Sabrina Carpenter has opened up about the inspiration behind her controversial cover art for her latest album, Man’s Best Friend.
The Grammy-winning pop star caused a frenzy when she unveiled the artwork earlier this year – ahead of the album’s release on 29 August – with some going so far as to brand it “disturbing” and “triggering”.
The cover in question shows Carpenter on all fours, with a faceless person in a suit clutching a fistful of her hair, a pose that some critics accused of being degrading to women.
“It was about how people try to control women, and how I felt emotionally yanked around by these relationships that I had, and how much power you’re allowing yourself to give them,” Carpenter, 26, told Variety this week for its Hitmakers issue.
She continued: “It meant one thing to me and 100 things to other people, and I was looking at it going, ‘That’s valid. Mine’s valid. What’s for dinner?’
“Not to bypass the weight that it did carry for some people. I saw it and was like, ‘That’s a great point. It wasn’t the point I was trying to make.”
The cover art for Carpenter’s album ‘Man’s Best Friend’ (Island Records)
Reflecting on the themes in her music and how that was represented in the artwork, she remarked: “I feel like you can be super confident and strong and also knowingly f*** up and knowingly get yourself into situations that are not good for you.
“But you’re doing it all because you are a smart woman and because you’re in control of your life. You can be super put-together and everything can be in shambles.”
In the same interview, the “House Tour” singer rebutted accusations that she had no boundaries in her music: “People think, ‘Oh, she’ll say and do anything!’ No. I really do have boundaries with myself – you’d be surprised!” she said.
“I’m just actually living my life, and you’re watching. If you don’t like it, it’s not for you. If you do like it, let’s play.”
Man’s Best Friend, the follow-up to Carpenter’s 2024 album Short n’ Sweet, received mostly positive reviews from critics. In a three-star review for The Independent, Adam White commented: “It’s worth wondering whether she would benefit from keeping her songs in the oven a little longer. There are incredible highs here, but too much that feels like a first draft.”
Carpenter is up for six Grammys at next year’s ceremony, including Album of the Year for Man’s Best Friend, Record of the Year for her single “Manchild”, and Best Pop Vocal Album.
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