“Oh boy,” the opening line to Sabrina Carpenter’s song “Manchild” and the first song in her new album describes what it is like to listen to it. Man’s Best Friend debuted on August 29, 2025, at midnight.
There is a line between cheeky and explicit, and although Sabrina Carpenter likes to play with that line like a jump rope, this album is fully provocative.
The cover art depicting Sabrina Carpenter on her knees, with a man holding her hair sparked controversy before the album even dropped. The scandalous music follows its cover. It is equally jarring with the explicit lyrics sung in Carpenter’s sweet, innocent tone. There are 12 tracks on the album making it 38 minutes long in total and the same as her previous album.
Musicality
This suggestive pop album is a mix of vibes which vary from song to song. There are eight upbeat songs and four slow, even though most of them move from cheerful to relaxed. The back track is diverse. An assortment of guitars, bass, drums, keyboard, synthesizer and other various instruments conduct the melodies. This album is the perfect soundtrack to listen to when doing random tasks around the house or when the listener just wants to dance and let go.
Lyrics
Depictions of sex, sexuality and sultry innuendo means this album is not for the ears of anyone under the age of 16. Carpenter describes her sex life in explicit detail. She drives this home in the line: “none of this is a metaphor” which comes in the second to last song, “House Tour.”
The lyrics are shocking and toxic at times. In “Don‘t Worry, I’ll Make You Worry,” Carpenter sings about how she will never let her partner know where he stands. The lyrics are purposively indecent and startling, intended to evoke a reaction from the listener.
Marketing
“Manchild” was released as a single on June 5, 2025 and became one of the hottest songs of the summer. The anticipation for the album’s release was at an all-time high because it would be the newest album after Short and Sweet, which debuted on Taylor Swift’s The Era’s Tour. Carpenter announced a solo tour afterwards.
For the past two months, the response to Man’s Best Friend is a mix, with some enthusiastic reviews, and others wary because of the cover and content. Most of the marketing centered around “Manchild.” The rest of the songs were an afterthought.
There is a line between cheeky and explicit, and although Sabrina Carpenter likes to play with that line like a jump rope, this album is fully provocative.
Man’s Best Friend is a great album for a “dance break” as the beats are perfect for getting groovy. Even though the album is suggestive and tantalizing, the songs are cheerful and bouncy forcing the listener to sing along.