How Should Sabrina Carpenter Feel About the First-Week Performance of ‘Man’s Best Friend’?

Just 11 months after she last occupied it, Sabrina Carpenter returns to the top spot of the Billboard 200 this week with her new album, the Aug. 29-released Man’s Best Friend.

The new set, her follow-up to 2024’s four-week Billboard 200 No. 1 Short n’ Sweet, claims pole position with an impressive 366,000 units moved, according to Luminate — a slightly higher number than its predecessor bowed with (362,000). In addition, it notches all 12 of its tracks in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, with two — the No. 3-entering “Tears,” and the No. 4-rebounding “Manchild” (which previously debuted at No. 1) — making the top five.

How should Carpenter feel about her first-week performance? And what would he advise her to do for the rest of the year? Billboard staffers answer these questions and more below.

1. Sabrina Carpenter debuts atop the Billboard 200 this week with Man’s Best Friend, posting 366,000 first-week units — up a tiny bit from the first-week performance of last year’s Billboard 200-besting Short n’ Sweet (362,000 units). On a scale from 1-10, how excited should Carpenter and her team be with that performance?

Eric Renner Brown: 7. Man’s Best Friend‘s first-week figures didn’t blow Short n’ Sweet‘s out of the water – probably a small disappointment for Carpenter and her team, given how inescapable she has been for the past year – but they did maintain her 2024 effort’s success, and without being buoyed by two massive pre-release hits like Short n’ Sweet was. The stat I’d be most excited about were I in Carpenter’s camp: Man’s Best Friend clocked the ninth-best vinyl sales week in the modern era (dating back to 1991); only one of the albums ahead of her on that tally is by an artist not named Taylor Swift. That accomplishment demonstrates her fan base’s passion – and her team’s release strategy savvy.

Lyndsey Havens: 10. Sabrina’s trajectory right now is what I imagine every pop star dreams of — whenever it happens. To quote the Hot 100’s current champion, Sabrina keeps going up “up, up, up” and it’s a joy to watch as a longtime fan. Especially because it seems that she’s having the most fun of us all. And I think it’s in part because she has mastered striking while the iron is hot; she figured out what works and feels best for her and her audience and has consistently delivered exactly that ever since. And makes it look easy.

Jason Lipshutz: An 8. Sure, it would have been nice to rival the biggest debuts of the year so far by The Weeknd and Morgan Wallen, but Man’s Best Friend squeaking by the bow of Short n’ Sweet, when its predecessor had a more plentiful collection of hits upon its release, is beyond impressive. Sabrina Carpenter has reached a level in which every new album is a pop event, but returning so quickly after a blockbuster album and scoring an even bigger debut demonstrates just how firmly she’s planted herself on the A-list.

Joe Lynch: Nine. Both the overall total and trad album sales numbers for MBF are up from SNS, which is, on face value, A Good Thing. I especially think it’s a win considering SNS benefitted from the juggernaut that was “Espresso,” one of the most ubiquitous, undying hits of the 2020s. For MBF to do even marginally better without a comparable era-defining song boosting the streams is a big win.

Andrew Unterberger: An 8.5. Given the short layover and relative lack of advance hits compared to its predecessor, I think anything within range of Short n’ Sweet would’ve been just fine for Sabrina Carpenter, but to actually squeak by the original’s first-week tally is a big win. And to do it mostly in album sales (but with a still-robust number of streams) — I mean, it’s all what you want if you’re looking to do this thing for a long time.

2. “Tears” is the top-performing song from the new set, debuting at No. 3 on the Hot 100 — and it just received a spotlight performance at Sunday night’s VMAs. Does the song feel like a long-term hit, akin to “Taste” on the last album, or do you think it will have a shorter shelf-life? 

Eric Renner Brown: Sure! It’s at least as catchy, if not moreso, than “Manchild,” “Taste” and “Please Please Please” (“Espresso” is, of course, the GOAT). Another factor that could add to the disco-pop song’s longevity: It sounds tailored to pop off on dancefloors.

