Album Review
September 10, 2025
Sabrina Carpenter photographed by Bryce Anderson
Just one year after the release of her Grammy-award winning and chart-dominating album, Short n’ Sweet, Sabrina Carpenter has quickly returned to deliver her next project in the study of pop perfection: Man’s Best Friend on August 29th, 2025. After the Short n’ Sweet era took the pop world by storm with record-breaking singles and sold-out crowds worldwide, the longtime entertainer has finally settled into her established throne in the court of pop royalty. Her latest breakup album is anything but a stereotypical melancholic reflection of the past, but rather, a ridiculously fun disco soundtrack that just so happens to do a little bashing on her past relationships.
Though titled Man’s Best Friend, it becomes quickly evident that this album is anything but that. The singer’s brutal honesty hurls a series of hilarious insults hidden behind deliciously catchy tunes. The album, in fact, may be an egotistical man’s worst nightmare, with the opening track titled “Manchild.” The lead single boasts taunting lyrics that belittle any man she’s been with in the past, sporting lines such as ‘half your brain just ain’t there.’
The second single and second track on the record, “Tears,” pokes fun at the embarrassingly bare minimum a woman can expect from a man in this day and age. Arguably one of the catchiest songs on the project, Carpenter taps into her cheeky side by singing about how she gets turned on by men taking accountability. The track was accompanied by a classic Rocky Horror-inspired music video, featuring drag queens and actor Colman Domingo, and obviously ending in killing off her lover in signature Sabrina Carpenter fashion.
The album continues, assumingly following the ebb and flow of her most recent relationship. Denoting its unstable nature, she sings about experiencing high highs and even lower lows. “My Man on Willpower” reveals the confusing push-and-pull of a relationship in its dying stages, saying ‘He used to be literally obsessed with me / I’m suddenly the least sought-after girl in the land.’ The beautiful melodies in “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night” dive into the last-ditch attempts to salvage what has already fallen apart – countless false alarms of an official breakup and 180-degree changes in attitude as soon as any mention of splitting up arises. “Sugar Talking,” an RnB-influenced slower track, is a direct callout that actions speak louder than words: what he says can’t fix what he’s already done to her.
Proving to be a fan favorite already, “Go Go Juice” humors the idea of drinking to have some fun after a breakup, because after all, ‘a girl who knows her liquor is a girl who’s been dumped.’ Carpenter even hides a diss at her exes, sneakily rhyming their names in the lyrics that you may be too busy dancing to to notice. ‘Could be John or Larry, gosh, who’s to say? Or the one that rhymes with “villian” if I’m feelin’ that way’ likely references her past entanglements with Shawn Mendes, Barry Keoghan, Joshua Bassett and Dylan O’Brien, respectively. Another fan favorite rings in with “House Tour,” a deceivingly innocent, cheery track that is actually a classic sexual metaphor in all its glory. Reminiscent of the themes we saw on Short n’ Sweet highlights like “Bed Chem” and “Juno”, “When Did You Get Hot?” plays into similarly raunchy lyricism.
“Nobody’s Son” delivers as the ultimate pop perfection track, a sparkling song with production that easily distracts from the actual lines about the harrowing feeling of being utterly unlovable. Carpenter has displayed time and time again that she isn’t afraid to be vulnerable, no matter what the rhythm of her song may be. She taps into her insecurities and even admits to her flaws in "Don't Worry I’ll Make You Worry,” a track that I believe to be sonically reminiscent of “Don’t Smile” on her previous project.
While owning up to some of her weaknesses to keep her humble, naturally, she remains constant in her ill-fated wishes for her former suitors. “Never Getting Laid” flaunts some of the most creative insults I’ve heard to date (and will most definitely be stealing), with lines such as “I just hope you get agoraphobia someday” and “I wish you a lifetime full of happiness and a forever of never getting laid.” And, if her opinion on her ex-lover wasn’t already abundantly clear, the album culminates in the twelfth track, “Goodbye.” A sing-song style, ABBA-infused farewell, the witty popstar innovatively releases her final words, saying bye in multiple different languages, including French, Spanish and Italian.
Despite the fact that Short n’ Sweet left massive shoes to fill as Man’s Best Friend’s predecessor, the overwhelmingly positive fan reaction and massive buzz is swiftly proving that this album is living up to the hype. It simply isn’t living in the shadow of her previous smashing success, but rather, carving out its own whilst reinforcing Carpenter’s domination in the world of pop. The Short n’ Sweet era was exactly that: both short and sweet – newsflash: Man’s Best Friend is here to stay.
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