Opening with 'Manchild', a track that has dominated pop playlists since its June release, Carpenter situates herself in a playful yet familiar dialogue, brimming with nostalgic Americana tropes. The song’s country-inflected hooks and Thelma & Louise-inspired video deliberately flirt with the genre's clichés while delivering a witty dig at a romantic interest, setting the stage for an album full of clever, tongue-in-cheek anthems.
A similar dialogue quickly resurfaces in ‘My Man on Willpower’, where Carpenter sings, “He used to be literally obsessed with me / I'm suddenly the least sought after girl in the land / Oh, my man on his willpower is something I don't under, something I don't understand.” Through her repeated use of “my man,” Carpenter – whether deliberately or not – highlights the absurdity of a phrase steeped in country music’s ideals of female submission. By applying it to a baffling, unreliable partner, she stakes her authority, turning a genre that often judges women by their worth in relation to men on its head.
Despite the buzz around the record’s provocative edge in the lead-up to its release, tracks like ‘Sugar Talking’, ‘We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night’ and ‘Nobody’s Son’ reveal a surprisingly vulnerable dimension to Carpenter’s new era – one that few, if anyone, might have anticipated for this album in particular. The lyricism across each of these tracks, filled with confusion, heartbreak and the disorientation of love’s collapse, casts the album as something closer to an elegy for a once-significant relationship. While speculation has tied much of its subtext to her split with Saltburn’s Barry Keoghan, the record rises above gossip, positioning Carpenter as an artist able to turn personal rupture into liberating pop hits.
‘Go Go Juice’ is where the record reaches its peak, with lyrics tackling the long-awaited question of who called it off in her previous high-profile relationship: “A girl who knows her liquor is a girl that’s been dumped”. The line lands with both bite and a glimmer of commercialism, especially given Carpenter’s recent partnership with Scotch whisky brand Johnnie Walker, and marks the key moment on the album where personal drama and pop spectacle collide, serving as yet another reminder that country has fully entered the mainstream.
Shifting gears, ‘House Tour’ realigns the album with the cheeky persona Carpenter has cultivated throughout her career to date. Reminiscent of her innuendo-laden hit, 'Juno', the track sees the pop princess teasing: “Do you want the house tour? / I could take you to the first, second, third floor / And I promise none of this is a metaphor / I just want you to come inside.” A track destined to be a fan favourite on girls’ nights out and future tour sing-alongs.
Summing up the spirit of ‘Man’s Best Friend’ on Instagram, Carpenter described it as “a real party for heartbreak" and a "celebration of disappointment". “It’s laughing at yourself and your poor choices as everything is falling apart. It’s wondering how loyalty and love gets you back to third wheeling”, she continued. This very sentiment neatly encapsulates the range of emotions threaded through her seventh studio album: an unapologetic combination of self-awareness and sharp wit, shaded by both vulnerability and sarcasm.
The album's closing track, ‘Goodbye’, provides a fitting send-off, chronicling the release of the man who walked out and the warm embrace of a new beginning. “Arrivederci, au revoir / Forgive my French, but f**k you, ta-ta”, Carpenter signs off with a parting shot that’s equal parts cutting, cathartic, and confidence-inducing, making it clear that no matter what life throws at her, she won’t be down for long.
While ‘Man’s Best Friend’ might seem like just another country-pop record defined by classic breakup bangers and sparse bursts of levity, it earns its place in the broader pop sphere by remaining quintessentially Carpenter: playful, honest, witty, and relatable. Cementing the distinctive lane she has carved out over the past two years, ‘Man’s Best Friend’ may not be set up to have the commercial or cultural impact of last year’s ‘Short n’ Sweet', but its playful experimentation and relatable charm are undeniable, adding yet another string to her bow in an already buoyant music career.
Ruby Brown
Image: ‘Man’s Best Friend’ Official Album Cover