Sabrina Carpenter has never shied away from being horny. In fact, she capitalizes on it.
In a world where society ostracizes women for being too promiscuous, Carpenter has reclaimed her sexuality, making it her own and at the forefront of her lyrical genius. Since her rise with her bold and rich breakthrough hit “Espresso” back in April 2024, the singer has both shocked–and, quite frankly, impressed—the world with her uncanny ability to sing about sex in a myriad of ways. For one activity, she’s proved there are certainly an infinite number of ways to write about it.
Her funky and synth-y song “Bed Chem” demonstrates her wishful thinking (“Manifest that you’re oversized”), while the TikTok trending tune “Juno”—named after the teen pregnancy movie—has her asking, “Wanna try out my fuzzy pink handcuffs?” The latter song even had her exhibiting different sex positions, preceded by the line, “Have you ever tried this one?” on her recent Short n’ Sweet tour in support of the 2024 album that shares the tour’s name.
Self-aware and with her tongue permanently in her cheek, Carpenter has made irony her forte, obvious through interview comments (such as saying her latest single “Manchild” is about “your dad”) and even Instagram captions.
As if it were even possible, though, it seems that Carpenter may have recently taken her nymphomaniac identity a step too far.
Man’s Best Friend‘s controversial cover art
On June 11, the “Please Please Please” singer posted on Instagram an announcement and cover reveal for her upcoming album, Man’s Best Friend, due on August 29. On the cover and true to the title, Carpenter perches on all fours in a black bodycon minidress in front of a faceless man, who holds her signature blonde hair like a leash. While in line with her specifically curated, previously praised brand, Carpenter is a lingerie-clad Moses, and the internet is the Red Sea. Division was bound to happen.
One Instagram comment by the user @hannahmariebarker on the reveal post reads, “Am I the only one who thinks this is dehumanizing for women?” Still, another user, @popandposey says, “If this cover was satire, then women would feel seen and heard within it and men would feel completely uncomfortable, this isn’t subversive, it mimics the violence it’s failing to critique.”
Few comments of the 80,000 actually praise the cover art. One user @hannah.jane.e observing, “Y’all are missing the point if you think this album cover is offensive to feminism when the lead single is literally entitled ‘Manchild.’”
On June 25, in light of the controversy, Carpenter posted on Instagram an alternate album cover “approved by God.” This one features her standing next to a man, rather than kneeling in front of him.
Sabrina’s ability to control the narrative
While Carpenter openly sings about her sexual experiences and desires, she isn’t one to take it lying down—no pun intended. In her hit “Busy Woman,” she croons about her willingness to be there if a man “needs her love.” But that doesn’t mean she isn’t selective: “Yeah, I’m a busy woman / I wouldn’t let you come into my calendar any night.” Even in her first number one song “Please Please Please” she warns in the closing, “If you don’t wanna cry to my music / Don’t make me hate you prolifically.” Her lyrics make it clear: she’s not one to be screwed with—metaphorically speaking.
Her music videos tell a similar story. In the video for “Taste,” viewers watch as Carpenter and her ex’s other lover (played by Jenna Ortega) realize the man is the problem and befriend one another. The video for “Please Please Please” also shows her handcuffing and duct taping the mouth of her then-boyfriend in real life.
Time and time again, Carpenter relayed that while she loves men, they’re sometimes more of a curse than a blessing. Nevertheless, her cover art still elicited such extreme reactions. Why?
The answer lies in the grander context.
Current events intensify the controversy
Carpenter’s album announcement comes during a time of great uncertainty for the rights of women, particularly in the United States. Under Donald Trump’s presidency and since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, women and girls have seen a significant rollback in access to abortion care across numerous states, such as Alabama, Arkansas, and Idaho. Trump has additionally shown his disregard for women’s safety by pardoning those convicted of physically blocking or threatening violence against those attempting to receive care at reproductive health clinics.
The administration’s termination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) funding and programs in the workplace additionally harms women of color as well as women with disabilities, as the attacks wipe clean their protections against discrimination.
Cisgendered and straight women aren’t the only ones in danger, either. Trump’s regressive views on gender and sexuality have resulted in an administration-wide redefinition of sex as strictly male or female and fixed at birth, in addition to a decrease in LGBTQ+ protections. This jeopardizes access to education, healthcare, and other federal services for LGBTQ+ women and girls.
And this only scratches the surface. Keeping this in mind, it’s understandable why some women would view Carpenter’s cover as yet another hurdle to jump over.
Sabrina Carpenter’s future
While the topic is nuanced, Carpenter isn’t the first openly sexual woman to be the subject of societal controversy, and by all means, she won’t be the last. It’s almost as if it’s a pop star’s rite of passage. Britney Spears, in her 2001 MTV VMA performance of “I’m a Slave 4 U,” received backlash for overt sexuality after suggestively dancing with a snake prop. Miley Cyrus’s 2013 MTV VMA performance with Robin Thicke also garnered negative attention for involving twerking and a foam finger. More recently, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” received immense criticism because of its explicit lyrics regarding female sexual pleasure.
Despite these setbacks, all of the singers—and others such as Madonna and Rihanna—continue to be music industry staples.
Carpenter proves herself no different. Rising to mainstream fame after over ten years in the industry—and planning a new album release only a year after her last—shows that she doesn’t plan on slowing down or compromising any time soon. She, at this point in her career, has solidified herself as a pop sensation despite the sudden hate, and she’ll still go down… in history, of course.
