Released on August 28th, Sabrina Carpenter dropped her 7th studio album, which has already become the most-streamed pop album of 2025. Honestly? It’s nothing like anything we’ve seen from her before. From the very first lyric, Sabrina’s new album doesn’t just say goodbye, it packs a passport, changes her number, and waves from a private jet. The album is as if ABBA, Dolly Parton, and The Cure had a cathartic, sarcastic pop princess.
However, comparison isn’t all this album is worth noting. It’s not a copy-and-paste; it’s new, not just from Sabrina, but in pop music as a whole. These are absorbing hits we haven’t heard, at least not in a long while. This album is Short n’ Sweet, but emotionally present in its heartbreak; this isn’t just another cute pop project. It’s a cinematic storybook, from the resurgence of love to uncontrollable heartbreak. One with high heels, late-night texts, and that sharp, sparkly wit only Sabrina could turn into poetry.
The vibe? Ethereal meets explosive. This is the boldest, most grown-up album yet, from empowering anthems to those “wait, am I crying?” ballads. Sabrina gave us a reason to romanticize heartbreak again. It’s an album to listen to in order… coming straight from Sabrina herself, who said at her Spotify album celebration at Hollywood Cemetery in Los Angeles, “Listening in order is my biggest pro tip. I’ve never cared so much about an album being heard in the actual order…”
One of the best aspects of the album is how each song flows seamlessly into the next. It gives the album this immersive quality. While all the songs flow and interconnect thematically, each track also stands independently, telling its own story of love and loss. The album explores the journey from love to heartbreak, while touching on the anxieties of loving someone and discovering one’s identity amidst those life and relationship challenges. The album’s closing riff echoes the opening track; in a way, it symbolizes the cyclical nature of the struggles we face in relationships and how these issues only rise and fall over and over. Which only makes its echoing and repetitive theme more heartbreaking.
In the midst of the album’s release, there was a lot, and I mean a lot, of controversy. But controversy isn’t new to Sabrina. From the Taste music video to the VMAs to the W Magazine photoshoot (probably the only reasonable one), Sabrina’s art has sparked endless debates.
Carpenter announced her album on June 11. The album cover, which was shared on Instagram, was immediately met with harsh criticism as many fans labeled the photograph of the singer on all fours with a man pulling her hair as suggestive and disgusting. Still, to look at the cover or a single aesthetic choice as the entire meaning is to miss the point entirely. Man’s Best Friend and nearly every piece of art Sabrina releases seem to get labeled and dismissed as blatant sexual provocation. But in reality, it’s just blatant misinterpretation and a refusal to look deeper into the intended meaning. In a recent interview with Interview Magazine, she talks about these recent controversies, saying, “My experience and point of view are going to be so different from how other people live their lives. Sometimes I read things and I’m like, ‘Wow, I don’t experience this that way, but if they do, then that’s real to them.’ But what I’m going through in this record, which is loss and heartbreak and celebration and trying to navigate my life as a young woman — it’s not so much like I’m above it all, but I’m not beneath it”
The music world has long been built around suppressing women’s voices, and it’s not like we haven’t seen it time and time again. No matter what a woman writes about, or how many songs carry deep lyrical meaning, people always find a way to focus on the negative, belittling it into the ground. Also, when she spoke to Interview Magazine, she spoke about the controversy and tough topic, “I mean, there’s a lot of nuance to this, and I’m not naive to that, but I felt like, ‘Why is this taboo?’ This is something that women experience in such a real way, becoming comfortable with themselves and who they are.” One’s perception of an album doesn’t exclude its intentions or other people’s outlook. When we fixate on a cover image or a single visual beat, we risk flattening a full narrative arc into a headline, with this album its glitter, its mess, its punchlines, its ache. It’s atmospheric and whimsical, exploring decades of music, and to me, it is one of the best pop albums of the year.
Manchild – This song is one of the strongest-produced songs on the entire album. It’s full of Jack Antonoff, but surprisingly, that works in its favor. He had his maximalist melancholy, but it somehow softens into something dreamy and cinematic. The music video is one of the most fun, chaotic, and visually captivating Sabrinas ever released, which is saying a lot considering her video track record. The nods to Paris, Texas, Bandlands, Thelma and Louise, and this whole lineage of romanticized Americana feel so intentional in relation to what the core of the song is about. The song is not just a reference to pop country and folk, but it’s a reflection of the history of that side of music. It’s a road trip song for decades to come.
Film Match – Badlands (1973) ; Thelma and Louise (1991) ; It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) ; Legally Blonde (2001)
Favorite Lyric – “Oh, I like my boys playing hard to get / And I like my men all incompetent / And I swear they choose me, I’m not choosing them”
Tears – Sabrina teased this intro at the end of Lollapalooza, and when I heard it for the first time, it took a turn that I don’t think anyone was thinking would turn. Reimagining of Espresso mixed with Rocky Horror and a bit of that 70s disco decadence. It’s a dramatic comedy of glamor that shines in its provocative lyrics. It’s a clever song with some hilariously fun lines. The music video is a love letter to retro horror, full of nods to Repulsion and culty 60s/70s cinema, which is perfectly in line with the album’s darker undercurrent. It’s whimsical, satirical, and totally aware of itself, and humorously points out the value of true responsibility in relationships with exaggeration. All served with a smile and a dance break.
