Remember when everyone and their mother was up in arms about Sabrina Carpenter’s cover art for “Man’s Best Friend?” You were either in the “She’s degrading women” camp or the “She’s making a profound, satirical statement” camp … or you were like me and thought, “Wow, a woman can just like sex and it doesn’t need to get any deeper than that.”

Instead of being phased by an album cover that was far from anything obscene, I just waited to see what she had to say once the album dropped on Aug. 29. I especially wanted to see how she would follow up the massive era of “Short n’ Sweet.”

Right off the bat, this preppy pop project was not as sexually explicit as I thought it would be, aside from three, maybe four, tracks. Of course, the general music masses will flock to these tracks and eat them right up, and I don’t blame them: Carpenter’s teasing wordplay and not-so-subtle sexual metaphors are super quotable and a little unhinged, too. 

But I was pleasantly surprised with how she handles relationship regrets and emotional distance to balance out the sillier subjects. In this project, you’ll also find eclectic variations of pop from country pop to folk-pop and even disco-funk paired with her signature soprano tones.  

Carpenter kicked off this new man-hating era with “Manchild,” a kooky, cutesy country/synth-pop tune that serves as a scathing critique of dumb, vapid men. Even with a few corny deliveries and eyeroll-worthy lyrics (“Why so sexy if so dumb? still kills me), I can’t deny that her snarky yet silly vocal inflections add so much character to the track. 

And, I will say that the bridge is refined pop perfection – remember, she’s not choosing to date incompetent men, they just happen to choose her!

Songs like “Go Go Juice” and “Don’t Worry, I’ll Make You Worry” have a similar kitschy country/folk aesthetic with more bittersweet subtleties sprinkled in. Musically, “Go Go Juice” doesn’t hold much weight and has all the elements of a tacky country parody, including the excessive vocal twangs and mentions of good ol’ fashion fun and drinkin’.

“Don’t Worry I’ll Make You Worry” has a breezy folk-pop quality that feels like a pastiche of Taylor Swift’s “Folklore,” and I mean this in the best way possible. As a downtempo slow jam, it reminds me of a wistful, clear-your-head sunset drive. Carpenter’s voice is wonderfully mellow and soft, a perfect match for the playful, mischievous yet conflicting lyrics where she tells her man that she’ll “make you worry like no other girl can.” It’s such a serene detour from the more uptempo moments on the album.

Carpenter tackles emotional and romantic distance in a relationship. Whether she’s feeling like the “least-sought after girl in the land” on “My Man on Willpower” or like there’s “not anyone left for me to believe in” on the electro-pop number, “No One’s Son,” she croons with bittersweet conviction and a fiery attitude. 

And what is a Sabrina Carpenter album without enticing sex jams? “Tears” and “House Tour” lay it on thick with the seductive witticisms, even likening “a little communication” to “ideal foreplay.” Instrumentally, I think she leans into the disco-funk flair with just the right amount of charm and allure from the catchy piano intro in “Tears” to those sharp synths in “House Tour.”

I wanted more from a track like “When Did You Get Hot?” While the lyrical sex appeal and teasing metaphors are convincing, I don’t think the more laidback instrumentation does it justice. I just don’t hear much passion from her vocally, and the pop-R&B fusion doesn’t hold much weight either. 

Still, Carpenter ends this fun 12-track ego trip on a scathing yet cheeky note with “Goodbye.” This song feels like a dramatic monologue just to get the last word after her ex left her with a simple, apathetic goodbye; “You don’t get to be the one who cries,” stated Carpenter, mercilessly roasting her ex’s indecisiveness after their breakup. Even the cringeworthy goodbyes in other languages work in this track’s favor. 

As a follow-up to “Short n’ Sweet,” “Man’s Best Friend” adds sour to sweetness as a chameleon of a musical project. With how controversial its cover art was alone, I knew this album would shine and stun in more ways than one – and I’m glad I was right!

7.5/10

Favorite Track(s): “Manchild,” “Tears,” “My Man on Willpower,” “Nobody’s Son,” “Don’t Worry, I’ll Make You Worry,” “House Tour,” “Goodbye”

Least Favorite Track: “When Did You Get Hot?”