On August 29th, 2025, Sabrina Carpenter released her seventh studio album, Man’s Best Friend. This record has been garnering attention since its announcement in June, culminating in 64 million streams on its release date on Spotify alone. After finding so much success in her prior album, Short n’ Sweet, many fans wondered if Carpenter’s new record could top Short n’ Sweet’s witty, unfiltered lyrics, catchy singles, and stellar production. From its provocative cover art to which tracks to listen to first, here’s everything you need to know about Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend.
Carpenter’s latest record comprises twelve tracks produced by Jack Antonoff, famous for collaborating with notable artists like Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, and Lana Del Rey. On Man’s Best Friend’s release date, Antonoff stated that the album was created to sound as if you were hearing each song live— and the duo doesn’t disappoint. Throughout each song, listeners can expect Carpenter to throw in a unique, animated flair that sounds exactly like the improvisations she was known for on the Short n’ Sweet tour. However, this record is different from anything Sabrina has done in the past because of its excellent blending of styles; Carpenter and Antonoff have skillfully crafted a record that fits her pop niche while incorporating country and hip-hop influences, most prevalent in tracks like Go Go Juice, Manchild, and When Did You Get Hot?
After her 2024 hits, Juno and Bed Chem, Carpenter has created a reputation for shamelessly including sexual themes in her work. This has led parents to wonder whether they should allow their children to listen to her peppy pop songs, which often contain explicit undertones and lyrics. That’s why when the cover art for Man’s Best Friend was initially released, it stirred up a lot of controversy. The cover, which features Carpenter on all fours, made fans feel she was going too far before they even heard her lyrics. Upon listening to the album, it is evident that, although many songs are entirely family-friendly, some tracks, such as “Tears” and “House Tour,” are not suitable for all audiences, especially young children. Sabrina Carpenter has acknowledged her critics by voicing that her music is not for everyone, stating in her interview with Teen Vogue, “You don’t have to like what I do. I think there’s this weird misconception that every artist has to check every box for everyone to like everything about them…It’s never been that way. It’s never gonna be,” and later in her interview with E!, “If you can’t handle a girl who is confident in her own sexuality, then don’t come to my shows.” Carpenter has always been unapologetically speaking her truth in her music and testing the boundary of what modern feminism looks like, and this album is no exception.
As previously mentioned, Sabrina Carpenter’s lyrics are a piece of what has made her one of the hottest pop icons of the decade; loaded with both poetic musings and hilarious innuendos, her words contain just the right combination of humor, truth, and wisdom to get stuck in your head again and again, long after the song is over. Although every track has its own lyrical flair and little moments that would make even the most adamant critic crack a smile, a few songs with standout lyrics include My Man on Willpower (“My man’s in touch with his emotions/My man won’t touch me with a twenty-foot pole!”), Nobody’s Son (“That boy is corrupt/Could you raise him to love me maybe?”), and Goodbye (“Sayonara, adios/You’re not bilingual, but you should know/Goodbye means that you’re losing me for life.”)
Ultimately, despite a fair amount of controversy, Man’s Best Friend has become a huge success for Carpenter and her team for good reason; with incredible production by Jack Antonoff, humorous lyrics, and the quality one would only expect from a live performance, the record is very strong. Although there are some low points like Sugar Talking and Don’t Worry, I’ll Make You Worry that bring down the album’s unapologetically party vibe, there are plenty of tracks to love. Some of my personal favorites are Tears, because of its hilarious lyrics and dance break section, My Man on Willpower, because of the stellar production and chorus that gets stuck in my head all day long, and House Tour, because it has a uniquely different sound than anything else on the record. Overall, this album has brought me so much joy since its release, and I believe it is worth a listen for anyone who loves different genres of pop music and can handle explicit themes; 4.5/5 stars.
