In an age of absurd sexual politics, female promiscuity has become one of the most controversial topics in pop culture. In the heat of this debate, Sabrina Carpenter released “Man’s Best Friend” on Aug. 29, a collection of 12 songs mainly centered around Carpenter’s relationships and sexual encounters with various men. Before I could even begin to form an opinion on this album, I witnessed outcry from the internet, ranging from criticism of the record’s male-focused gaze to disapproval of Carpenter’s proud ownership of her sexuality.
Since the release of her sixth studio album “Short and Sweet” (2024), Carpenter has curated a persona that is funny, clever and extremely horny. She played into this by modeling different sex positions in live performances of her song “Juno” and making witty innuendos throughout her lyrics. While “Short and Sweet” begins adopting this image, Carpenter fully embraces it in “Man’s Best Friend.”
After the June release of the album cover, which features Carpenter on all fours with a faceless man pulling on her hair, she was accused of playing into misogynistic tropes of female submission. Carpenter, however, defended this image, claiming that it was a form of self-expression. She said to Interview magazine, “I mean, there’s a lot of nuance to this and I’m not naive to that, but I felt like, ‘Why is this taboo?’ This is something that women experience in such a real way, becoming comfortable with themselves and who they are.”
With all this in the back of my mind, I enjoyed the music of “Man’s Best Friend.” I quite like the way that Carpenter explores both contemporary and nostalgic styles of pop music, featuring layered vocal harmonies and both acoustic and synthesized instrumentals. She also takes influence from a variety of different genres, such as disco, country and house.
“Man’s Best Friend” has a quirky and playful sound that reflects the overall character of the record. Carpenter plays with different harmonic progressions in “Tears,” jumping between two unrelated keys throughout the song. “Go Go Juice” leans into Carpenter’s country influence, featuring a heavily acoustic backing track with guitars, fiddles and a more pronounced twang in her voice. My personal favorite track, “When Did You Get Hot?,” features a groovy beat with a swinging bass line and arpeggiated chords, perfectly accompanying the sultry tone Carpenter sings with. What truly ties this album together musically is Carpenter’s vocal ability; she has proven to be an incredibly skilled and versatile vocalist, and as a singer myself, I really enjoyed hearing the different ways Carpenter showcased her pure talent.
The most obvious contributor to the tone of “Man’s Best Friend” is the lyrics. Carpenter’s lyrics are packed with puns, metaphors and shockingly direct descriptions relating to how she feels about men. In “Tears,” Carpenter sings about how basic competence and respect arouse her, crooning, “A little communication, yes, that’s my ideal foreplay / Assemble a chair from IKEA / I’m like, ‘Uh.’” Carpenter immediately follows this up with “My Man on Willpower,” a frustrated ballad about how her partner’s newfound self-restraint and stability have diminished his interest in her.
While some of the songs are connected in theme, Carpenter does not necessarily follow a specific narrative throughout the album. “House Tour” serves as an extended analogy for her desires, with Carpenter singing, “And I promise none of this is a metaphor (Ah) / I just want you to come inside (come inside) / But never enter through the back door.” On the other hand, “Never Getting Laid” is a more traditional breakup song, with Carpenter wishing that her ex never finds someone who makes him as happy as she did.
Though Carpenter has not explicitly stated so, I believe “Man’s Best Friend” is a satire at its core. The content and subject matter are entertaining and show that she does not take herself too seriously. But despite it being an engaging piece of music, its impact on the discourse surrounding women and their place in relationships is still important to consider. I believe that when analyzing a piece as pointed as “Man’s Best Friend,” it is important to think about both the cultural context and the artist’s intentions. In the 10 years it took Carpenter to break through in the pop sphere, she had finally found her footing in a comical and overly dramatized style, with her 2023 music video for “Feather” establishing this new branding. “Man’s Best Friend” almost parodies her public persona, making it clear that Carpenter is not necessarily trying to influence her audience but instead is having fun playing with her own image. “Man’s Best Friend” is an expression of Carpenter’s sexuality and proves that she has full agency over her relationships and sexual encounters.