LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. 一 Sabrina Carpenter’s done it again! After releasing her highly acclaimed “Short n’ Sweet” album last year, she has returned with a new explosion of pop vibrance on her new album, “Man’s Best Friend,” which was released last Friday. While her last album scratched the surface of country-inspired pop, Carpenter has explored where “Short n’ Sweet” picked up, infusing her new hits with an 80s disco effervescence. 

The album has exploded with praise since its release, but a few months ago, it was headlining for different reasons. 

Initially positing her album cover on June. 11, Carpenter received extreme backlash because of its apparent anti-feminist statement, with fans criticizing how it seemingly objectified women.

“I was actually shocked because between me and the people I always share my music and my art with first, it wasn’t even a conversation,” Carpenter said in an interview with CBS Mornings. “It’s perfect for what the album is, it’s perfect for what it represents.”

While the original heat has died down (on account of fans getting hooked on her addictive tracks), many are still questioning the inherently skewed messages Carpenter seems to be sending through her lyrics.

“She’s very male-centered,” said Kayla Phungraksakiat, a Los Alamitos High School junior, in relation to comments about Carpenter catering to the male gaze and the idea of female submission.

But the singer herself seems unbothered by the disapproval; she’s ready to keep making music the way she feels is right.

Nevertheless, the songs are instant hits. With tracks like “Nobody’s Son” and “Tears” already trending, it’s not surprising to expect more awards in Carpenter’s future, and that’s not even mentioning the phenomenon that her first release, “Manchild,” has become this past summer. 

Following in “Espresso’s” footsteps, the single debuted as No.1 on Billboard’s Top 100 and solidified Carpenter’s role as one of the biggest rising pop divas. Becoming an anthem for insufficient men, the track reaffirmed Carpenter’s witty, satirical persona without sacrificing her catchy melodies. It quickly became the “song of the summer” and laid the foundation for the rest of the album. The song is currently  Carpenter’s most streamed song with over 300 million streams.

Accompanying the release of “Manchild” on June 5, Carpenter released the adjoining music video the next day. Portraying Carpenter’s perspective on men’s poor behavior towards relationships, many scenes characterized men as immature and childish. There were multiple scenes of men being replaced with animals, which acted as another tool to characterize their undomesticated actions.

Carpenter’s second music video, “Tears,” released Aug. 27, was met with mixed reviews. The video took clear inspiration from the “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” In her music videos, Carpenter is notorious for killing off the main male feature; “Tears” was no exception. Many fans of Carpenter’s music videos complained that she was oversexualizing herself for the male gaze. 

While some may see Carpenter as sexualizing herself for the hopes of attention, there are fans with different views. Carpenter’s portrayal of herself can be seen as her taking back the power from men. 

“She’s definitely sexualized herself a lot,” said Ashley Kim, another LAHS junior. “Especially in the songs ‘We Almost Broke Up’ and ‘Tears.’ I wouldn’t say (it’s) over because there are more albums that hyper-sexualize people.”

By choosing how she represents herself, Carpenter controls the narrative given upon her, with what she believes is right for her. Other fans believe it is Carpenter’s decision to present her music through her own artistic lens. 

“I think Sabrina does oversexualize herself a bit, but she’s using the system to her benefit,” said Sophia Gatica, an LAHS senior.

Carpenter’s song “Don’t Worry I’ll Make You Worry” represents her inability to be in a healthy relationship. Unlike her other songs, where she blames the fallouts of her relationships on the immaturity of the man, in this track, she blames herself. Through the lyrics, Carpenter describes how she is equally responsible for the aftermath of her toxic relationships. For example, the lyrics “Damn sure I’ll never let you know where you stand,” present the overall message that neither she nor the man has the potential to uphold the relationship. 

“My Man on Willpower” was another popular favorite, which went to number eight on her list of top tracks and has hit almost 20 million streams. In the song, Carpenter features her relationship with a man who is trying to better his life by distancing himself from her. Throughout the song, she expresses frustration with the change in the relationship dynamic. In her lyrics, “He used to be literally obsessed with me,” and “He’s busy, he’s working, he doesn’t have time for me,” Carpenter expresses her annoyance that her relationship is being ignored for his own life goals, not including her. The continuous message of the song conveys her boyfriend’s journey towards a new life, and he has forgotten her.