Just one year after Sabrina Carpenter released her record-breaking album Short n’ Sweet, she released her seventh studio album entitled Man’s Best Friend. As Short n’ Sweet won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards and received certified Platinum status by the Recording Industry Association of America, Man’s Best Friend had a lot to live up to.
This album had some genre exploration for Carpenter, as she successfully presented disco-pop, funk, R&B, and synth-rock. Her earlier albums were mostly country-pop, and none of the others had genre exploration like this.
Prior to the album’s release, I had been hearing lots of bad criticism and fan reviews from early listeners. However, the second I hit play on August 29th, I knew that I had nothing to worry about. From the breathtaking ballad of “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night” to the upbeat pop vibes of “When Did You Get Hot?,” this album hit all the marks. I am pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the entirety of this album.
Carpenter’s songwriting is something I also love about this album, but it is also something she receives a lot of hate for. Her songwriting on this has a clear satirical tone, but people take this playfulness as serious lyricism, leading to the previously mentioned hate. However, in my opinion, she balances the silly metaphors with their deeper meanings seamlessly.
My favorites on this album are “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night,” “Goodbye,” and “When Did You Get Hot?” However, there is not a single song that I dislike.
I genuinely believe that this is one of her best albums — second only to Short n’ Sweet. If Carpenter continues in this trajectory, she will surely only grow in fame and notability. Overall, I rate this album a 9/10, and if you enjoyed any of her earlier work, you should enjoy this album as well.
