Sabrina Carpenter's 'Man's Best Friend' Continues Cheeky Bangers of 'Short 'n Sweet'

by Tyler Glover

Photo: Island Records

In the entertainment industry, it sometimes takes time to rise to pure pop superstardom. Before 2023, Sabrina Carpenter had been working for over a decade. Carpenter's first major foray was starring in the Disney Channel series, "Girl Meets World." She would go on to release five studio albums and even star as Cady Heron in the Broadway musical "Mean Girls." Despite all of these credits, I did not know who she was ... until she was announced as an opener for Taylor Swift on Swift's record-breaking "The Eras" tour. All the cards aligned perfectly for Carpenter, as she was given a platform to reach more fans and capitalized on it.

In August 2024, Carpenter put out her best album yet, Short n' Sweet. The album saw massive success with her first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100: "Please Please Please," and both "Espresso" and "Taste" charted in the top ten. Short n' Sweet won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album and was even nominated for Album of the Year. "Espresso" would also go on to win Best Pop Vocal Performance. Even songs that were not released as singles were pure gold on the album. 

After the massive success of Short n’ Sweet, fans could hardly wait with anticipation to hear her latest album: Man's Best Friend. With anticipation at an all-time high, Carpenter released the album artwork, which received divided criticism. The cover art shows Carpenter on her knees with a man standing beside her pulling her hair. Carpenter explained that it was meant to be satirical, showing how men perceive women, but in reality, women hold the power. That message got lost in translation, leading Carpenter to release an alternate cover that her detractors would feel was more appropriate. Man's Best Friend, released on Island Records, debuted on August 29th and was produced by Carpenter, Jack Antonoff and John Ryan. Despite the criticism, fans were undeterred from streaming and purchasing Man's Best Friend upon release. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 with over 366,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, marking a career-best. Some fans were worried that with Man's Best Friend coming so soon after Short n' Sweet that the quality of the album may not be as great.

Were they right? 

There is no doubt that Man's Best Friend feels like a continuation of what Short n' Sweet started. The album is full of pop bangers with tongue-in-cheek humor and innuendo. It is fun, playful and full of bops to keep you jamming with the windows down on a warm fall day. The overall production by Antonoff and Ryan is spot on. A complaint amongst many pop albums lately is that every song sounds the same as the one before. I felt that Man's Best Friend manages to give each song its own specific sound that stays true to Carpenter's nature as an artist. The lyrics rely heavily on innuendos and puns, which makes the songs lack emotional depth. However, the story Carpenter tells with Man's Best Friend is something a lot of her fans will relate to. Most of the songs are about a relationship Carpenter has with a boy that has yet to become a man ("Manchild," maybe) and how that leads to a difficult relationship that leaves Carpenter wanting more. I love how every song manages to convey a different aspect of this narrative. 

The highlights are "Manchild," where Carpenter asks why the men who are deemed man-children are the ones she seems to attract and that she is attracted to as well. "Tears" finds Carpenter telling her boy that she is more attracted to him when he does the dishes and "adult" responsibility tasks. While both of these songs are great, my favorite songs on the album are: "My Man On Willpower," "We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night" and "Nobody's Son."

"My Man on Willpower" has Carpenter wondering why her man can all of a sudden resist her and make her feel unwanted when she used to be the most "sought-after girl in the land." It is such a bop that I could see it being released as a single that could go to No. 1 before the ‘Best Friend’ era ends.

"We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night" perfectly depicts the back and forth of a tumultuous relationship doomed to fail, while "Nobody's Son" finds Carpenter realizing that there is “nobody's son left to believe in." 

Man's Best Friend truly is a continuation of the fun that started with last year's Short n' Sweet. It could even take Carpenter back to the Grammys in the big three categories, with the album getting into Album of the Year and "Manchild" getting into Record and Song of the Year. These would all be well-deserved nominations.

While Man's Best Friend doesn't quite reach the quality of Short n' Sweet, it comes close. With these albums, Carpenter has found a new fan in me and I cannot wait to see what is coming next.