Sabrina Carpenter’s highly anticipated seventh album, Man’s Best Friend, has just come out. This project is a clear example of her development as an artist and an intimate lens into her astute observation on modern connections. Created in collaboration with acclaimed producer and songwriter Jack Antonoff, the record finds Carpenter further exploring her sound and her lyrical prowess.
During her evolving collaborative process, the work with Antonoff represents a major breakthrough for Carpenter herself. He enlisted members of his band Bleachers to contribute to the album, creating a rich tapestry of sound that complements Carpenter’s distinctive style. Backmaster’s debut investment is a masterclass in live instrumentation, creating a sonic landscape that feels wide-ranging yet solid.
In fact, the artwork for “Man’s Best Friend” has already raised eyebrows and started a conversation. It shows Carpenter on her hands and knees, with an off-camera man holding a handful of her hair. This imagery aligns with the album’s title, which reflects Carpenter’s primary lyrical concern: the treatment of women in relationships. She responds to the idea of men dog-walking women, providing a strong critique of today’s dating world.
The album’s lead single, “Manchild,” is a testament to her carefully-crafted vision and sharp melodic instincts. Carpenter’s undeniable talent comes through in this first track, a perfect pop song that will no doubt catch your ear and keep it. Culture critics were quick to call her breakthrough bop “Espresso” basic. In counterpoint, “Man’s Best Friend” highlights singular songs that defy easy categorization, with unpredictable chord changes and ‘anti-pop’ song arcs that all sound so natural.
Through gorgeous arrangements and production, Carpenter’s logical touch evokes ABBA-level sonic opulence. Together with her fellow songwriters, collaborators and apartment-mates Amy Allen and John Ryan, she adopted a metaphysical, ABBA-inspired professionalism to the craft. As a whole, the album blends the new and the classic, unlike anything else. It’s so full of hooks that it threatens to explode!
“Gave me his whole heart and I gave him head.” – Sabrina Carpenter
In talking about the themes on the new album, Carpenter looks back on the complicated nature of relationships in today’s world. From there, she enhances her already sharp tracks with razor-sharp lyricism punctured by her frank outlook on romance and loss. Lines like “hard to get,” “incompetent” and “fuck my liiiiiiiife” actually capture complex feelings. For those undergoing similar transformations, that honesty and vulnerability creates songs that resonate on a deeper level.
Critics have drawn parallels between Carpenter’s collaboration with Antonoff and his successful work with Lana Del Rey on “Norman Fucking Rockwell!” This collaboration between the poet and her extraordinary muse, Pittsburgh, PA, has raised Carpenter’s artistry to stratospheric levels. She has quickly become a major power player within the pop music scene.
The album’s sound is characterized by its use of live instruments, creating a warm and organic feel that enhances each track. From beginning to end, “Man’s Best Friend” offers an intimate journey that explores themes of love, identity and empowerment.
Carpenter will bring this passion and experience to this new chapter in her career. She beautifully illustrates her musical range all while addressing urgent and topical issues with passion and purpose through her artistry. In “Man’s Best Friend,” she makes a brave, defiant proclamation. It’s personal, but touches something collective that invites everyone to consider their own path and where they’re going next.