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"Man's Best Friend" album cover
On June 11, 2025, pop star sensation Sabrina Carpenter announced her seventh studio album, “Man’s Best Friend,” on her Instagram. Following the enormous success of her sixth studio album, “Short N’ Sweet,” her fans had high expectations, and many were unsure that it would live up to the same hype her previous album had. “Short N’ Sweet” had notable big hits such as, “Juno,” and “Espresso,” as well as music videos which perfectly encapsulated the vibe and lyrics of the song. An almost perfectly curated summer album, as some might say. When Carpenter announced her latest album, many expressed their excitement to see what she had in store for her fans next, while others seemed to be more concerned about the themes and nature that her cover art promoted.
On Aug. 29, 2025, Carpenter released “Man’s Best Friend” on all streaming platforms, as well as vinyls, CDs, and cassettes. Many record stores across the country also held listening parties on the day of, with many giving away specialized merch for the event, such as posters and bumper stickers. Following up “Short N’ Sweet” was certainly a tough task, but not the direction Carpenter was going in necessarily. When talking about the process of making this album, Carpenter described it as being, “the most fun album to record,” showing that it didn’t really matter if it was the new number one, because at the end of the day, the music is for her fans and herself for their own personal enjoyment. Her latest album explores themes of past relationships and the difficulties of maintaining a relationship, even when it can be self-sabotaging. Notable producers Jack Antonoff and John Ryan collaborated with Carpenter on the production of this album, incorporating synth-rock, funk, and even disco elements into her songs. The album overall lasts around 38 minutes, containing 12 songs.
Her opening song, “Manchild,” was an instant hit when it was released as a single prior to the album’s announcement. The song contains tongue-in-cheek comments towards the behaviors of men that the singer has encountered over the years, along with a fun beat that contributes to the song that hit number one. Many fans online even created their own line dance to its catchy melody, which only furthered the song’s popularity. Throughout the album, we hear a lot of commentary on the incompetence of men, which leads us to the sixth track, “Nobody’s Son,” in which our narrator lays down the feeling of being sick and tired of dealing with the same type of person over and over again, leading to such doubt and never finding anything better. It is a feeling that many can relate to, especially when feeling at an all-time low.
At the initial reveal of the album cover, Carpenter faced a lot of public scrutiny in her, “catering to the male gaze,” however, Carpenter came out to address all the rumors that simply weren’t true. The man holding her wasn’t in any way meant to purely sexualize her, but rather the cheeky look back to the camera was more meant to highlight that in reality, she is in power in the photo.
Carpenter’s album achieved exactly what it set out to do: be a fun album for Carpenter to create that fans will enjoy. There is no doubt that this album has been successful, and even with all the controversy in mind, it got people talking about the album, only further setting it up for success. It is certainly not her best album, as some might say, but also because it wasn’t trying to be; the album is cheeky and is relatable to any girl who has ever been let down by a mediocre man. While Carpenter is yet to announce any possible tour set up for this album, it is already obvious that when it drops on Ticketmaster, she will sell out within minutes.