Sabrina Carpenter went to pop’s pinnacle, and all she got were these lousy guys

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Pop superstardom, it turns out, did absolutely nothing to improve Sabrina Carpenter’s love life.

The main theme of the singer’s sharp and zesty song titled “Man’s Best Friend” was released on Thursday night, a year after the successful summer hit “Short n’ Sweet”. The earlier album produced two massive hits, “Espresso” and “Please Please Please”, achieving triple platinum certification and winning two Grammy Awards. This success catapulted Carpenter, now 26 years old, from being a former Disney actor to the latest sexually charged pop star in the A-list.

Despite her recent achievements, it appears that they’ve drawn more individuals matching the characters she previously sang about. This time around, she’s navigating through a charmer offering hollow promises, a person indecisive about his desires, and an individual so consumed with self-improvement that he’s grown distant in intimate relationships.

In a somewhat frustrated tone, she sings in “My Man on Willpower,” “He’s preoccupied, he’s toiling, he finds no leeway for me,” followed by, “My flirtatious nightwear fails to entice him at all.

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This LP is a collection of misfits, as evident in the cover art of “Man’s Best Friend.” Particularly noteworthy is the individual in a dark suit, who appears to be holding a lock of Carpenter’s blonde hair while she kneels before him. The release of this image sparked immediate controversy upon its reveal in June, as critics perceived it as promoting harmful notions about female subordination, reminiscent of the tradwife era.

Responded the singer in a CBS News interview that aired Friday: “Y’all need to get out more.”

Instead of simply viewing Sabrina Carpenter’s album artwork as it appears, one might miss her true essence, for she is not merely poking fun at conservative attitudes (and yes, she’s fully aware of the humor). Rather, her work serves to highlight and critique the boundaries of a dating culture – an entire social hierarchy – where this is the best a top-tier woman can present herself.

In her debut single ‘Manchild’ from the LP, she expresses a preference for males who are somewhat elusive, singing ‘I appreciate the challenge in playing hard to get.’ She insists that it isn’t her selecting them, but rather they are always drawn to her. To emphasize this point, she playfully winks and rhymes ‘So it ain’t me, it’s them,’ ending with a flirtatious ‘Hey there, fellas.’

Just like “Short n’ Sweet,” Carpenter crafted “Man’s Best Friend” with a compact team of collaborators – Jack Antonoff, John Ryan, Amy Allen, along with several skilled session musicians. Once more, they managed to create a sound that beautifully blends the catchy charm of 70’s pop radio hits (think Electric Light Orchestra, Wings and especially ABBA), with hints of country and dance music.

Music

Twenty years following her groundbreaking first album’s release, the singer and reality television trailblazer is planning a stint at the Venetian resort in fabulous Las Vegas.

In the song titled “Tears,” Carpenter expresses a longing for someone skilled enough to assemble an IKEA chair, creating a soft, rhythmic disco beat with hints of KC and the Sunshine Band’s “That’s the Way (I Like It).” On the other hand, “Nobody’s Son” pairs stiff palm-court strings with a lively reggae beat. Carpenter’s vocals in both songs showcase his versatility as an actor, alternating between charming, sarcastic, cheerful, and resigned tones. In the song “Go Go Juice,” he explores various emotional states experienced by a woman who spends her day intoxicated and calling ex-lovers, covering the range from determination to shame.

Song by song and verse by verse, ‘Man’s Best Friend’ isn’t as catchy as ‘Short n’ Sweet.’ The latter stands out because it showcases a young artist finding her voice on her sixth album. At times, you can tell Carpenter is trying to create a memorable line, such as the numerous jokes about tears in ‘Tears.’ On the other hand, ‘When Did You Get Hot?’ seems like something Ariana Grande might have dropped during a brief brainstorming session before moving on.

When she’s in full swing, she’s unstoppable: “Goodbye” is an enchanting orchestral pop song where she bids farewell to a fickle lover – “Adieu, au revoir / I apologize for my French, but screw you, goodbye” – and “House Tour” is a flirtatious romp with a rhythm that’s reminiscent of Paula Abdul’s “Opposites Attract”. (With Doja Cat’s collaboration with Jack Antonoff on “Jealous Type”, could this herald the resurrection of the Abdul era?)

Towards the closing stages of the album, Carpenter shifts away from humor for “Don’t Worry I’ll Make You Worry”, a poignant and gleaming ballad exploring the delicate boundary between love and conflict. She sings over gently strummed acoustic guitar, “Silent treatment and reducing your pride / That’s some of my finest creations,” followed by a promise that is both sugary-sweet and ominous, to “leave you feeling as hollow as a broken man.

If you can’t join ’em, beat ’em.

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2025-08-31 00:01