Film Match – Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) ; Repulsion (1965) ; Valley of the Dolls (1967) ; To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)
Favorite Lyric – “A Little initiative can go a very long, long way / Baby, just do the dishes”
My Man on Willpower – The third track on this album is this slowly deteriorating love story that goes from a playful sing-song to a sadder, more heartbreaking ending. It’s a song about losing someone to their need for self-discovery, losing their top priority spot. By the time the songs are over, you feel gutted, whether with sympathy or understanding. It’s campy, mixed with glitter, sarcastic heartbreak, full of one-liners, and mixed with messy emotions. One of the best things about this album is the bridges, especially this track fading into the outro, which captivates you into a dream or nightmare.
Film Match – A Woman is a Woman (1961) ; Pearl (2022) ; A Summer’s Tale (1996) ; The War of the Roses (1989) ; To Die For (1995)
Favorite Lyric – “My man on his willpower is something I don’t understand / He fell in love with self-restraint and now it’s gettin’ out of hand / He used to be literally obsessed with me / I’m suddenly the least sought after girl in the land”
Sugar Talking – The third track on the album is considerably more of a basic song; it’s nothing special, but it is an easy and beautiful song to melt into. The track feels intentionally simple. I get that there was a sort of aim for simplicity, making it easier for more people to connect with the sound. However, that left something missing. It feels like production might be trying too hard to appeal to a broader audience, and I don’t think such talented artists should limit themselves just to fit into the mainstream. The production flattens out what could’ve been one of the album’s more emotionally textured songs. Even so, the song is a beautifully mundane one. However, what struck me most was how flat the instrumentation and melodies felt. Still, the guitar riffs are the standout here, giving just enough bite to keep it grounded. There weren’t any silly or scream-on-the-top-of-my-lungs vibes, drum fills, or melodic rhythms that made the rest of the album so atmospheric. It also sounds nothing like Buy Me Presents from the Fruit Cake EP, I don’t care how many times people say it.
Film Match – La Collectionneuse (1967) ; Challengers (2024) ; Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) ; The Band of Outsiders (1964)
Favorite Lyric – “Saying that you miss me / Boy, do you win a prize? / You’re havin’ these epiphanies / Big word for a real small mind / And aren’t you tired of saying a whole lot of nothing?”
We Almost Broke Up Again – As one of the most cinematic songs on the album, its heartbreak is dressed in vintage silk. This track is a slow-motion car crash of romantic back-and-forths that express a deep, tender, dramatic, and chaotic love between two people. The vocals are stunning, and to me, are some of the best on the album; they carry that weight of a relationship that keeps crumbling but never quite falls apart. It’s that awful feeling of knowing you’ll be back in the same argument tomorrow. To which Sbarina gives her all expression. She sings this so perfectly, being soft at the smaller points and bringing it higher and higher as the anger builds.
Film Match – Scenes From a Marriage (1974) ; Charade (1963) ; Paris, 13th District (2021) ; Gilda (1946)
Favorite Lyric – “You say we’re driftin’ apart / I said, Yeah, I know / Big deal, we’ve been here before / And we’ll be here tomorrow”
Nobody’s Son – Giving up on the Slim Pickings but only finding loneliness in a world that moves on without her. It’s a deep and sincere song that expresses her life. That return of the lyrical intros from Emails I Can’t Send made my heart flip, so many times. The track is danceable in that cry-on-the-dancefloor kind of way. The bridge is genius, and the wit woven into the pain gives this track a sharp edge that sticks. It has a clever and witty side to the lyrics, and it helps that the music tone feels sharp and witty in its own right. The bridge on this track is very different from what stood out about We almost broke up last night, it’s a fun and sharp sound that works so well with the way Sabrina writes and sings.
Film Match – The Green Ray (1986) ; Nights Of Cabiria (1957) ; The Starling Girl (2023) ; Clueless (1995)
Favorite Lyric – “That boy is corrupt (Ah) / Could you raise him to love me, maybe? / He sure messed me up (Ah-ah) / And yes, I’m talking ’bout your baby”
Never Getting Laid- An elevator opening to a world of sarcasm masked in well wishes. It’s a clever breakup song that brings Feather to a new level. It’s a soft ball of hope and self-deprivation that keeps you locked into the lost limbo of heartbreak, a smirking breakup track wrapped in pastel sadness. But there is still this sarcastic lightness to it, like she’s smiling politely while her heart breaks. It’s hopeful… kind of… but only in the way that accepting someone will never change. If Feather was a wink, Never Getting Laid is a sigh.
