Carpenter's New Album Went Strike

 Source: Island Records

Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Man’s Best Friend’: A Track-By-Track Breakdown

Hit after hit! Earlier this summer, the pop star American singer, songwriter and actress Sabrina Carpenter released her seventh album, “Man’s Best Friend.” It’s a fluffy screed against a dude mired in an endless adolescence. Heading into the chorus, Carpenter sounds both rankled and coquettish. The 12-track pop album is a natural follow-up to Carpenter’s equally steamy and at-sometimes-raunchy 2024 album, Short N’ Sweet.

The cover of 'Man's Best Friend', evoking dominance and submission, generated controversy and significant media attention. Reactions were swift and high pitched, some criticized it as appealing to the male gaze in a detrimental manner to women, while others saw it as satire and a way to challenge expectations of women's sexual behavior.

Kicking off the album is “Manchild,” the first single Carpenter dropped, catching everyone off guard with the surprise announcement of a new record. From day one, this song felt undeniably playful, honest, and insanely catchy. It’s been out since June, yet I’m still enthusiastically singing along to the bridge even as someone who’s never been in a relationship. The track perfectly sets the tone and lets you know exactly what this album has in store.

"Tears" follows suit, and it’s nothing like I expected in the best way. The track feels cinematic, like something you’d hear during a cheeky montage in a romantic comedy. It’s very ABBA-coded, blending sexual desire with small, meaningful acts of love, all wrapped in a glittery, tongue-in-cheek delivery.

"It's a real party for heartbreak, a celebration of disappointment! It's laughing at yourself and your poor choices as everything is falling apart," Carpenter wrote in an Instagram post announcing her new album's arrival. "It's wondering how loyalty and love always gets you back to third wheeling, spoken sarcastically like a true 25-year-old." She added.

Carpenter has been known for hits such as Nonsense and Espresso, which largely succeeded off the back of solid hooks and whip-smart wordplay.