Sabrina Carpenter isn’t sticking to tradition, and that’s exactly what’s making waves. On June 5, 2025, nearly a year after Short n’ Sweet lit up the charts, she dropped Manchild, a surprise single that caught fans and critics off guard. The timing, the tone, and the bold move itself raised eyebrows across the industry.
In a world where pop rollouts are carefully mapped, Carpenter’s decision to release a brand-new track outside the usual cycle challenged expectations. Whether it broke a rule or simply rewrote one, Manchild marks another moment where our beloved singer chose instinct over industry norms.
Sabrina Carpenter drops Manchild while Short n’ Sweet still soars
Sabrina Carpenter just did something most pop stars wouldn’t dare – she released Manchild while Short n’ Sweet was still riding high. The track dropped on June 5, 2025, and with it, Carpenter proved she’s not playing by the industry’s slow-and-steady rules. Most would stretch out one album before teasing the next. Carpenter’s moving at her own speed.
The singer’s deep into her Short n’ Sweet tour, but she’s already looking ahead to her next chapter with Man’s Best Friend. Why rush into something new mid-cycle? According to Carpenter, it’s simple – because she can. In her own words (via Rolling Stone):
If I really wanted to, I could have stretched out Short n’ Sweet much, much longer. But I’m at that point in my life where I’m like, ‘Wait a second, there’s no rules.’ If I’m inspired to write and make something new, I would rather do that. Why would I wait three years just for the sake of waiting three years? It’s all about what feels right.
That mindset has made her one of pop’s boldest names. She’s not waiting for trends, label pressure, or even a new album cycle to decide when it’s time to drop something fresh.
With Man’s Best Friend still under wraps, Carpenter is reveling in the creative freedom. She admits there’s peace in knowing no one’s heard it yet, meaning she’s free to experiment, evolve, and, most of all, not care what anyone thinks. And if Manchild is any sign, she’s just getting started.
Sabrina Carpenter claps back at critics over sexy tour moments
Sabrina Carpenter isn’t here for pearl-clutching. The pop star is firing back at critics who say her tour leans too heavily into sexual innuendo, especially when those same fans made the songs hits in the first place.
In her Rolling Stone cover story, Carpenter called out the double standard:
They’re like, ‘All she does is sing about this.’ But those are the songs that you’ve made popular. Clearly you love s*x. You’re obsessed with it. It’s in my show. There’s so many more moments than the Juno positions, but those are the ones you post every night and comment on.
Viral clips of her pretending to get freaky during Juno and Bad Chem have racked up millions of views, but Carpenter says there’s way more to her show than that. Still, she’s not about to tone it down.
Man’s Best Friend drops August 29.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