Film Match – John Tucker Must Die (2006) ; Wanda (1970) ; The Pumpkin Eater (1967) ; The Love Witch (2016) ; Anora (2024)
Favorite Lyric – “I love you just the same / I just hope you get agoraphobia some day / And all your days are sunny / From your windowpane”
When Did You Get Hot?– Aesthetically, this fits like a dream; musically, it’s smooth, flirty, and confident, all wrapped in a classic Salt-N-Pepa beat. Honestly, I don’t really understand this track’s place in the album. Underneath all that is a built-in storybook album that we have that feels so separated from this track. It feels like a strange detour from the album, which in a way puts you on hold from the rest of the album’s story. Nonetheless, it’s a great song, though, and there’s something so undeniably fresh about the energy here. It’s a mood piece, and sometimes, in an album full of statements, you just need a moment that’s all style and side-eye.
Film Match – Drive Me Crazy (1999) ; Can’t Buy Me Love (1987); Never Been Kissed (1999); Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
Favorite Lyric – “Sorry, I did not see the vision (Did not see the vision) / Thank the Lord, the fine you has risen (The fine you has risen)”
Go Go Juice – This song is just perfect, it’s by far my favorite track of the album at the moment. This is her Dolly moment, behind all that pop country aesthetic are deeper, more self-deprecating lyrics. Under the honky-tonk sparkle and late-night glitter is something raw and bruised. The late-night country aesthetic is chaos pop gold, and Sabrina celebrates the wild energy of partying, drunk-dialing, and impulsive fun with infectious hooks and playful lyrics. Masking the more saddened and devastated lyrics. The bridge brings the song together, an echo into the 80s with clear inklings to Dexys Midnight Runners. It’s real and unapologetically so, not masking away from self-embarrassment, and I can’t help but love it.
Film Match – Gas Food Lodging (1992) ; Licorice Pizza (2021) ; Chucking Express (1994) ; Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
Favorite Lyric – “Oh, I’m just drinking to call someone / A girl who knows her liquor is a girl who’s been dumped / Sippin’ on my go go juice”
Don’t Worry I’ll Make You Worry – The only song on the album that reminisces about the entire Emails I can’t send era, with the soft vulnerability in its instrumentation and lyrical self-reflection. It’s a very glowy song, like floating through the wreckage of your own choices. But it’s not just sad, it’s a play of power in disguise. Warring with a sharp edge. The song has this way of switching its pop for a mellow feel that floats you to the air, and slips into a dreamy ballad that feels like a lullaby for people who’ve outgrown their well-wishes. This song is going to stand out live with its beautiful vocals because even in the studio version, you feel like you are right there in it.
Film Match – How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003) ; Down with Love (2003) ; Watching the Detectives (2007) ; Design for Living (1933)
Favorite Lyric – “But on the forty-minute drive home (Wow) / You’re internalizing my jokes (Mm) / And your mother even agrees (Ah) / That emotional lottery is all you’ll ever get with me”
House Tour – Theatrical, plastic, perfection type of song. It’s Barbiecore done in such a Sabrina way. The song is satirical and unsettlingly perfect; that’s like a Malibu Dreamhouse with more innuendos than I can count. I think it’s probably one of those tracks that takes a bit to grow. In a way, it reminds me a lot of the way Espresso had this slow burn on me. Soon, I can see myself yelling about this being a critically underrated sleeper track. Something is enchanting about this track; the beat is repetitive, but it doesn’t drag, no matter how many listens.
Film Match – Barbie (2023) ; Empire Records (1995) ; The Bling Ring (2013); How to Steal a Million (1966)
Favorite Lyric – “You don’t need to love me, love me, lovе me / I’m just so proud of my design”
Goodbye – The final note of the album, and it feels ever so final. It’s the final letting go of old versions of yourself and your past loves. It’s mature, quick, and grounded. There’s no bitterness, just that quiet kind of peace masked behind a quick and fun-paced composition. A soft entrance into a post-album renaissance, and I couldn’t ask for a better track to do that. The upbeat violins and clever lyrics are sneakily the happiest track on the album. It’s not sad, it’s free. It’s such fun and clever lyrics that it feels so cute to sing.
Film Match – Silvia Prieto (1999) ; Grease (1978) ; 13 Going On 30 (2004) ; Death Becomes Her (1992) ; Heathers (1989)
Favorite Lyric – “So you don’t get to be the one who cries / Can’t have your cake and eat it too / By walking out, that means you choose goodbye”
Such a Funny Way – As a bonus track on the album and not officially released for streaming, I do have to say I wish they had kept this in the album. It’s such a strong track in both its lyrics and its composition. I do understand that it’s a bit different from the vibe the album was going for, but it’s still a great track nonetheless, and some of the best we have seen from Sabrina. It’s a glittery gut-punch disguised as a 70s dance floor bop. self-deprecatory sing-song manner that is screened through a more pop-focused song that feels like Abba all over again. It’s funny but painfully self-aware, everything that makes this era of her music so good.
Film Match – Oh, Hi (2025) ; True Romance (1993) ; The Last Days of Disco (1998)
Favorite Lyric – “Keep me far from friends and family, baby, that’s just one of your quirks / And if distance makes you fonder, I’m flattered by the distance you seek / Yeah, you know just how to thrill me / Oh honey, how you kill me”.
