Sabrina Carpenter on “A Man’s Best Friend” Album Cover. Image Credit: Pitchfork
Sabrina Carpenter’s new album sparked controversy the moment it was announced, polarizing fans from the very start.
As soon at Carpenter released the album cover, fans immediately seemed torn. The “Man’s Best Friend” album cover features the singer on her knees while a man holds her hair.
Many women, and several women-led organizations, thought Carpenter’s cover was “regressive.” Upset fans argued that it sends a message that women are always being controlled by men, which should not be the case in 2025.
In an interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, Carpenter said she took the the backlash with a “grain of salt.” She took it a step further to state that the controversy was “a lot of pointing fingers” from people who “hadn’t heard the project.”
However, fans did not think the album settled this controversy.
The first song on the album, “Manchild,” depicts the singer hitchhiking with different men as she tells stories about them. In the bridge and outro of the song, the singer repeats the lyrics, “I like my men all incompetent. And I swear they choose me, I’m not choosing them.”
In the music video, Carpenter is seen constantly running away from one man to another, getting picked up on the side of the road time and time again. This is clearly shown through the lyric, as she is being chosen by them.
Carpenter’s second song on the album, “Tears,” is much more sensual. The pop singer is known for delivering raunchy and seductive songs in her albums. There is no surprise here, as she continues to hone her craft.
On the fourth track, “Sugar Talking,” it seems like Carpenter is slowly taking her power back. She sings, “Your paragraphs don’t mean sh*t to me. Put your loving where your mouth is.” Here, she is emphasizing the well-known phrase, “actions speak louder than words.” The instrumentals of this song sound perfectly curated.
The seventh song on the album, “Never Getting Laid,” revolves around the idea that she was okay with her breakup until she remembered that her ex-partner could be with another woman. Naturally, Carpenter’s lyrics depict that she does not wish him well.
Many songs in the album sound very similar. Although they contain unique lyrics and storylines, the instrumentals and sound read the same. The only two exceptions include “Manchild” and “Tears,” which stand out upon the rest.
Carpenter maintained her ongoing 70s- and 80s-themed persona in this new album, which was well-developed from the cinematography in her music videos to the storyline of the songs.
Nevertheless, many fans have mixed feelings about the album because they believe it did not meet their expectations, referring to it as “boring” and “rushed.” Other fans were pleased with the album, expressing that the album was good, or at least better than some of her other work.
“This may not be Sabrina Carpenter’s best work, but it is certainly not the worst,” a fan said on TikTok.
