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Sabrina Carpenter's upcoming album, Man's Best Friend, sparked debate following its August 29 announcement, primarily due to its provocative cover art. The image features Carpenter on all fours with a man pulling her hair, accompanied by a secondary photo of a dog wearing a collar labeled "Man's Best Friend."
Criticism emerged immediately after the artwork's release. Glasgow Women's Aid, a Scottish domestic violence advocacy organization, issued a statement on Instagram on June 12, condemning the cover as "regressive" and accusing it of promoting "tired tropes that reduce women to pets, props, and possessions."
On the same day, Real Housewives of Orange County star Tamra Judge weighed in on the controversy. She shared coverage of the issue on X with the caption:
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"What’s all the fuss about? Looks like me in the ’80s!"
Glasgow Women's Aid argued that the image reinforced misogynistic stereotypes, particularly concerning given Carpenter's predominantly young female fan base. In contrast, Tamra Judge's response framed the image as nostalgic rather than offensive.
"Sabrina is pandering to the male gaze and promoting misogynistic stereotypes, which is ironic given the majority of her fans are young women!" Glasgow Women's Aid wrote in their Instagram caption.
However, supporters of Sabrina Carpenter quickly rallied behind Judge's perspective, interpreting the artwork as intentional satire consistent with her established brand. Social media users highlighted the topic of feminism, stating it is her choice to do what she wants.
Many of these defenses referenced her history of using playful innuendo and retro-inspired visuals in her work.
Sabrina Carpenter's artistic philosophy amid controversy
The Please Please Please singer has not directly addressed the recent backlash. However, in a June 12 Rolling Stone cover story interview, Carpenter provided relevant context regarding her approach to provocative content.
When asked about criticism surrounding sexual themes in her music and performances. Sabrina responded by pointing out that it is often the public that popularizes such material.
"It’s always so funny to me when people complain... Those are the songs that you’ve made popular. Clearly, you love s*x," Carpenter said.
She described her stage moments—like simulated s*x positions during her performance of her song, Juno—as intentionally humorous, contrasting with her ballads and introspective tracks. The Espresso singer also expressed frustration about the selective focus on viral moments, noting:
"There’s so many more moments than the ‘Juno’ positions, but those are the ones you post every night and comment on. I can’t control that," she said.
The timing of the album announcement, coming just a year after her Grammy-winning Short n’ Sweet, has intensified scrutiny. Glasgow Women's Aid reiterated their critique, specifically calling out the album’s quick turnaround for relying on what they termed "packaged up retro glam"—imagery they argue fuels damaging stereotypes about women’s roles.
With the August 29 release locked in, these ongoing discussions about artistic limits are likely to continue throughout Sabrina Carpenter’s album rollout.
