If Sabrina Carpenter's “Short n' Sweet” celebrated the start of a romantic relationship, the pop sensation's seventh studio album, “Man's Best Friend,” is where it all comes undone in messy pieces.
The former Disney Channel star has risen to the top of the charts with catchy, sexually liberated hits that blend pop with the occasional country twang and R&B sultriness. She's never shied away from her sensuality, instead relishing in it, sometimes to raised eyebrows.
The provocative image on her original album cover for “Man's Best Friend,” out Friday, shows Carpenter on all fours in a black dress and heels, a suited man standing by and grabbing a fistful of her golden locks. The submissive pose coupled with the album's title caught the attention of many.
While some critics online bashed the theme as misogynistic, others say satire is the name of the game, as Carpenter has shown not to take her art too seriously. And while this album shows sincerity, it's clear Carpenter still had her fun with it.
Album opener “Manchild,” debuting in June at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, describes the typical man Carpenter attracts: thick-witted, can't dress, ultimately immature. A sunny and chaotic music video for the track shows Carpenter hitchhiking from car to car, man to man, perfect for a song that begs to be sung with the windows down.
Following tracks “Tears” and “My Man on Willpower” also allude to disappointment in her man, and it's clear he isn't cutting it. A breakup is imminent, and Carpenter goes on to face the stages, track by track, from the fighting to the split to the rebound fling.
The feelings that accompany a breakup are addressed with fierce candidness and vulnerability, but not at the expense of sexiness — there's a mention of sex in nearly every one of the album's 12 tracks.
“Sugar Talking” and “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night,” two strong, slower tracks, lead up to the breakup in “Nobody's Son,” in which Carpenter releases her pain from being dumped. There's a satisfying, cathartic sound to the chorus, where Carpenter sings, “Probably should have guessed, he's like the rest, so fine and so deceiving / There's nobody's son, not anyone left for me to believe in.”
The fun lies in tracks where Carpenter gets back out there, like the sultry “When Did You Get Hot?” and “House Tour,” a disco-esque NSFW song with thinly veiled metaphors that aren't fit for print.
A first listen to the album may be a surprise to listeners who are used to Carpenter's more carefree songs, but as far as breakup albums go, “Man's Best Friend,” with plenty of variety, catchy choruses and lyrics to make you blush, still brings the heat.
Kiana Doyle, The Associated Press
