Sabrina Carpenter has never shied away from bold visuals. But her latest album rollout has triggered a firestorm. The pop singer’s just-unveiled artwork for Man’s Best Friend dropped jaws. And not in the way her team might have hoped. Posing on all fours as a man towers over her, gripping her hair, Carpenter ignited instant backlash. While she’s known for playing with cheeky themes. Many felt this image crossed a line.
The moment the image hit social media, it stirred heated debate. Some fans were already wary of the album’s title, Man’s Best Friend, but the cover took those concerns to another level. Critics zeroed in on the submissive posture and provocative styling. They also accused the 26-year-old of promoting the male gaze. Instead of celebrating empowerment, the visuals felt, to many, like a regression. Especially coming from an artist with a massive Gen Z following.
Internet Unhappy Over Recent Sabrina Carpenter Stunt
Fans didn’t hold back. Many questioned why, at the peak of her influence, Carpenter chose to lean into such a controversial narrative. The uproar only intensified when she shared a cropped photo of a dog with a heart-shaped collar tag reading “Man’s Best Friend.” This was seen as a metaphor that reinforced the troubling themes. The lead single Manchild, a scathing track about gender dynamics, only fueled the conversation. Though the song topped Spotify’s U.S. and Global charts. Its release alongside the provocative cover felt to some like a calculated move.
Adding fuel to the fire was the timing. Just days earlier, Sydney Sweeney had been dragged for her risqué marketing of a soap line. An ad campaign many dubbed tone-deaf and fetishistic. Now, Carpenter found herself in similar territory. With critics wondering if this trend of female stars playing into controversial fantasies was spiraling out of control.
My new album, “Man’s Best Friend” 🐾
— Sabrina Carpenter (@SabrinaAnnLynn) June 11, 2025
is out on August 29, 2025.
i can’t wait for it to be yours x
Pre-order now: https://t.co/E7QJWhYV2D pic.twitter.com/UXVLzBQTj4
Still, controversy hasn’t slowed her down. Sabrina is coming off two Grammy wins and a wildly successful tour. But with her Man’s Best Friend era just beginning, the backlash may not be the kind of buzz she hoped for.
