Shrouded in controversy and criticism before release, Sabrina Carpenter’s new album Man’s Best Friend debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Man’s Best Friend marks Sabrina Carpenter’s second debut at No. 1, after Short n’ Sweet last year.
Man’s Best Friend takes listeners to an ’80s fantasy world. Carpenter utilized campy horror film visuals, a prominent 80s-inspired synthesizer, and lyrical choices reminiscent of ‘80s pop hits. Over the course of Man’s Best Friend, Sabrina complains on an imaginary phone call, taken over a plastic pastel blue rotary phone, about the various men in her life.
Throughout Man’s Best Friend, Carpenter explores the trials and tribulations of the modern dating scene, focusing on how unreliable the men she dates are. Carpenter’s flirty and casual tone, prevalent throughout her song lyrics is more of a casual conversation between two friends, rather than a deep lyrical tale meant to criticize men, like fans had originally expected when the album cover was revealed.
The album cover, which has become a polarizing point of recent conversation both about Sabrina Carpenter and about feminism, depicts Sabrina’s hair being aggressively pulled by what appears to be a man whilst she kneels in front of him. Critics worried that the sexual nature of the cover romanticized domestic abuse and would continue into the lyrical themes of the album. Critics also feared what the album cover suggested about Carpenter’s politics and her stance on feminism. “She’s an adult woman that’s expressing herself in the lens of the album,” Siena Fantini, a CSARTS-SGV junior and Sabrina Carpenter fan, argued. “I really hated that people were making these blanket statements about feminism before even hearing the album for more context”.
In a recent interview with Interview Magazine, Sabrina responded to the discourse, “If I’m being completely transparent, I don’t do anything anticipating what the reaction will be. I only do things that speak to me, that feel right, and make sense when you hear the music. When I came up with the imaging for it, it was so clear to me what it meant. So the reaction is fascinating to me. You just watch it unravel and go, ‘Wow.’”
Now that the album has been released, many fans have found that Man’s Best Friend’s lyrical content was not what was expected. The storyline does not revolve around a tumultuous relationship or Sabrina Carpenter being taken advantage of. Instead, it tells the story of Carpenter’s struggle to find a relationship with a man she finds compatible. The lead single of Man’s Best Friend, “Manchild,” depicts this issue in detail.
Sabrina Carpenter’s lyrics do not tell the expected story, but they do further transport the listener into the fantasy of an 80’s world. Carpenter’s lyrics, full of cliches, innuendos, and puns, reflect popular hits that define the era, such as Madonna’s 1989 classic,” Like a Prayer.”
Despite an album release shrouded in controversy and contemplation, Sabria Carpenter’s recent album Man’s Best Friend has risen to success. The album currently holds the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200. It also marks Carpenter’s biggest streaming week of 2025, as well as 2025’s biggest streaming debut for an album by a woman.
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