Lyndsey Havens: I actually think “Tears” could have longer-term success than “Taste,” especially following her VMAs performance — which has already become a cultural reference point. While I love “Taste,” I’m personally more all-in on “Tears” because I feel like it shows a glimmer of why Man’s Best Friend is in fact an evolution for the pop star. Despite the title and raunchy opening line — which we’ve come to expect from Sab Carp following Short n’ Sweet — the song is about a man being respectful and responsible, whereas “Taste” played up the opposite. “Tears” is just getting started, and with such a strong showing so far, I could see it hanging around the top of the chart for a long while. 

Jason Lipshutz: Yep, this is the “Taste” of this album cycle: new single released concurrently with the album, with a music video featuring a major film star, and the type of uptempo, innuendo-laden pop track that would have been nice to have this summer, but we will embrace for the fall. “Tears” sounds like another big hit for Sabrina, and is functioning like one on streaming services; maybe it dips a bit from its No. 3 debut, but I’d expect it to stick around the top 10 through Pumpkin Spice season.

Joe Lynch: Both. Like “Taste,” the song is a grower, and that VMAs turn should help boost it back up on streaming and radio. I see it sticking around, though not to the extent of “Taste” (38 weeks on the Hot 100!). “Taste” is slyly flirty, “Tears” is unabashedly sexual, and lyrics like “I get wet at the thought of you” are bound to limit its exposure, particularly given the overall conservative swing of American culture lately.

Andrew Unterberger: It’s maybe a little more challenging — key shifts, unusual sonic touchstones, particularly Kidz Bop-unfriendly lyrics — than “Taste,” so I wouldn’t be surprised if it had a little bit quicker a chart run. But it’s also a really great and fun single, and Carpenter seems motivated to continue pushing it, so if it outpaces my expectations I wouldn’t be shocked either.

3. “Manchild” returns to the top five this week, moving 7-4. Do you feel any differently about the song now that the whole album is out than you did when it was first released three months ago? 

Eric Renner Brown: “Manchild” has grown on me since it was released, but my opinion on it hasn’t changed dramatically – it’s a Sabrina Carpenter single, for better or for worse. Carpenter is such a singles-driven artist that, honestly, hearing her songs within the context of their respective albums doesn’t add much more depth to my understanding of them. That “Manchild” kicks off Man’s Best Friend only bolsters the ability to think of it independently from the full album.

Lyndsey Havens: When “Manchild” first dropped it came and went for me — for no particular reason. But within the context of the album, I’ve definitely played it more and appreciate the role it played in setting the tone for Man’s Best Friend. That said, I’m still a “Tears” girl — and even songs like “House Tour” have me coming back more.

Jason Lipshutz: It’s grown in stature for me, thanks to all of the tiny sonic tics and lyrical details that are revealed upon multiple listens. The nifty guitar work in the pre-chorus, the gang vocals in the second half of the bridge, the triple-entendre of “Did you just say you’re finished? Didn’t know we started” in the opening verse — they all contribute to a singular pop showcase, built around an echoing hook that had immediate appeal. I promise you that, in five years, we will look back on “Manchild” as one of Carpenter’s strongest hits.

Joe Lynch: Not especially. I loved “Manchild” when it dropped and I still think it’s fantastic. Does it surpass or even match the best singles of SNS? No, but it’s a bit unfair to measure anything up to “Espresso” and “Taste,” two of the decade’s best so far in pop. And it is an excellent, durable pop song.

Andrew Unterberger: I was at least a little underwhelmed by “Manchild” when it first bowed, but now I’m struggling to even really remember why. Some of the verse lyrics do land a little too broadly for my tastes, but it’s a small complaint when stacked up against all the things this song does really, really well. It’s on the level of the three big Short n’ Sweet hits for me at this point, certainly.

4. Does the album feel to you like it moves her beyond Short n’ Sweet, or do you think it mostly doubles down on what that album did successfully?

Eric Renner Brown: It’s a Sabrina Carpenter album! She ran it back for an album that, to my ears, pretty much picks up right where Short n’ Sweet left off. And that wasn’t a bad idea: Carpenter does a very distinctive thing and does it very well – this is what audiences expect from her. But now I’m wondering… are there people out there hailing this as a major stylistic departure for her?

