On Aug. 29, 2025, pop star and actress Sabrina Carpenter released her seventh studio album, “Man’s Best Friend”, just a year after her sixth album, “Short n’ Sweet”, broke records.
Carpenter, known for her aesthetic of vintage femininity mixed with her clever lyrics, rose to superstardom in 2024 with chart topping songs including “Espresso” and “Taste.” One year later, after a world tour and Grammy win, she has sustained her image as a cheeky, playful pop star.
Following the announcement, fans flooded to social media to express their excitement and predict their favorite tracks. However, Carpenter also received backlash with some fans finding the album cover problematic. In it, Carpenter is pictured on all fours in front of a faceless man pulling her hair.
In an interview with CBS Mornings, Carpenter explained her intention with the cover saying, “as a young woman you’re just as aware of when you’re in control as when you’re not, and I think some of those are choices.”
Despite the mixed reactions surrounding the announcement of “Man’s Best Friend”, Carpenter once again reached new heights with the album’s release, notably breaking the 2025 Spotify record for most single-day streams for an album by a female artist and debuting at number 1 on the Billboard 200.
When discussing the album after its release, Carpenter recommended that fans listen to all the songs in order, explaining that this was how she intended for the story to be told.
Track 1: Manchild
“Manchild” begins with a chuckle and an “oh boy” from Carpenter, as if she is bracing herself for this next album, and this next era of her life. The melody is reminiscent of a classic country break up song, with Carpenter even donning a light country twang. The clever lyrics center around the annoyance of dealing with an immature man. The first lyric, “You said your phone was broken, just forgot to charge it / whole outfit you’re wearing, God, I hope it’s ironic,” evokes a conversation you would have with your best friend after a bad date. A listener wouldn’t feel embarrassed singing these lyrics out loud, because they can be relatable but I still feel like you’re calling yourself out, which is what Carpenter is so good at conveying in her music.
Track 2: Tears
“Tears” is a disco-pop song, and the only track in the album other than “Manchild” that was released with a music video, and it’s clear why. It has an addictive rhythm and funny lyrics about how mundane acts from a man that most would consider the bare minimum get her “Oh so, oh so hot”. The lyrics are a play on how it has become so normalized in modern dating to accept unhealthy behaviors, so when a man shows only a small amount of decency, it’s celebrated “a little respect for women can get you very very far… Offering to do anything I’m like oh my, oh my god.” The track definitely represents the album well. It mixes Carpenter’s signature humor with commentary on the modern dating world, and of course has an 80’s disco beat to go with it.
Track 3: My Man on Willpower
Carpenter described “My Man on Willpower” as her favorite song on the album. It describes a man who prioritizes himself and is “on his big journey to find a little zest of life / a new sense of purpose” but it causes him to neglect Carpenter as a partner. It’s interesting how the thought of wanting a partner to be less focused on themselves and pay attention to you might seem selfish, but Carpenter’s honesty about her troubles in the lyrics manage to balance that out. “My man on willpower is something I don’t understand / he fell in love with self-restraint and it’s getting out of hand”. It sends the message of ‘I’m happy for you, but stop looking at yourself in the mirror and look at me.’
Track 5: We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night
“We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night” showcases Carpenter’s astonishing vocals like no other song. It’s about a relationship that is always on the verge of ending, but never actually does “I know how it looks, I know how it sounds / at least we’ll give them something to talk about” At the first listen, the song may appear boring and simple, but after focusing on the lyrics, it’s true meaning can be appreciated. The lyrics don’t glorify these kinds of relationships, but instead are self aware and still manage to find the humor in an unfortunate situation.
Track 6: Nobody’s Son
“Nobody’s Son” pokes fun at the idea of parents who coddle their son’s negative behaviors that contribute to the patterns of toxic masculinity in today’s society. “That boy is corrupt / Could you raise him to love me maybe?…Yes I’m talking ‘bout your baby”. Throughout the song, Carpenter is left feeling almost hopeless and constantly disappointed by men. The chorus “Here I am again, crying in bed, what a familiar feeling / All my friends in love and I’m the one they call for a third wheeling” sounds like a catchy nursery rhyme, but still represents her feelings of frustration and loneliness.
Track 8: When Did You Get Hot
“When Did You Get Hot” is a fan favorite on the album, and it’s clear why. It feels like a song that would play over the makeover montage in a 2000s movie. The lyrics fit with that concept too, and tell the story of seeing someone after a long time and recognizing their “new improvements.” You can tell the song takes little parts from other songs on the album and blends them together well. It’s a nice refresher from the sadder songs before it.
Track 10: Don’t Worry I’ll Make You Worry
In “Don’t Worry I’ll Make You Worry” Carpenter talks about wanting to take back control in a relationship by making her ex just as miserable as he made her. The lyric “I’ll never let you know where you stand / So don’t worry I’ll make you worry like no other girl can” sounds so sweet with the melody, yet there’s still so much bitterness underneath. Somehow, Carpenter managed to turn passive aggression into a song, and it’s impressive.
Track 12: Goodbye
“Goodbye” is, fittingly, the final track in the album. It reflects on confronting someone’s actions after they break up with you, and finally saying goodbye. It opens with “Broke my heart on Saturday / Guess overnight your feelings changed / And I have cried so much I almost fainted” which sounds like a few of the other songs on the album, but as soon as the chorus starts, it’s obvious why it’s so special. “Did you forget that it was you who said goodbye / So you don’t get to be the one who cries.” “Goodbye” is reminiscent of an ABBA song with its utilization of the acoustic guitar. It also achieves what many ABBA songs are known for, being able to sing about the most heart wrenching moments and still make it sound like a good time. The lyrics “Sayonara, adios, on the flipside, cheerio! / Por siempre, te amo, wait, no! / Goodbye, means that you’re losin’ me for life” in the last chorus really symbolize Carpenter finally being able to move on after all the heartbreak and manipulation. “Goodbye” is the perfect closing track for “Man’s Best Friend” after the emotional roller coaster that preceded it. It leaves a feeling of hope, and a willingness to embrace life’s future challenges.
It is clear how much Carpenter poured herself into “Man’s Best Friend.” It’s an album meant to be played loud and in order. On the first listen right after it was released, I found myself walking around my room just fully in the music. I didn’t expect to enjoy it so much immediately, but I loved it.
Carpenter explained in an interview with CBS Mornings that for her, the album is about being aware of your own mistakes, “This whole album was about the humanity of allowing yourself to make those mistakes. Knowing when you’re putting yourself in a situation that will probably end up poorly, but it’s going to teach you something.”
“Man’s Best Friend” represents an entire relationship, an era of Carpenter’s life. Starting with a flirty but hesitant phase, moving to a problematic attachment, and ending with being able to finally move on. This album is for the pop-music lovers who just need to have fun even when the world can feel bleak. The album itself is much deeper than the controversy about its cover, and the feeling it left me with proves exactly that.
