It’s not that complicated, go check out Sabrina Carpenter’s new album. Photo collage courtesy of senior Vyolet Burrus.
The release of pop singer Sabrina Carpenter’s new album, “Man’s Best Friend”, has sparked great controversy amongst fans and haters alike, including students at San Luis Obispo High School. Carpenter has amassed a large following in the past year due to her “Short n Sweet” album and its popular tour, so the new album left many wondering what would be next for the singer.
“What I really connect with across this album (and also her ‘Short n Sweet’ album) is how relatable her lyrics are for women and our experiences with men. Her songs might not be overly poetic, but that’s the power in them: they’re direct and honest, speaking to what so many of us go through on a daily basis. It feels uniting, like she’s putting into words what so many women think and feel,” said senior Scarlett Buatte.
The album was initially announced earlier in June this year, alongside the release of “Manchild”, the album’s lead single. While the full album didn’t release until August 29, Carpenter received backlash for the album’s cover which many claimed to be anti-feminist and promoting harmful power dynamics. The album cover in question featured Carpenter on her knees with a man above her gripping her hair.
Carpenter has a history of being particularly witty and has also called out toxic masculinity repeatedly in her songs. The most recent example was her single “Manchild”, which was a lighthearted diss calling out “incompetent” men.
Knowing this, the cover is obviously satire, being intentionally designed to get people talking and acting as a commentary on how women are treated within relationships. In an interview with DJ Zane Lowe, Carpenter recently stated that the album was intended to be an exploration of her own sexuality and femininity, further dispelling the idea that she’s playing into the male fantasy.
“A lot of people are saying it’s putting back feminism or it’s degrading, and I think that’s exactly what she wants it to look like. That’s her commentary. She’s saying that men treat women as dogs or animals, and I think a visual representation of that is a good way to get people talking,” said senior Charly Elston.
The songs on the album were very surprising to fans, being a very different sound to her previous album, “Short n Sweet”, which was more traditional pop.
“The vocals on the new album are also softer, and I like her more solid, poppy vocals from ‘Short n Sweet’ a little more,” said Elston.
This isn’t to say that some songs don’t play to her old pop sound however, as “Tears” and “House Tour” are fast paced with high-pitched vocals similar to the songs on “Short n Sweet”.
Overall though, the new songs sound almost angelic, Carpenter implementing impressive harmonies to enrich the music and reveal her vulnerabilities.
“Compared to Sabrina Carpenter’s other albums, I feel like ‘Man’s Best Friend’ hits the hardest. That says a lot, because ‘Short n Sweet’ is what really put her on the map, and I do love that album too. The difference is that with ‘Short n Sweet’, a few songs don’t quite land, while on ‘Man’s Best Friend’ every track feels strong and catchy,” said Buatte.
Carpenter’s wit and playfulness also shines through in her lyrics, as evident in songs like “Never Getting Laid” and “Goodbye” which address not only men’s failings, but her own failings within relationships.
“I love how ‘When Did You Get Hot’ and ‘Nobody’s Son’ almost feel like two sides of the same coin—one’s about attraction and excitement, and I think the other is about the disappointment and rejection you feel after breaking up with someone. They both capture the full idea of what it’s really like to navigate dating in a really real, modern way. ‘Goodbye’ is also a standout for me because it’s so versatile—you can apply it to relationships, friendships, or even just parts of your life you’re ready to move on from,” said Buatte.
While different to previous works, “Man’s Best Friend” is by far the most raw collection of songs that Carpenter has released, regarded as a No Skip Album due to the vast degree of emotions the album evokes. If interested in pop artists, definitely give the album a listen Tigers, it won’t disappoint!
Source: nbcnews.com
