The cover art of Man’s Best Friend, Sabrina Carpenter’s newest album
Sabrina Carpenter’s new album Man’s Best Friend has sparked massive controversy. Some have called it out for catering too much to the male gaze, while others have labeled it as a self-aware, satirical cover that criticizes how women are often treated — and let themselves be treated — by men. Even the New York Times couldn’t come to a consensus about what exactly the cover means in our current culture, nor could they firmly say whether it was post-feminist or simply regressive. What the New York Times did note, however, was that the album seemed deliberately engineered to generate conversation and emotions, good or bad. This falls into the general trend of outrage marketing and rage-baiting that many companies, brands, products, and people have resorted to in order to capture the attention of people within the already hyper-stimulating, algorithm-driven circus that is the internet.
I personally found the album cover fairly tasteless and not a great look overall, but I wanted to examine the album itself before making a final judgement…
…and unfortunately, my original opinion holds strong. While the songs have a unique sound, are complete ear worms, and address common situations faced by all kinds of people in relationships, the music and the cover don’t really go together. Before I get into why, here’s a one sentence summary of every song on the album for those who haven’t given it a listen yet:
Laments the incompetency of men while sarcastically observing her own role in choosing to mother men who don’t know how to take care of themselves
Being sexually turned on by a man doing the bare minimum (like the dishes or picking up the phone) and treating her with polite respect
Feeling unwanted after her partner gets more in touch with his emotions, is less obsessed about their relationship, and treats her more respectfully (portrayed as self-restraint)
Demanding action from her partner over sweet but empty promises and regurgitated apologies
Self-aware commentary on the toxic cyclical nature of her relationship, with predictable break-ups alongside make-up sex, constant apologies, and sweet talking
Losing faith in men after yet another disappointing breakup, convinced every guy is corrupt and unworthy of trust
Desperately and pettily (in the best way) wishing her ex a lifetime of happiness without any future romantic or sexual encounters