Sabrina Carpenter’s storming new record, “Man’s Best Friend” dives into the realities of Gen Z dating and 21st century romance. More than that, it expresses a generation’s anger at toxic masculinity and patriarchal spaces. That country-tinged, synth-pop album has sparked massive conversation. With cover art that screams outrage and controversy, Carpenter’s provocative cover art portrays her on all fours, while a man pulls her by the hair. The new imagery has inspired quite a contentious debate. Critics have even gone so far as to call it “soft porn for the male gaze,” according to The Guardian.
The album’s lyrics express an incisive and hyperacutely realist sensibility about the emotional terrain young women are still struggling to infiltrate and/or take dominion over in 2019. Carpenter beautifully conveys the real frustration so many of us experience when we get into bed with people who are emotionally ill-equipped. Her deeply personal lyrics speak to the experiences of adolescent girls and help to paint a picture of their battle to form productive relationships.
In her track “Nobody’s Son,” Carpenter sings, “There’s nobody’s son / Not anyone left for me to believe in,” reflecting a sense of disillusionment that permeates her music. Young women complain vigorously that the good ones are getting harder and harder to find. This sentiment reflects their deeper anxieties about dating and relationships.
Carpenter’s new music is a sign of a bigger movement among pop artists to explore the internal battle young women of Gen Z are facing. She is not the only one frustrated like her. Of course, Swift isn’t the first pop star to highlight the obstacles young women face in their love lives. The emotional weight of Carpenter’s lyrics draws comparisons to Taylor Swift’s early pop ballads that captured millennial aspirations of love.
The song “Manchild” includes the line, “I choose to blame your mom,” suggesting a generational shift in accountability for men’s emotional development. This audacious statement is symptomatic of a larger cultural discussion going on regarding how emotional maturity should be prioritized in relationships.
In another track, “Tears,” Carpenter emphasizes the need for respect in romantic interactions, stating, “A little respect for women will get you very, very far.” She is deeply committed to UMU’s mission of helping young men understand the need for mutual respect. This awareness is fundamental to creating safe and trusting communities.
The album distills a growing fear among women, including Carpenter, just in time for the dangerously close November midterm elections. They believe that dating is currently 2x as hard as it was a decade ago. New research shows that 72% of teens have used AI, making dating even more difficult for young people. Most women identify physical and emotional danger as major factors making them unable to date. This paints a picture of an innovative and changing world when it comes to dating.
Carpenter captures this sentiment in her exploration of young men’s tendency to release bottled emotions in romantic relationships rather than in friendships. Her title track, “Man’s Best Friend,” beautifully and starkly captures this dynamic. It captures well the emotional turbulence that is almost always rampant in such relationships.