"The new Madonna": Internet reacts after Sabrina Carpenter reveals she used "five different men" to shoot Man's Best Friend cover

Sabrina Carpenter took the internet by storm after she revealed an interesting fact about her latest album, Man’s Best Friend. In a September 3, 2025, interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music, Carpenter shared that she had used "five different men" to shoot the Man’s Best Friend album cover.

Explaining the creative thought process behind the cover, Carpenter said that the experience with the male models was not exactly smooth.

"None of them could play with my hair, they were all pulling it, like they were all nervous…the purpose of the photo is to be cheeky, airy, and playful…this is someone I love but who is also doing a lot w/ my heart and emotions…I’m clearly in control even though I’m on all fours," Sabrina Carpenter said.

On September 4, 2025, Pop Crave shared the singer’s revelation about using "five different men", quoting her statements from the interview on X.

Pop Crave

@PopCrave

Sabrina Carpenter tells Zane Lowe she used five different men to shoot the ‘Man’s Best Friend’ cover: “None of them could play with my hair, they were all pulling it, like they were all nervous…the purpose of the photo is to be cheeky, airy & playful…this is someone I love but

Netizens quickly flooded the comment section of Pop Crave’s post to share their reactions. One X user even compared Carpenter to American singer-songwriter Madonna for the way she incorporated men into her artistic vision.

"The new Madonna btw," the user wrote.

Taylor Swift’s right sock (Parody)

@tallnbitter

@PopCrave The new Madonna btw

Many X users praised Sabrina Carpenter’s creative decision and confidence.

🏳️‍🌈

@bigmoshiest

@PopCrave love her rebrand

Metalmind (🩵,🧡)

@metalmiind

@PopCrave It’s fun seeing artists take complete creative control while still letting their vulnerability show.

Rineeth

@rineeth_PRK

@PopCrave Even for cover photo she had so much dedication

Some netizens, however, criticized the Espresso singer’s decision to involve five men for the shoot, calling out the idea as a means to provoke attention.

Beltein

@Belteiin

@PopCrave Was five men really necessary… or was that the whole point? 👀

DΞMZY 💎

@d3mzee

@PopCrave You’re not “clearly” in control if you have to explain that you are 😂

vespera

@vesperamyst

@PopCrave sabrina darling just admit it was rage bait we won't drag you

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Sabrina Carpenter shares how a breakup shaped her Man’s Best Friend album during her interview with Zane Lowe

Sabrina Carpenter (image via Getty Images)

During the aforementioned Apple Music interview with Zane Lowe, Sabrina Carpenter opened up about how a breakup shaped her project Man’s Best Friend.

Carpenter reflected on her change in outlook following the breakup, sharing that she expected to feel bitter but ultimately grew from the experience.

"I think I came out of a sad situation, a lot less bitter than I intended or expected to…With a little bit more of the like, you know what? There’s two people involved, and this is part of growing up," Carpenter said.

The 26-year-old then emphasized the importance of maintaining compassion after relationships end. Instead of holding on to resentment, she explained how she tried to focus on respect for those she once loved.

"I don’t want to be enemies with people that I loved," she added.

Carpenter further described how the album’s opening track captured the cycle of navigating heartbreak. For her, it was a self-aware acknowledgment of repeating familiar patterns.

"I think obviously it depends on what happens and what goes down and how much you feel like you can truly trust that person…But I do, I feel like it is one of those situations where even the album starting with ‘Oh, boy’ was sort of a… It’s an eye roll to yourself, being like, here we go again," she explained.

Beyond the breakup itself, Sabrina Carpenter said the music reflected her drive to move forward. She added that she did not want to get stuck dwelling on what went wrong, stressing the importance of shifting her mindset and recognizing she was not "damaged" despite being "hurt."

She also revealed that Man’s Best Friend "slowly came out of nowhere," after she went through her "newer heartbreak experience."

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Sabrina Carpenter’s latest album, Man's Best Friend, came out on August 29, 2025.