go of somebody but also acknowledges that she isn’t good for him. It’s a brief intermission between the drunken high of "Go Go Juice" and the upbeat energy that is to come in the next track, suggesting that amusement can only temporarily push the clouds of relationship worries to the side. It’s heartfelt, honest and human and refutes any criticisms that Carpenter only writes mindless pop songs about sex. 

"House Tour"

Speaking of mindless pop songs about sex, "House Tour" is Man’s Best Friend’s penultimate track. It perfectly displays Carpenter’s aforementioned glittery, confident and playful brand as it checks all of the boxes that listeners can expect from a Carpenter tune. Bouncy, sparkly instrumentals? Check. Straightforward boldness? Check. Tongue-in-cheek metaphors that she promises aren’t actually metaphors but definitely are? Check. Maybe it’s not totally mindless, but it is for sure entertaining.

"Goodbye"

"Goodbye" is an assertive sign-off from an album that was otherwise unsure of what decision to make. Carpenter has put her foot down and slammed the door, proclaiming that “goodbye means that you’re losing me for life.” It is reminiscent of a musical theater finale, full of revelation and celebration. There is nothing left to ponder at the album’s end. The rollercoaster is over and the lap bars have been loosened. It is solid, it is definite, it is clear. 

"Man’s Best Friend" is prime Sabrina Carpenter as it fully showcases her creativity and wit as an artist. Carpenter has never been one to take herself too seriously in her music, and this album helps her to stand out amongst the crowd as a genuine and intelligent songwriter. There are layers to her actions and, as the summer’s conversation on the album cover proved, you can never judge her work by how it appears at first glance.