The Disney Channel star-turned-pop powerhouse pipeline has always been active, with artists like Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez getting their start on the popular network. Sabrina Carpenter, however, has done it a little differently than the rest, proving that it can take a decade to become an overnight success.
Now, only one year after dropping her Grammy-winning album, “Short n’ Sweet” (2024), Carpenter released her seventh studio album, “Man’s Best Friend” on Aug. 29. During her time in the industry, a few things have become clear: Carpenter knows how to captivate an audience, use her wit and intelligence and have fun while doing it. With Southern flair, a country twang and a vintage vibe, Carpenter is ready to tackle yet another year on the charts.
The lead single from “Man’s Best Friend,” aptly titled “Manchild,” begins with a cute country intro that sets the tone for the rest of the album, where Carpenter leans into ironic and laugh-out-loud jokes with a little edge. Here, Carpenter sings directly to her “manchild,” asking, “Why so sexy if so dumb? / And how survive the Earth so long?” She uses incomplete sentences and simple language to reiterate the condescending message of the song. To Carpenter, this man is too “stupid” to understand her otherwise. With a smile in her voice, Carpenter ruthlessly notes that she chooses “to blame your mom” for her lover’s lack of self-sufficiency.
“My Man on Willpower,” the album’s third track, initially channels a more positive energy: “He's clingy, he's loving, he always initiates.” However, the next time Carpenter sings this melody, the lyrics change to “He's busy, he's workin’, he doesn't have time for me,” demonstrating how quickly love can sour. Carpenter returns to her signature word play: “My man’s in touch with his emotions / My man won’t touch me with a twenty-foot pole.”
In “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night,” Carpenter is at her most honest, recognizing both her and her partner’s faults amid a messy situation. The repetition of the title underscores the cyclical tension that almost, although never successfully, leads to a breakup. The song is sultry, featuring wispy vocals and a carefree flow. And yet Carpenter still includes some humor in her honesty: “You say we’re driftin’ apart / I said, ‘Yeah, I f*cking know.’” The guitar and piano filling out the arrangement stand out, and Carpenter’s vocal range ascends to higher notes by the end of the song, which makes her sound liberated.
“Nobody’s Son” begins with brutally honest lyrics and a funky sound, including “Here we go again, crying in bed, what a familiar feeling.” Like others on the record, the song has a happy melody yet is paired with sadder lines. Carpenter continues rhyming while also adding honest — and slightly out-of-pocket commentary — the best being when she again speaks directly to her lover's mom, yet again, declaring, “And yes, I'm talking 'bout your baby.”
“Nobody’s Son” also features unique sounds, like the crack of a whip or a twinkle after the line “Get PTSD on the daily.” The track also claims one of the strongest choruses on the record, where Carpenter pines for love while also having given up hope for it: “There's nobody's son, not anyone left for me to believe in.” This song showcases what a large part of this project is about: heartbreak and hopelessness.
“Never Getting Laid” is reminiscent of Carpenter’s 2024 hit song “Please Please Please,” wherein she pleads, “Maybe just stay inside / I know you're cravin' some fresh air, but the ceiling fan is so nice.” In this new song, however, Carpenter wishes for the song’s subject to stay indoors, not for fear of embarrassment but as punishment. Like most songs on this album, Carpenter insists she is not angry, yet her lyrics suggest otherwise. This dramatic irony creates a fun tension between the lyrics and subtext.
The song sees Carpenter pulling out the dictionary for words like “agoraphobia,” which is the fear of being in physically inescapable environments. And although Carpenter may be lying to herself on some lines of the track, others carry her classic honesty and accountability: “I was so confident (Confident) / ‘Til the thought of it hit / That any given night / You could be using your lips.”
On most lively songs on the record, “When Did You Get Hot?,” it becomes clear just how much fun Carpenter had while crafting this project. The former shows Carpenter bouncing back from heartbreak and getting back into the game — or at least, attending the “prospect convention” where she finds a new infatuation. With lyrics like “Thank the Lord, the fine you has risen” and “I bet your light rod's, like, bigger than Zeus's,” Carpenter does not shy away from her sexuality and humor. On the contrary, she is proud of it, using a casually bouncy flow that makes you want to get up and dance.
Above all, Carpenter knows how to bat her eyes while delivering gut-wrenching lyrics seductively. In “Man’s Best Friend,” she embraces this. Yes, the album is about boys, but it is also about growth and discovering what she needs and wants in a relationship. It is sarcastic, witty and explicit, and the studio instrumentals make the listening experience feel personal. We get Carpenter at her most honest, as she is no longer trying to impress the subject of her desires. At its core, “Man’s Best Friend” is catchy and hilarious, establishing Carpenter as today’s unparalleled star of pop comedy.
Amelia Bush (28C) is double-majoring in English and PPL (philosophy, politics and law). She is from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and enjoys walking around its many lakes. Outside of the Wheel, you can find her reading, scrapbooking, or attempting a New York Times crossword.
