Pop singer Sabrina Carpenter is once again at the center of cultural discourse following the release of her forthcoming album’s cover art. On June 11, Carpenter unveiled the cover for Man’s Best Friend, set to release August 29, prompting swift and polarizing reactions across social media and cultural commentary platforms.
The image—styled by Jared Ellner—features Carpenter on all fours in an archival Dolce & Gabbana minidress and heels, her hair gripped by an unseen man’s hand. The visual immediately drew criticism from some viewers, with detractors accusing the pop star of perpetuating regressive gender dynamics and objectification.
Glasgow Women’s Aid, a domestic abuse organization based in Scotland, publicly condemned the image, calling it “a throwback to tired tropes that reduce women to pets, props, and possessions.” Other critics echoed the concern, questioning the timing of such imagery in a sociopolitical climate where women’s rights are increasingly under threat. A comment on Carpenter’s Instagram stated, “This just set us back about 5 decades,” while The Telegraph labeled the photo “over-sexed” and “degrading.”
Carpenter, a former Disney Channel star who has since carved out a provocative and assertive space in pop music, has not directly responded to the backlash. However, fans and commentators familiar with her body of work argue the image is a deliberate, ironic provocation—consistent with the artist’s established themes of female agency, sexuality, and self-aware performance.
Rather than a passive object, supporters argue Carpenter is actively engaging with and subverting patriarchal expectations. The album title, Man’s Best Friend, is viewed by some as a play on the term “bitch,” potentially repurposed as a statement of defiance. TikTok users and fans have speculated that the project’s themes will address labels often weaponized against women—particularly those in the public eye.
Throughout her recent work—including chart-topping singles like “Espresso” and “Please Please Please”—Carpenter has employed camp, innuendo, and lingerie-inflected costuming as central elements of her artistic identity. Her lyrics often examine the double standards faced by women in both romantic relationships and the public sphere. In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Carpenter acknowledged the scrutiny, saying, “I’ve never lived in a time where women have been picked apart more… [We] just have to grow thicker skin.”
Her previous tracks, such as “because I liked a boy,” have directly addressed the vitriol directed at women perceived as too sexually expressive or emotionally independent. “Tell me who I am, guess I don’t have a choice / All because I liked a boy,” she sings on the song—widely interpreted as a critique of the media frenzy surrounding her personal life.
Comparisons have also been drawn to historical and contemporary pop figures—Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, and more recently Beyoncé—who have used hyper-feminine, sexualized aesthetics as forms of self-expression and cultural commentary. Supporters argue Carpenter is continuing in that tradition, with full awareness of the controversies it may ignite.
Critics of the backlash also point to a gendered double standard in how sexualized imagery is received. Past album covers by male artists, such as Jason Derulo’s 2013 Talk Dirty or The Dare’s Girls, have depicted women in suggestive poses without inciting similar levels of outrage.
As Man’s Best Friend approaches its release, it remains to be seen how Carpenter will further explore or address these themes through her music. But one fact is clear: whether viewed as subversive art or tone-deaf provocation, the cover has succeeded in generating conversation—something the singer has increasingly mastered in recent years.
