No one had a bigger year than Sabrina Carpenter thanks to her GRAMMY-winning record, Short n' Sweet. That's exactly why when she announced her new album, Man's Best Friend, less than 365 days later, fans were initially puzzled as to why she was ending the Short n' Sweet chapter so soon. But Carpenter had lived a lot of life in that year — including a high-profile breakup — and she needed to get it out of her system.
"I felt so at ease making Man's Best Friend that I felt like it was a gift that shouldn't be taken for granted," she said in an email to fans, describing the process as effortless and "like riding a bike."
That ease is the product of Carpenter's well-fought rise to superstardom. More than a decade into her career as a singer/songwriter, she's learned a very valuable lesson: there are no rules.
"I went back to some of my favorite artists growing up listening to a lot of Stevie [Nicks], Dolly [Parton], Donna [Summer] etc. and was surprised to find so many of those artists I loved put out a new record every year for a long time," the two-time GRAMMY winner added in her note to fans. "Can't say that is or will be the norm for me but this time it really eased my mind about putting something out when it feels right!"
It's likely that the well of inspiration has come from Carpenter hitting her stride creatively. On Man's Best Friend, she reunites with Jack Anontoff, Amy Allen, and John Ryan — three of her primary collaborators on Short n' Sweet, who helped Carpenter lean into her playful, cheeky style that's made her a star.
Man's Best Friend is the epitome of what to expect from Carpenter: equal parts sassy and sensual, focusing on euphoric hooks and bright synths while still continuing the frisky lyricism from her more recent albums. What separates the rest of her discography from Man's Best Friend, though, is that it's whipsmart even with the brazen lyrics. She covers the same concept over 12 tracks in 12 different ways — why, exactly, has she been allowing men to treat her like a dog?
Here are five takeaways from Sabrina Carpenter's new album, Man's Best Friend, where the innuendos are equally as punchy as the pop hooks.
It's Powerful But More Subdued Than Its Predecessor
Where Short n' Sweet was filled to the brim with larger-than-life, radio-friendly singles, Man's Best Friend is less commercial and a lot more cohesive sonically. Much like how Taylor Swift needed to get The Tortured Poets Department out of her system, it seems to be the same for Carpenter.
"This album reflects how unfortunately human it feels to experience love and loss," she said in an email reflecting on the release. "On top of the world one second, humbled the next, emotionally pulled by a leash and begging for treats."
This mindset colors the entirety of Man's Best Friend, which is more contained and slightly more muted than its predecessor. It's reflected in tracks like "Don't Worry I'll Make You Worry," a hazy shoegaze-influenced song that was the final one she wrote for the record. It's a mournful, dismissive track about power dynamics that wouldn't fit sonically on Short n' Sweet but is necessary for the overall narrative — and relationship storyline — for Man's Best Friend.
It's A Breakup Album… Without Being A Traditional Breakup Album
Breakup albums are inevitable for artists. And although there isn't technically a traditional longing, heartwrenching song about the end of a relationship on Man's Best Friend, every track charts the path of someone grieving a relationship. In true Carpenter fashion, she deals with the breakup with humor and the same tongue-in-cheek songwriting that we heard on "Please Please Please" and "Dumb & Poetic."
On Man's Best Friend, "My Man On Willpower" and "We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night" see Carpenter go through the motions as she reckons with her partner pulling away. Midway through Man's Best Friend, she accepts defeat on "Nobody's Son": "There's nobody's son, not anyone left for me to believe in."
She begins to feel freer and flirtier on tracks like "When Did You Get Hot?" "House Tour," and "Go Go Juice" — all of which have the same playful and promiscuous energy as Short n' Sweet singles "Juno" and "Bed Chem" — as she begins to look beyond her ex. At no point on Man's Best Friend is Carpenter feeling completely down on her luck; even if she admits things like "I have cried so much I almost fainted" (on album closer "Goodbye"), she's quick to follow it with a kiss-off like "Forgive my French, but, f— you" that feels oh so Sabrina.
She Amped Up The Innuendos (Even More!)
Carpenter has long been making fans smirk at the hints and jokes she'd insinuate throughout her work, most notably on tracks like "Nonsense" and "Feather" from her Emails I Can't Send era and most of Short n' Sweet. Thankfully, the insinuations and one-liners are just as prevalent throughout Man's Best Friend — so much so that it tends to feel like she's breaking down the fourth wall and giving a sly wink to her listeners.
On "Tears," she sings about how ridiculous it is that she gets turned on by basic respect ("Considering I have feelings, I'm like, 'Why are my clothes still on?'"), and on "House Tour" she even teases that "none of this is a metaphor" when singing about showing her house to someone ("I just want you to come inside/ Baby, what's mine is now yours"). She jokingly spends most of "Goodbye" shrugging off her ex just to admit on the bridge, "When did you get here?/ Go put on some clothes." Her slapstick humor matches her love for a cheeky lyric, giving the pearl clutchers something to talk about and providing fans enough fodder to last until her next release.
She's Leaning More Into The Country & Disco Worlds
Even on her earlier records, Carpenter's been exploring and experimenting with different genres. On her debut album, Eyes Wide Shut, she mixed pop with country influences, and infused R&B on tracks on her albums Singular: Act I and Singular: Act II. After dabbling in country and disco influences on Short n' Sweet, she infuses even more songs with those sounds on Man's Best Friend. "House Tour" and "Goodbye" exude the same energy that was heard in '80s power-pop tracks, whereas "Tears" channels another inspiration, Donna Summer, with her lush, breathy vocals sliding effortlessly over the mystifying disco production.
Carpenter has never shied away from her love of country — particularly Dolly Parton — and that was prevalent on Short n' Sweet, where the country legend joined her on a rendition of "Please Please Please." Carpenter gave listeners a taste of what to expect from Man's Best Friend with its lead single "Manchild," a soaring country-influenced song where the bridge sounds like it was made for a line dance — something Carpenter began implementing in her performances following its release.
And if that track needed a counterpart (or two) on the record, Man's Best Friend has them. On the peppy and plucky country-inflicted track "My Man On Willpower," Carpenter throws a subtle tantrum like the country singers before her (think Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats") after she can't grasp why a once-obsessed man has other things on his mind. For a more sombre counterpart, "We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night," a crooning ballad that's reminiscent of Parton's "If You Hadn't Been There," would do just the job.
She's Solidifying Her Place In Pop's Lineage
After she skyrocketed following the release of Short n' Sweet, it's only natural to suspect how long Carpenter could reign as pop's brightest new star. But with Man's Best Friend, she doesn't just keep hold of her crown, but further cements herself as a mainstay in pop. She's taking the baton from artists like Katy Perry, who built a career on sassy and suggestive songs ("Peacock," "I Kissed A Girl"), but Carpenter is giving them a modern, unfiltered twist.
Like her inspirations before her, she's an entertainer first and foremost. With Man's Best Friend, she's candid ("I get wet at the thought of you" on "Tears") and confused ("My man on his willpower is something I don't understand" from "My Man On Willpower") in equal measure. That dichotomy is exactly why her songs resonate with her audience; she's unafraid to say what's on her mind, and it's cathartic for her and fans alike.
Even if Man's Best Friend isn't the sugar-coated pop monolith fans received last year with Short n' Sweet, the next chapter in Carpenter's discography further proves her staying power. Much like her brazen lyrics and love of toeing the line between genres, she's here to stay.