Last week Sabrina Carpenter dropped her seventh studio album, “Man’s Best Friend.”

In June, Carpenter faced immediate backlash when she announced the album via social media. The main subject of the controversy was the album’s cover, which depicted Carpenter down on all fours while a man pulled her hair. The cover was slammed by many for its degrading sexualization but was lauded as the ultimate satire by Carpenter’s most loyal fans.

Carpenter’s music career skyrocketed when she opened for Taylor Swift’s iconic Eras Tour in fall 2023 and spring 2024. Her sixth studio album “Short n’ Sweet” was released in August 2024, topping the charts with songs like “Espresso” and “Taste.”

Somewhere along the way Carpenter’s songwriting lost its cleverness in favor of handholding her audience through satirical pieces that feel tired and lack humor. The lyrics of “Man’s Best Friend” are far too shallow to be layered with any innuendo or double meanings. The most humorous part of this so-called satirical album is the terrible songwriting.

Lyrics from the album include:

“Why so sexy if so dumb?” – “Manchild”

“Do you me still love?” – “Go Go Juice”

“Should we hooks up?” – “Go Go Juice”

“Gave me his whole heart, then I gave him head” – “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night”

The second track “Tears,” with its fun upbeat production, almost makes you miss the repulsive lyrics. The premise of the song is that Carpenter is turned on by a man showing her the most basic respect. It would be funny if it didn’t come across so desperate.

Even more disturbing, in “Manchild” and “Nobody’s Son,” Carpenter blames the incompetencies of the men she dates on their mothers. In an album that completely revolves around men, Carpenter has managed to place the blame of their bad behavior on other women.

The standout song on the album was the eighth track, “When Did You Get Hot?”

The production has a very nostalgic feel, like that of pop hits from the early 2000s. This song would have made a great single — and quite honestly should have been the only song released from this album.

“Man’s Best Friend” has enough upbeat production and catchy phrases to make a few TikTok audios, but the album’s lyrical quality is subpar. The entire album dragged on endlessly with overdone themes and cheap attempts at replicating the catchiness of her hit single “Espresso.” Many of the songs on the album feel like throwaways from the writing of “Short n’ Sweet.”

The best part of the album by far was the music videos for “Manchild” and “Tears.” The quality was outstanding and the storytelling was like a movie. It was just a shame to have to hear Carpenter’s songs in the background.

“Man’s Best Friend” is the album version of your friend whose only hobby is having a boyfriend and complaining about him.

No part of the album feels innovative or fresh, despite coming from one of the biggest names in the music industry right now who has an incredible amount of resources available at her fingertips. Overall, the album lacked any musical risk-taking, instead relying on the album’s controversial cover and Carpenter’s reputation to draw in listeners. “Man’s Best Friend” is the most disappointing album release of the year.