Sabrina Carpenter fans defend singer’s new album cover: ‘Being kinky is not anti-feminist’
Sabrina Carpenter is a major LGBTQ+ ally. (Getty)
Sabrina Carpenter is a major LGBTQ+ ally. (Getty)
Never one to shy away from causing a stir, Sabrina Carpenter has done it again with the cover art for her upcoming album.
The “Taste” singer announced on Wednesday (11 June) that her next album would be Man’s Best Friend. It followed the release of the first single from the record, “Manchild”.
The cover art for the album shows Carpenter on her hands and knees, wearing a short black dress and heels. She appears to be petting the leg of a man who stands over her and is pulling her hair.
She also shared a picture of a dog collar with the tag reading “man’s best friend”.
Anyone who’s listened to more than five seconds of Carpenter’s most-recent music, or seen her on tour, or doing promos, knows she likes to keep things fun and flirty, while also playing with norms.
The new album cover seems to be a continuation of that.
Grindr joined in the fun by commenting: “My culture is not your costume.” Someone else wrote, “Can’t wait,” while another said: “Mother feeding her children.”
However, not everyone is happy wand some people have taken issue with the seemingly submissive position the singer is in. “This cover art is so disgusting. As a fan, I don’t like it,” one person wrote.
Another said: “Sabrina, this is not the slay you think it is.” Someone else proclaimed: “It’s not a very empowering image for women. I think it’s a mistake since most her fans are women and as a [domestic violence] survivor I find it uncomfortable. I’d rather see her empowered than like that.”
Other people took to the comments more analytically, arguing it was once again Carpenter playing with her image, how people perceive her, and how she chooses to respond.
As one person put it: “Being kinky is not being anti-feminist.”
Man’s Best Friend is due to be released on 29 August but can be pre-ordered now.
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