Sabrina Carpenter is well-aware of the whispers and议论that swirl around her, yet she remains unperturbed. On Wednesday, the pop sensation unveiled the mesmerizing cover art for her upcoming album, titled 'Man’s Best Friend,' only to be promptly met with a flurry of criticism. The cover depicts Carpenter, knees bent and adorned in a chic little black dress paired with stylish heels, gazing at the camera with wide, doe-like eyes. Standing tall before her is a man, his hand grasping her hair in a pose that has sparked heated debate online.
The album cover has ignited a divisive online dialogue, with opinions flowing like a river in full spring. Critics have labeled it as contradictory to Carpenter's reputation as a "man-hater," while others staunchly defend it, arguing that the controversy is very much by design—Carpenter, they contend, is no stranger to layering her work with subtle meanings.
One fan penned on X, "The juxtaposition of being labeled a man-hater yet posing on your album cover on your knees, with a man gripping your hair in what some perceive as a degrading manner, is incredibly perplexing." Another added, "Her supposed hatred towards men seems more like a performance."
Carpenter, now 26, has never shied away from voicing her critiques of men through her music. In "Please Please Please," she pleadingly beseeches her current partner not to humiliate her. In "Dumb & Poetic," she mourns being deceived by a man who initially seemed like a gem. And in "Manchild," the lead single from 'Man’s Best Friend,' she lambasts the immaturity that plagues some men.
For some fans, asserting that the album artwork serves as proof of Carpenter's sudden inauthenticity in her critique of men is a misfire. One defender of the cover articulated, "My woke perspective tells me that everyone's reaction to this is just another example of the purity myth that has been foisted upon women for centuries, rooted in the inability to accept women as anything other than 'pure' and 'innocent.'"
'Man’s Best Friend' is set to release on August 29th, and until then, Carpenter remains remarkably unfazed by the murmurs and perceptions of others.
She confessed to Rolling Stone for their July-August cover tale, "I dwell in the resplendent solace of anonymity, where my voice remains unheard and my existence unnoticed, freeing me from any care. My indifference knows no bounds, for my excitement knows no measure." Even Carpenter's Rolling Stone cover has sparked heated discussions. On the cover, the pop sensation adorns herself solely in white lace stockings, her Rapunzel-esque locks strategically draping over choice parts of her anatomy.
The unveiling of the cover on Rolling Stone's official Instagram post has prompted a flurry of defenses for Carpenter from her fans. One user penned, "This is a portrait far from salacious; it's merely a nude feminine form, gracefully concealed by flowing tresses, evoking Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus.' To perceive any nude image as sexual is to venture perilously into the realm of conservatism." Another enthusiast added, "How swiftly people judged her after that album cover (as society often does, interpreting a woman's metaphorical comparison to a man's 'female dog' literally and demanding she now champions female subservience to men, embodying traditional wifely roles or whatever). And in this day and age, young people are increasingly conservative and prudish, regressing alarmingly towards a bizarre Christian fundamentalism as a collective."
Carpenter embraces her sexuality while prioritizing her female fan base. A sudden shift to cater to the male gaze feels out of sync with her brand, especially after the acclaim received for 'Short n’ Sweet,' her double Grammy-winning album that exudes sexual positivity. Songs like "Bed Chem," for example, teem with playful double entendres and whimsical, unapologetic declarations of being a woman who cherishes sex. She serenades these themes with such nonchalance. Her NSFW lyrics are not salacious but cleverly crafted.
"Whenever I didn't feel inclined to be agreeable and please, sarcasm was my transparent tactic, shielding me from labels like rude, bitchy, or difficult," she revealed to Rolling Stone. "This ignites a broader conversation about how women must reshape their communication and intentions to avoid misconceptions. Yet, I've come to realize that assertiveness or knowing what you want doesn't make you a villain."
Judging by the uproar surrounding her album artwork and Rolling Stone cover, Carpenter isn't deterred by a modicum of backlash. She radiates femininity on her own terms, in harmony with her true self. Whether you comprehend it or not is of little consequence to her.
