Sexy. Confident. Effortlessly charismatic. It seems Sabrina Carpenter was born for stardom. Over the past year, the former Disney Channel actress has carved out her name in the pop music world and became 2024’s summer it girl. But this summer she seems to facing backlash.
In April of 2024, Carpenter released the single “Espresso” off her sixth studio album Short n’ Sweet. A day after its release, the song makes its live debut at Coachella and explodes into popularity. “Espresso” is catchy and addictive. Carpenter continued to ride on this wave of popularity, as her second single, “Please, Please, Please,” became her first #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
She continued to reach new heights as Short n’ Sweet debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart along with a sold-out tour of the same name. Her catchy earworms and massive success cemented her as a main pop girl among the likes of Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift. The world just could not get enough of Sabrina Carpenter.
Now this summer, the “Espresso” singer is aiming to reclaim her dominance and pop princess crown for the second year in a row.
Introducing Man’s Best Friend
On June 5, Carpenter released her lead single “Manchild,” which became her second number #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is cheeky and satirical as Carpenter sings about men’s emotional immaturity in relationships (“Never heard of self care, half your brain just ain’t there”).
A couple of days after “Manchild’s” release, Sabrina announced her seventh studio album, Man’s Best Friend, set to release August 29, 2025. The cover art features Carpenter on all fours, in a dog-like pose (a subtle nod to the album’s title), in a tight black mini dress with a faceless figure, presumably a man, holding her blonde barbie doll hair.
Despite excitement for her upcoming album, the singer is facing backlash. Carpenter’s provocative cover art has sparked divisions among fans and intense online debates over feminism and misogyny.
The Great Divider
Commenters across the internet seemed to be outraged over Man’s Best Friend‘s cover art. On Instagram, one user by the name @vee.unit commented, “Nothing screams ‘feminist era’ like crawling on carpet for male validation…This isn’t provocative, it’s pathetic”. Another user by @burger.built reads “Oh no no no girlfriend, this is the opposite of what we’re doing in 2025”. Carpenter seems to be the next victim of cancel culture, as online users accused her of pandering to the male gaze.
However, among the streams of backlash and hate comments, some fans remained supportive of Sabrina and her cover. @clareellenoconnor commented on Instagram, “Love this. I think everyone is missing the entire point”. Another user by @buttons.on.a.shirt._ expressed “A woman expressing her sexuality will NEVER be a setback to feminism…We have lost the plot I fear”.
Despite the outrage, Sabrina made light of the situation. On June 25, she unveiled an alternate cover for Man’s Best Friend. Her Instagram caption reads “& here is a new alternate cover approved by God…” poking fun at the backlash she has received online.
Recently, she has released a new ‘special edition cover’ of Man’s Best Friend, which features Carpenter lounging on a chair surrounded by a variety of pink and white flowers, with no man in sight.
Despite exploding into the mainstream a year ago, this is not the singer’s first tango with controversy.
Previous Flings With Controversy
In 2023, Sabrina released the music video for her song “Feather” featured on her album emails i can’t send. The video sparked outrage online as it showed Carpenter in a short, sexy black dress on a church altar. Discourse surrounding the video was so intense that the priest who signed off was demoted from his original position in the church.
It’s clear Sabrina is no stranger to controversy. In fact, her artistic choices cause her to flirt with controversial debates and opinions over her image. But Man’s Best Friend cover is just a cover, right? A trivial thing among the internet’s next viral trend. So, what’s the big deal?
Political Ramifications
The debates over Sabrina’s album cover do not come from profound hatred for the singer, but concern for the cover’s lack of political awareness.
Recently, the future of women’s rights has become an increasing concern among many women across the U.S. This comes after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, which rolled back abortion rights in many states. Along with this, numerous agendas under the current Trump administration are threatening women’s rights. Recently, there has been growing discussion of repealing the FACE Act, which prohibits using threats or obstruction to prevent someone from receiving reproductive health care.
Along with the uncertainty surrounding women’s rights, there has been a significant rise in conservative content, specifically conservative it-girl influencers. In their content, these influencers tend to promote traditional gender and familial roles. Preaching the importance of homemaking and criticizing more modern views of feminism and sexuality.
Man’s Best Friend’s album cover can be seen as a political statement, as argued by users online. While some see Carpenter challenging societal norms and reclaiming her sexual identity, many seem to view the cover art as insensitive during the current political climate. They argue that the objectification of the singer on the cover panders to the male gaze and reinforces the idea of women submitting to men.
The political landscape is changing. As more drastic political actions are taken, it seems many female singers similar to Sabrina will continue to face the internet’s unwavering scrutiny.
Challenging Norms
Even so, the criticism surrounding Sabrina Carpenter is not new. Over the decades, many female singers have faced scrutiny from the public eye because of their harmful lyrics or performances.
Madonna’s song “Like a Virgin” faced criticism at the time of its release due to unshamefully singing about sexual encounters, a taboo at the time. In 2013, Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball” music video, which features Cyrus swinging on a wrecking ball nude, shocked the media for its provocative nature.
Despite facing backlash, singers like Madonna and Miley Cyrus broke barriers in music for future female artists like Sabrina Carpenter. It is clear that the “Espresso” singer has taken notes from Madonna in her approach to sexuality and femininity in music and has turned it into her unique brand. She is sweet, sassy, and perhaps a little bit horny. But one thing is for certain: that Carpenter is undeniably herself.
