Sabrina Carpenter elevates pop stardom with bold and witty new album 'Man's Best Friend'
Crafting humor in pop music is a rare skill, yet Sabrina Carpenter continues to stand out as one of the few artists able to balance wit with emotional honesty. Her seventh studio album, Man’s Best Friend, arrives just a year after her chart-topping success Short n’ Sweet, and it finds her navigating heartbreak with playful innuendo, confidence, and self-awareness.
Sabrina Carpenter’s seventh album Man’s Best Friend blends humor, heartbreak, and Seventies-inspired pop, solidifying her star power.
Taylor Hill/Getty Images
Created alongside frequent collaborators Jack Antonoff, Amy Allen, and John Ryan, the project extends the retro-inspired sound that fueled Carpenter’s biggest hits. The record blends shimmering synths, disco grooves, and airy guitar riffs with a touch of country twang, channeling both ABBA’s theatrical flair and Dolly Parton’s charm. Through this eclectic mix, Carpenter chronicles the frustrations of modern dating while flipping painful experiences into sly, tongue-in-cheek storytelling.
The album opens with “Manchild,” where Carpenter delivers a biting “Oh, boy” before launching into a track filled with sharp-edged commentary on immature partners. Across songs like “Tears,” “My Man on Willpower,” and “Nobody’s Son,” she captures disillusionment with love through her signature balance of sass and vulnerability. Each track paints a picture of relationships that veer between exhaustion and amusement, often punctuated by punchline-worthy lines.
Among the album’s highlights, “Never Getting Laid” transforms the anguish of a breakup into a sultry, slow-burning anthem laced with humor. Meanwhile, “Go Go Juice” turns to a honky-tonk rhythm, pairing heartbreak with late-night escapism. Both songs showcase Carpenter’s ability to package complex emotions into entertaining and highly replayable tracks.
Two standout moments arrive with Carpenter’s most flirtatious performances. The disco-fueled “When Did You Get Hot?” brims with playful surprise as she confronts an old acquaintance turned heartthrob, delivered with a wink that only she can pull off. Equally captivating is “House Tour,” a bold, infectious track that recalls the exuberance of Eighties pop while layering cheeky double meanings into its chorus.
Across the record, Carpenter demonstrates growth as both a performer and songwriter. Man’s Best Friend builds on the foundations of her past work while sharpening her voice as a humorist and storyteller in pop music. With this release, she strengthens her position as a leading figure in the genre, seamlessly weaving irony, heartbreak, and disco-pop energy into one cohesive collection.