Sabrina Carpenter's new album Man's Best Friend: a satirical Feminist anthem or a flirt with misogyny?

Grammy award winner Sabrina Carpenter, best known for Espresso and her latest album, Short n’ Sweet, has sparked debate across social media following the announcement of her new album, Man’s Best Friend, on 12 June.

Last month, the singer shared the album artwork, which features Carpenter on her hands and knees while a faceless, suited man grabs her hair.

Image Source: via Sabrina Carpenter's Instagram on 12 June.

Carpenter has built a global brand around sexuality and provocative innuendos, especially through her playful Nonsense outros and lyrics.

Many pointed out that the album cover is “on-brand” for the popstar, who is widely known for her flirtatious lyricism and bold performances.

Some fans defended Carpenter, arguing the image is a satirical mockery of patriarchal values, and some theorised the faceless suited figure might be Sabrina herself.

“The Sabrina Carpenter album cover is satire. She is portraying how patriarchal society views her, not how she views herself or her relationships with men,” one fan wrote.

However, others expressed their concerns, arguing that the image perpetuates degrading misogynistic fantasies rooted in gender-based violence and submission.

“Super disappointed. You should be using your platform to uplift women, social issues, and justice,” another fan commented.

Carpenter later revealed an alternative version of the cover on 26 June, joking in an Instagram caption that it was “approved by God.”

Some have suggested the backlash may be an intentional marketing tactic, with her ‘rage-baiting’ generating the media attention, further promoting her brand.

Image Source: via Sabrina Carpenter's Instagram 26 June.

But this isn’t the first time Carpenter has faced criticism for controversial artistic choices.

In 2024, she featured in W Magazine’s September edition in a photoshoot referencing the 1997 film Lolita, an adaptation of Nabokov’s novel dealing with themes of paedophilia and child sexual abuse.

During a 2023 performance of Nonsense in Mexico City, Carpenter said, “I'm full-grown but I look like a niña,” with niña translating to “girl” in Spanish, prompting further criticism over the nature of her lyrics and persona.

Man’s Best Friend is set to be released later this year on 29 August.

Image Source: W Magazine on Instagram, September 25, 2024.