A certain group of internet moralists nearly lost their minds when Sabrina Carpenter struck seductive poses on stage during her Short N Sweet tour, reported The Standard. But thoughts and prayers to them—and to the parents of teenagers who will now have to explain “the birds and the bees,” as well as details of female sexuality, once Man’s Best Friend starts playing in schoolyards.

In her seventh studio album, Carpenter fully rejects the image of a “Disney Channel star” and leans on her spicy sense of humor and mastery of double entendres. The result is a collection of bold and witty songs that both mock male weaknesses and overflow with retro energy.

In Tears, the second track on the album, the singer turns assembling Ikea furniture into a disco anthem about the erotic pleasure of responsibility. “I’m shedding tears down my thighs,” she sings, while the video offers an ironic tribute to Rocky Horror Show, with Colman Domingo stepping into the role of Frank-N-Furter as Carpenter pole-dances in a cornfield.

Her double entendres are so artful they could merit academic study. In House Tour, it may at first seem to be about a dollhouse, but the lyrics quickly take on an erotic subtext: “I want you to come inside, but never through the back door.” The album blends disco, country, and even R&B in When Did You Get Hot, reminiscent of the 1990s and Missy Elliott. In Goodbye, Carpenter channels ABBA with a multilingual finale, while A-ha’s an all is an explicit homage to the 1980s.

Carpenter is far from singing about “the male gaze.” On the contrary—she skillfully parodies women’s frustrations with heterosexual dating. “A girl who knows her alcohol is a girl who’s been dumped,” she jokes in Go Go Juice, where she pokes fun at drunk phone calls to a famous ex. Country-pop tracks like Go Go Juice and Sugar Talking carry a clear nod to Dolly Parton—from the country tonality to the husky vocals. This is more tribute than imitation, especially since Parton herself recently recorded the song Please, Please, Please with Carpenter.

The album is steeped in retro aesthetics, which Carpenter deftly turns into a playful spectacle. Even so, Man’s Best Friend is unlikely to achieve the cultural impact of Short N Sweet, with hits like Espresso and Taste. Still, it remains a fun and daring stop in her artistic evolution. | BGNES