Sabrina Carpenter released her new album, “Man’s Best Friend,” on August 29, known for hits like “Manchild” and “Tears”. The album was initially met with mixed reactions, some arguing that the album was either too provocative or lacked the emotional appeal that her listeners enjoy. On the contrary, many fans love to dance and cry to the new music that Carpenter has released. At the end of the day, the album isn’t for everyone. But it isn’t meant to be.
Carpenter opens her album with “Manchild”, her hot single that has hit over 370 million streams on Spotify and was nominated for Song of the Summer at the VMA’s. The song discusses the trials and tribulations of dating, comparing her exes to “men all incompetent”, with a similar sound to Dolly Parton’s catchy discography with a western twang. “Manchild” opens the album perfectly, with an insight into the chaos that is to ensue.
The rest of the album has a variety of different genres combining into a cohesive and engaging album. “Manchild” as well as “Nobody’s Son” and “Go Go Juice” have a similar cheeky outlook on the sounds of country music while still being pop. The banjos and the stereotypical western sounds bring more life to the album as she sings with a clear and distinct vibrato.
On the other side, the album also features songs that bring a familiar nostalgia to the 80s and 90s. “Tears” and “House Tour” have a disco sound that can be compared to Madonna and Britney Spears. These influences all mix together into a sound that fits Carpenter in a more mature light, resulting in a sound that is enjoyable and dramatic.
As for the lyrics, one should not be recommending the explicit versions for children; however, Carpenter isn’t intending for her audience to be children but rather people who can enjoy her sense of humor and can understand her writing. The clean versions of the songs do censor any profanity, but it should be known that this album was clearly not made for a broader audience. Her album was clearly made for her intended audience.
Overall, the songs in the album have a fun outlook on life with her influences combining into an album that fans can dance and cry to depending on the mood. Her writing continues to develop, grow, and thrive into an album made for her fans. If you are a fan of Sabrina Carpenter, this is an album that is so new and different yet still has similar elements from her past music. If you are not a fan of hers, I would highly recommend listening to the album once to form your own opinion with the understanding that it’s not for everyone.
