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Sabrina Carpenter: Man’s Best Friend review – smut and stunning craft from pop’s best in show

Sabrina Carpenter: Man’s Best Friend review – smut and stunning craft from pop’s best in show

(Island Records) ​The controversy-courting star is in perfect alignment with producer Jack Antonoff, on detailed and utterly delightful tracks that make her previous hit album seem rudimentary in comparison In June, Sabrina Carpenter announced her seventh album, Man’s Best Friend; its artwork depicts Carpenter on her hands and knees, an unseen man grasping a handful of her hair. It instantly caused an uproar online – most notably among Carpenter’s young fans, who weren’t on Tumblr in 2015, or weren’t aware of the way the Sun newspaper wrote about Madonna every day of the 1990s and 2000s, and therefore didn’t realise that discourse around whether pop stars should or shouldn’t be allowed to sexualise themselves is older than pop music itself, and almost always inane. Anyone hitting play on Man’s Best Friend in search of another barrel-full of ragebait might be alarmed, not because it is particularly provocative, but because it is strangely old-fashioned. Carpenter is fond of blue turns of phrase (“Gave me his whole heart and I gave him head”), and the wordiness of her lyrics is indicative of someone who grew up in an era of constant stimulus. But Man’s Best Friend makes it clear that she regards pop music as a craft as much as it is an art. Continue reading...

'Taiwan absolutely has the right to remain free!' - US senator Wicker arrives in Taipei to discuss 'security cooperation' as Beijing condemns visit

'Taiwan absolutely has the right to remain free!' - US senator Wicker arrives in Taipei to discuss 'security cooperation' as Beijing condemns visit

"Republican senator and Chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, Roger Wicker, insisted on Taiwan's 'right to freedom' and independence on Friday in Taipei. "We come here from the United States, bringing a message from the Congress of commitment, of long-term friendship, and a determination that a free country, like Taiwan, absolutely has the right to remain free and preserve self-determination," he stated. The remark came when Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te welcomed Wicker and his Nebraska colleague, Deb Fischer, at the presidential office.  Citing 'threats of authoritarianism' to his country and the Indo-Pacific region, Lai emphasised the importance of enhancing defence. The Taiwanese leader reaffirmed his commitment to reach three per cent spending on defence and expand it to "NATO standard of five per cent of GDP by 2030." "We will continue strengthening our capabilities to ensure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," he stated. Lai's primary focus on defence was backed by Senator Fischer. She called Taiwan for 'seriousness and resolve' in actions amid global developments unfolding on the world stage. "It requires us, in Washington and here in Taipei, to invest wisely, to strengthen deterrence, and to ensure our defences are ready for the threats of tomorrow. I am proud that the Senate Armed Services Committee has made that commitment a top priority," she said. Wicker arrived in Taiwan on Friday. It's the first visit of the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee in nine years.  The two senators are scheduled to attend a series of high-level meetings on the US-Taiwan relations, regional security and trade. Wicker's trip comes ahead of China's grand Victory Parade on September 3. The event marks the end of World War II and the Second Sino-Japanese War. China condemned the visit of US officials, saying that it creates "factors that heighten tensions across the Taiwan Strait." "[It] undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and sends a gravely wrong signal to the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces," said MOFA. Beijing views Taiwan as part of its territory under the 'One China' principle, while the island has never officially declared independence."