On June 11th, Sabrina Carpenter revealed the cover of her seventh studio album, Man’s Best Friend, on Instagram and all hell broke loose. 

The album cover, which depicts Carpenter on her hands and knees while a man holds some of her hair like a leash, sparked backlash among her fans and the public. There were accusations of the image perpetuating the stereotypical patriarchal ideal of a woman submitting to a man. Critics of the cover maintained that in the current political climate, especially in the US where we are seeing an uptake in the freedom of women being restricted, this album cover was in poor taste. 

Some fans came to her defence, stating that the album cover was certainly satire. Carpenter is known for songs embracing her sexuality and lyrics highlighting her self-awareness to how the public views her.  

I waited for the album to be released before forming an opinion on the cover. The album, after all, is meant to be consumed as a piece of art. You cannot get the whole picture just by looking at the cover.  

Man’s Best Friend released on August 29th, 2025. Now that we have had the opportunity to consume all content in the manner it was intended, I believe a fair assessment can be given to the implications of this album cover. I do not think this album is the setback to feminism that it was being described as in June.

Man’s Best Friend Album Cover/sabrinacarpenter.com

Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, I’ll admit: I’m a Sabrina Carpenter fan. I’ve kicked it to Short n’ Sweet since its release (and I had her first album on iTunes back in 2015 as a very cool 11 year old), but I was curious to see which direction this album would go in after seeing the cover. It’s not what I was anticipating. 

Man’s Best Friend consists of 12 tracks. It is a pop album with elements of disco and funk mixed in. Sonically, it is similar to Short n’ Sweet. Some have pointed this out as if it’s a bad thing, but I disagree. I do not believe it is necessary for an artist to change their whole sound with every studio release. It is not a bad thing for someone to be able to tell what artist a song is by without having the knowledge prior.  

As for the actual theming of the album, the album tells stories about the hell (or learning experiences for you optimists) that is dating in your 20s. Songs such as “Manchild”, “Goodbye”, and “My Man on Willpower”, among others, detail the challenges of Carpenter’s relationships. Additionally, she has lyrics sprinkled in about her awareness of the role she plays in her relationships. In “Sugar Talking”, Carpenter sings: “it’s your seventh last chance, honey.”. However, Carpenter’s brand of humour poking at dating culture shines best in the song “Tears”, where she satirizes the bare minimum in relationships (communication, responsibility, and respecting women) being now hailed as a rare, coveted find in heterosexual presenting relationships. 

Man’s Best Friend Alternate Cover/sabrinacarpenter.com

I think that Carpenter’s album cover works as a whole for the message she conveys throughout the work. Carpenter expresses her frustration with the complications of dating as a woman and acknowledges that in many cases, she allows poor treatment by men. I believe this is what was meant to be conveyed in the artwork. Man’s Best Friend suggests a status of her being second fiddle to men in romantic relationships, but the songs express her frustration with this expectation. 

Still, if you feel that this album perpetuated misogynistic dynamics, that is valid. However, I think that if we are considering the critiques on the feminism of the album cover, it is only fair that Carpenter’s other displays of advocacy be highlighted. 

Earlier this year, Carpenter signed an open letter shared by The Trevor Project calling on the United States government to protect federal funding for LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention programs. 

Carpenter doubled down on her allyship to the LGBTQ+ community with her performance at this year’s VMAs. While singing “Tears”, the pop star featured drag queens in the performance, as well as signs with slogans such as: Protect Trans Rights, Support Local Drag, and Gay Rights are Human Rights. 

Regardless of how you feel about the album cover, this display of allyship is paramount right now, given how many attacks we’re seeing on LGBTQ+ rights in both the United States and Canada. Carpenter using her power to advocate for the community is a display of feminism and using your privilege to help others.  

I’d like to close the article with this: I would like to see similar criticism for album covers and music videos produced by male artists where women are sexualized and objectified. I find it telling that the cover that elicited this response was one by a female artist.