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Sabrina Carpenter warns ‘pearl clutchers’ about explicit lyrics on new album Man's Best Friend
Sabrina Carpenter told Gayle King her new album, Man’s Best Friend, “is not for any pearl clutchers,” as she leans into explicit lyrics and bold visuals
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Sabrina Carpenter recently sat down with Gayle King for an interview on CBS Mornings, where she addressed the backlash around the sexual themes in her music and visuals. In a preview clip shared with USA Today, King praised the 26-year-old for her “unapologetic” approach, noting that some people have been “clutching their pearls.” Carpenter didn’t hesitate in her reply.
“My new album is not for any pearl clutchers,” she said, before softening the edge just a little. “I also think that even pearl clutchers can listen to an album like that in their own solitude and find something that makes them smirk and chuckle to themselves,” she added.
Sabrina Carpenter’s album sparks debate before release
Her seventh album, Man’s Best Friend, drops Friday, August 29. Nine of its 12 songs carry the explicit tag, and the cover art alone has fueled plenty of online debate. The image shows Carpenter kneeling on the floor as a hand yanks her blonde hair - a choice that quickly divided fans and critics on social media.
Carpenter is no stranger to provocative staging. During her Short n’ Sweet tour, she leaned into sexual innuendo onstage, often performing in lingerie-inspired looks and joking with the audience. Performances of Juno, a song about wanting to get pregnant because she adores her partner, went viral due to her reenactments of different sex positions mid-show, USA Today noted.
When asked about criticism that her lyrics overshare, Carpenter told King she does not see it that way. “I think about being at a concert with however many young women I see in the front row that are screaming at the top of their lungs with their best friends. And you can go like, ‘Oh, we can all, like, sigh of relief like, ‘This is just fun.’”
Track list revealed
Man’s Best Friend follows her 2024 Grammy-winning project Short n’ Sweet, which topped the Billboard 200 and delivered hits like Espresso, Please Please Please, Taste, and Bed Chem. That album cemented her playful, pin-up image in the pop landscape.
Carpenter first teased the new record in June with Manchild. The video, featuring her in a white button-up, sky-blue heels and denim micro shorts, lit up social media.
Below is the full track list for Man's Best Friend:
- Manchild
- Tears
- My Man on Willpower
- Sugar Talking
- We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night
- Nobody’s Son
- Never Getting Laid
- When Did You Get Hot?
- Go Go Juice
- Don’t Worry I’ll Make You Worry
- House Tour
- Goodbye
Sabrina Carpenter’s full interview with Gayle King airs Friday at 7 AM ET on CBS Mornings.
FAQs:
What did Sabrina Carpenter say about pearl clutchers?
She said her new album “is not for any pearl clutchers.”
When does Man’s Best Friend come out?
It releases Friday, August 29, 2025.
How many explicit songs are on the album?
Nine out of the 12 tracks are labeled explicit.
What was Sabrina Carpenter’s last album?
Her last album, Short n’ Sweet, released in 2024.
