Just one year after Sabrina Carpenter’s previous best-selling album, “Man’s Best Friend” made its release on Aug. 29. Soon after, the cover drew attention for its supposedly misogynistic visual.
The album cover displays Carpenter on her knees with a man grabbing her hair, which was criticized for being degrading and promoting outdated views. On the other hand, some viewers thought it could be a form of satire or comedy.
Nonetheless, disputes over the cover have not affected my views on the album’s content.
Right from the start, Carpenter engages listeners with ambiguous lyrics about her personal life. In the first track, “Manchild,” Carpenter sings a humorous and upbeat chorus that goes “Manchild, why you always come a-running towards me?”
Many fans speculate that this “Manchild” is Barry Keoghan, Carpenter’s ex-boyfriend, but the lyrics leave this up to interpretation. While Keoghan could be a possibility, I believe Carpenter could also be referencing men in general, which would indicate her disappointment with previous relationships, creating depth in the song.
Even though Carpenter’s voice is very soothing and pleasant to listen to, many of her songs in “Man’s Best Friend” use the same tone and pitch as her previous albums. “Nobody’s Son” has a very similar melody and beat to “Please Please Please,” making the song feel bland and dull.
However, Carpenter’s unique and creative music video production makes up for the lack of diversity in her songs.
Her music video for “Manchild” consists of short clips from many different scenes that depict all the hectic and unhinged relationships she has had. This creative choice compels the viewer to watch the video, as it feels like a movie trailer.
Furthermore, since Carpenter was a former actress, she skillfully showcases her emotions on screen. The effort she puts into the variety of clips and outfits enhances the music video’s mood and overall quality of her production.
Additionally, Carpenter’s music video for “Tears” uses an ingenious and strategic creative style I have never seen before.
After the music video was released, it was edited every few days to display unique alternative endings. This tactic was smart because it led viewers to replay the music video multiple times, generating high engagement for her album as a whole.
The main highlight of the album was the song “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night,” which combines a melancholy theme with upbeat melodies, making it addictive to listen to. The song also has a lower pitch than the rest of the songs, which stands out and takes Carpenter’s music in a new direction.
Altogether, the album successfully shows Carpenter’s ability to create eye-catching videos and catchy songs, despite its unoriginality. In future works, Carpenter should work to improve her diversity in songs, but ultimately, this album shows she has a lot to offer as an artist.
