“Man’s Best Friend” Silly or Sexist?: Reviewing Sabrina Carpenter’s newest album
Sabrina Carpenter, Disney Channel star turned pop diva, released her seventh studio album, “Man’s Best Friend,” in late August.
With 12 songs, “Man’s Best Friend” has received mixed reviews after the brief controversy it faced on TikTok.
Many people argued that the album cover is sexist and allows for the objectification and sexualization of women. They also commented on the fact that all the songs are “about men” or “the same.” To be completely honest, I don’t think it’s that deep. This album is fun, flirty, and all around has catchy lyrics and beats.
Sabrina Carpenter, in an interview with CBS, claims the album has a deeper meaning and that it was up for interpretation.
“My interpretation is being in on the control, being in on your lack of control, and when you want to be in control.” Carpenter said.
I think that this claim is where people get tripped up. Stating that an album has a deeper meaning that doesn’t really make sense, and then not living up to said deeper meaning, is where I sympathize with people getting upset, as she set those expectations up in the interview.
However, I don’t agree with most of the takes. I took this album as a fun and flirty project about her mixed feelings towards men, filled with sarcasm and meant to be taken with a grain of salt.
The album starts strong with the first track, “Manchild.” This was first released in June, gaining 27 million streams. This track is silly and about men who don’t act like men.
She asks in her song, “And how survive the Earth so long?/ If I’m not there, it won’t get done/ I choose to blame your mom,” commenting on how men’s weaponized incompetence is often because of their parenting.
The second track, “Tears,” is sarcastic and playful, commenting on Carpenter’s attraction to men, “being a responsible guy/ treating me how you’re supposed to.” Many on social media disagree with the tone, claiming it’s sad to see a woman idolize the bare minimum.
Carpenter mentions how she “gets wet” at the thought of a man doing normal things like dishes or respecting women. And I thought it was funny. Sue me.
Skipping to track six, “Nobody’s Son” discusses how Carpenter is used to men leaving or mistreating her and how, “There’s nobody’s son, not anyone left for me to believe in.”
My favorite part is the bridge. It’s very catchy and has already become a TikTok trend where women pretend to hit the camera with various objects on beat (i.e, purses, shoes, etc).
Then, onto my favorite track, track eight, “When Did You Get Hot?” is about seeing an ex or old acquaintance and being shocked at their sudden glow-up. This song is beyond catchy with amazing lines.
My favorite lines are “You were an ugly kid, but a sexy man,” as well as “I bet your light rod’s, like, bigger than Zeus’s.”
The latter has spread some controversy on the internet, claiming it’s predatory, but I think it’s the perfect amount of silly and shocking to add great value to the song.
Track 11 is titled “House Tour.” This is by far a top-three song for me. So catchy and full of innuendos and metaphors. To be transparent, this song is about sex. While Carpenter claims there’s no metaphor in the lyrics, that is just what they’re about.
Several of Carpenter’s lyrics could allude to sex, such as “I spent a little fortune on the waxed floors,” meaning she waxed in preparation for the night.
This song was another controversial topic on social media, as people found it “just like every other song.” I think that it’s flirtatious and hilarious! I love the jokes within its lyrics and enjoy the melody of the song.
All in all, this album is amusing and, if not taken seriously, very enjoyable. While the cover of the album attracted controversy, I think overall the album has appealing and light-hearted songs that one can dance around to.
It scores a 7/10 from me!
