STACK #250 August 2025

MUSIC FEATURE

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PET SOUNDS I f you want a friend in politics, the saying goes, get yourself a dog. Maybe that also applies to the From the controversial cover to the hit first single, Sabrina Carpenter’s new offering is already one of 2025’s most talked about albums. inspiration struck!” The album’s first

Sabrina Carpenter

JACK OF ALL TRADES

Sabrina Carpenter again collaborated with hit-maker Jack Antonoff, who has won 11 Grammy Awards and worked

single, Manchild , entered the US and UK charts at number one. Many fans believe

music business and is the reason Sabrina Carpenter has called her new album Man’s Best Friend . It’s a fast follow-up to Carpenter’s previous chart-topper, Short

with Taylor Swift, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, P!nk, and Kendrick Lamar.

it’s Carpenter’s kiss-off to her ex, Irish actor Barry

n’ Sweet , which was released almost a year ago to the day. “I didn’t plan on releasing a new record,” the singer says. “However, when inspiration strikes, I got to the studio... luckily, life was happening to me and

Keoghan, who appeared in her Please Please Please video. “Manchild,” she sings, “why you always come a-running to me?... Never heard of self-care, half your brain just ain’t there.” Ouch. Jeff Jenkins

Man’s Best Friend is the year’s most controversial cover. Some critics called the album photo “misogynistic”, “disgusting” and “degrading”, with the singer on her hands and knees, in a tight black dress, with a man pulling on her hair. But legendary artist Carly Simon defended Carpenter, saying: “She’s not doing anything outrageous.” The singer did, however, issue an alternate cover, “approved by God”, which re-created a famous 1957 photo of Marilyn Monroe and her then-hubby Arthur Miller. COVER ME

Man’s Best

Friend by Sabrina Carpenter is out Aug 29 via Universal

IF I WERE A CARPENTER This is Sabrina Carpenter’s seventh album, but she didn’t crack the Australian Top 40 until her fifth album, 2022’s Emails I Can’t Send , which hit number 27. She then topped the charts with 2024’s Short n’ Sweet .

50 NOT OUT

The Big Five-O Live by Cold Chisel is out Aug 8 via Universal

Cold Chisel’s new live album shows they remain one of the world’s greatest live bands.

T he Governor of Victoria lives next door to Melbourne’s Myer Music Bowl, so Cold Chisel had some noise restrictions when they played at the venue on November 23 last year. “Obviously, when you’re playing outdoors in the inner city, they put a limit on how loud you can play, and that drives me crazy,” Jimmy Barnes laughs. At the Bowl gig, Chisel’s

in Australia’s DNA. No doubt the Governor enjoyed the show. “I like to think the nearby residents were singing along,” Don Walker says. Cold Chisel’s new album, The Big Five-O Live , recorded that night at the Bowl, is a remarkable celebration. It shows that age has not dimmed the band’s power. This is gold Chisel, not old Chisel. As Barnesy says simply, “Every night you gotta play like it’s the last show on earth.” Chisel is an almighty beast, and Jimmy Barnes says a reunion is never easy. “We’re like brothers,” he explains. “Sometimes it’s all lovey dovey... other times, we want to start fighting with each other.” But the singer is keen to make more music with his mates. “This will be the last 50th anniversary we do,” he jokes to the crowd.

CHART FACT Cold Chisel’s first chart topper was a live album. Their first live set, Swingshift , hit number one in 1981.

“What I love about this band is that 50 years down the track we’re better than we were when we started; we’re better than we were in our prime.” “I’m happy that Jimmy says, ‘Let’s get ready for the 60th’,” smiles Charley Drayton, who became the band’s drummer after the passing of Steve Prestwich in 2011. “It’s been a dream run,” Ian Moss adds. “Long may it continue.” Jeff Jenkins

sound man Colin Ellis ensured they would not exceed the limit – 104 decibels. But when the crowd sang along, the noise level hit 119 dB. That says everything you need to know about Cold Chisel. You might be able to turn down a band, but you can’t mute the response. Chisel’s songs are ingrained

50 AUGUST 2025

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