It’s been a little over a month since Sabrina Carpenter’s album Man’s Best Friend came out, and I haven’t stopped listening to it since… I mean, really, I created a whole Pinterest board for all of the songs. So, in honor of the album being out here, all of her songs that correlate to these iconic movies (and spoiler alert, most of these are romcoms).
“Manchind”
Kicking off the album is the iconic first track and the single of the album, “Manchild.” And if there is one character who knows a little all too well about working with manchilds, it’s none other than Elle Woods, the main character in the movie Legally Blonde. Elle is constantly undermined by her ex-boyfriend, her parents, and even her professor. But, like the girl boss she is, Elle becomes a lawyer by using her own skills as a woman to her advantage. And that’s something Elle and Sabrina both have in common. Just like Elle, Sabrina has also been undermined and ridiculed in her songs about sex, her looks, and her love life. But, despite all of it, she continues to rise above and is headlining Coachella, one of the biggest music festivals of the year. “What, like it’s hard?”
“Tears”
The next track on the album is also the second single track called “Tears.” To me, this is the most visually appealing song on the album. And who doesn’t love it when a man fixes an Ikea chair, as Sabrina mentions in her song. And for that reason alone, the movie that correlates with this song is When Harry Met Sally. The iconic friends-to-lovers story that inspired thousands to be particular about their deli sandwiches. In this song, Sabrina is poking fun at the male species, and doing the simplest task, like responding to texts and calls, is hot. Throughout the film, both Harry and Sally are holding back feelings for each other, even though it’s so obvious that they would be a perfect couple for each other. In the movie, it creates a similar feeling to Sabrina’s song about how your person will do all of these romantic things, but what really matters is the little everyday stuff, like remembering to do the dishes. Yes, it really is that simple.
“My Man On Willpower”
The third track is called “My Man on Willpower” and is the opposite of the previous track. In this song, Sabrina talks about a man who, all of a sudden, loves women and respects them, but turns on her. And if there is one main character who can relate to this, it’s Holly from Breakfast at Tiffynay’s. Holly decides to be like men and be emotionally unavailable, and instead be this carefree woman who doesn’t care how men act or treat her. But, in reality, she deeply cares because she wants the same thing in return. Like, yes, I want someone funny and respects women, but can also come home and be that same person with me. Ouch, this one hurt.
“Sugar Talking”
Did someone say they need a sweet treat? This one is for our girls who love a little sweet treat at the end of the day. This track is all bubbly and fun; however, Sabrina warns us girls not to be tempted by the finer things in life. And if there is one girl who knows this, it’s Rachel Chu, the main character in Crazy Rich Asians! When Rachel meets her boyfriend’s family, she quickly realizes that they are crazy rich. And as much as it’s mesmerizing to be around all the glitz and glam, it’s not so fun if there is no genuine love between everyone. Yes, being able to buy new outfits without batting an eye might be nice, but if there is no chemistry between a couple or love in the family, then is it really worth it? That’s what “sugar talking” leaves us listeners wondering
We Almost Broke Up Again
This song will give you some whiplash because there is a bit of hope that if a couple can make it, but then they break up… Well, not exactly… In the movie Sweet Home Alabama, Reese Witherspoon’s character has to fly all the way back to Alabama to divorce her husband. Throughout the movie, there is so much tension between the married couple who still have feelings with each other, but also can’t be in the same room without getting into an argument. So with this song, Sabrina poses the question of whether love is worth fighting for when you know you have something special. Or in this case, really good tension.
Nobody’s Son
I am totally not biased, but this might be my personal favorite off the album. Sabrina can add jokes, but her strong suit is her reliability to being a young woman. Sabrina gets incredibly vulnerable in this song as she admits to wanting to be loved by someone who can’t give their heart to her. And there is one man who knows this, and is a green flag, it’s William Thacker, the main character from Notting Hill. This is one of my favorite movies (besides because it is set at a bookstore) because it shows a man who YEARNS! Yes, you heard that right, bring back yearning. In the movie, William yearns so hard for a woman who is too famous and above his status. And both the song and the movie showcase what it is like to have fear and be vulnerable, even though in the end, you might not win this person’s heart. I need a tissue after this song.
Never Getting Laied
This song is funny, sad, and oh so relatable. Sabrina sings about doing everything right, but it ultimately never leads to how she wants it to go. And the movie that speaks about this is Love Actually. In the movie, we see all of the different characters go off to find love, including one character named Colin, who goes to America in the hopes of actually getting laid. Both the song and the movie show the realistic part of how love is messy, fun, and sometimes humiliating. But you can’t have sex and not have love.
When Did You Get Hot
We all have that one person who comes back after summer and is just downright gorgeous, like the glowup of the century. And that is exactly what Sabrina is singing about. And when I first listened to this song, the one movie that came to mind was 13 Going on 30. The main character, Jenna, wakes up one day and is all of a sudden 30 and discovers what has become of her life. She has been so excited to grow up and find love that when she sees her best friend Matt, she slowly realizes that he is not only hot, but intelligent. Throughout the whole movie, it’s fun, flirty, and has some relatable moments of maybe I shouldn’t have sworn this person off just because of their looks.
Go Go Juice
Who doesn’t love being a little crazy?! In this fun and flirty song, Sabrina reminds us that you have to have some fun and maybe call an ex? If there is one character who knows how to drive a man crazy, it’s Andie Anderson from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. This movie is so “Go Go Juice” coded because Andie pretends to be all crazy to prove that she can get a man to leave her in 10 days. Enter Ben, who has the exact opposite plane. Both of them are crazy, but it’s the kind of crazy that they just might be right for each other because they’re both dedicated to their craft. And as someone who is a three-drink girly at all times, I can definitely relate to this.
Don’t Worry I’ll Make You Worry
Okay, so I may be a bit biased with this next movie, but it is one of my favorite romcoms of all time, and that is 10 Things I Hate About You. If there is one person who is not afraid to stand up for themselves, it’s Kat Stratfrod. And in this song, Sabrina sings about not being afraid to call someone out for their wrongdoing. And as soon as I heard the song and the title, I couldn’t help but think about Kat and Patrick. Both aren’t pretending to make other people like them; they’re themselves, and they’re not going to apologize for it. I mean, who doesn’t want a poem read about them in class?!
House Tour
Okay, now this one is one of my favorites off the album! I am obsessed with the bop melody and just how fun this song is. And when I was thinking of what movie to give this song to, many came to mind, but the one movie that is quite literally a house tour is The Holiday. The two main characters quite literally swap houses and do their own version of house tours. This movie is such a comfort to me and honestly gets me in the holiday spirit. As Sabrina says, “I could take you to the first, second, third floor.”
Goodbye
Hate to end this on a sober note, but with this song, Sabrina clearly means to end all things in the past and move forward. And I hope you have your tissues ready because the only movie I could think of for this song is one of my favorite horror movies, La La Land. I know I can feel the tears coming too. This movie truly is goodbye because, well, I don’t want to spoil the ending for those who haven’t seen it (which, if you haven’t, then please finish reading this blog and then go watch it). Both of these end on notes of what ifs and what we could have had, but life doesn’t always work out the way we want.
I hope you all enjoyed this blog, and make sure to stream Man’s Best Friend, and in the meantime, as Sabrina says, “Get home safe.”