Overview

• Carpenter released Man’s Best Friend on August 29, delivering witty, sexually frank songs about modern dating over a retro-pop palette.
• Early reviews from major outlets such as Rolling Stone, the Los Angeles Times, NME and others are broadly positive, with some noting that humor and lyrics occasionally get buried under busy production.
• In a CBS Mornings interview, Carpenter said she won’t identify who inspired specific tracks and added that her exes have generally been pretty flattered to be written about.
• The original cover art drew criticism in June; Carpenter later issued a black‑and‑white alternate image and has defended the project’s intent, shifting conversation toward interpretation rather than outrage.
• Tabloid reports citing Official Charts data say multiple tracks are tracking for the UK Top 10 shortly after release, a sign of early commercial momentum that has not been independently confirmed in the reviewed coverage.