Lyndsey Havens: At first, I thought it doubled down. And I still think it largely does — which is great! It works for all parties involved. But the more I listen, the more I can see how this is a stepping stone towards whatever comes next, whether it’s a move away from her sex-driven wordplay or a move into the softer production and soaring vocals of a song like “We Almost Broke Up Again,” I can’t wait to see what comes next for Sabrina. And while I’d eagerly press play on a third album in a potential trio of releases, I do hope that there’s a break built in before then — and perhaps ending the album with “Goodbye” is a hint at exactly that. 

Jason Lipshutz: I think even Sabrina would admit that Man’s Best Friend doubles down on a formula that was established on Short n’ Sweet, augmenting the details of a winning blueprint drawn up with close collaborators who understand her voice, sound and humor. Because Short n’ Sweet was such a success, Carpenter has designed Man’s Best Friend as a more personal, and lovably weird, glimpse into her life and relationships, drawing upon similar themes with more confidence and clarity. I doubt Carpenter will linger in this particular mode for too much longer, but for now, she’s having a blast within it.

Joe Lynch: It pushes the envelope a bit further in terms of sexual entendre and transgression (I mean, that album cover) — but musically, she’s doubling down on what worked on SNS. Which is fine – coming almost a year to the date after that breakthrough album, MBF delivers, to my ear, more of the same sonically. But there’s not a lot of people doing what she’s doing right now (or at least doing it well), so I welcome it. Now, in 2026 or 2027, would I hope there’s a bit of growth? Sure. But as a quick follow-up to a blockbuster, this lands.

Andrew Unterberger: It certainly feels of a piece with her last album both sonically and thematically, but the more you listen to this album the more you realize how far this actually is from Shorter n’ Sweeter. It’s a less-explosive album than its predecessor but arguably a richer one, less concerned with offering a cornucopia of singles and more with a providing full-album experience, a relationship song cycle that feels almost like it’s all telling parts of the same story of post-relationship heartbreak, lust, frustration and (some degree of) acceptance. And the musical influences, pushing her further into unusual pockets of pre-MTV crossover country, synthy soft rock and other little-revived genres, really give this album its own sonic identity as well.

5. It’s been an incredible near-two-year run for Sabrina Carpenter in pop music — how would you recommend she spend the next three months to finish out the year as strongly as possible?

Eric Renner Brown: At this point, she feels too big too fail, which I mean in the most complimentary way. These hits, sales, concerts are simply so massive that it’s hard for me to think of any way she could derail this run at this point. But I will be curious to see how she incorporates this fresh material into her Short n’ Sweet tour when it resumes later this month – and if she can leverage any of these new songs to create viral moments.

Lyndsey Havens: Enjoy it, whatever that looks like for her. It sure could mean continuing to write and record. It could mean continuing to ideate and build worlds with her performances (she has a handful of festival gigs in early 2026). And it could mean taking a long vacation. But, somewhere in all of that, I also hope it means preparing for a busy award season at the start of the new year; at this point, an show-opening career-spanning medley from the superstar to open a particular awards ceremony doesn’t even seem that far-fetched. 

Jason Lipshutz: Considering she just released her new album, has a new smash with “Tears,” just delivered one of the best performance at the MTV VMAs and is playing some fall arena dates… what else is there to ask for? The answer, of course, is a music video for “House Tour,” starring some HGTV personalities. Fingers crossed on that one.

Joe Lynch: Another collab with Van Leeuwen, please – I tragically missed the first one and my tastebuds have been furious with me since. Other than ice cream, I hope Carpenter keeps giving us more of what she brought to the VMAs – it’s hard to pull off a political pop performance without being heavy-handed, but she spoke up for trans right while platforming trans people without losing that ineffable, defiant joy of queer culture.

Andrew Unterberger: Could her upcoming appearance on the closer to Taylor Swift’s Life of a Showgirl album possibly kickstart a run of feature appearances from Sabrina Carpenter? I’d love to see it at some point in her career — nearly all the century’s great pop stars have had at least one such memorable run, and she would be incredible just popping up on a big hook for any number of rappers, rockers or dance DJs out there.