Sabrina Carpenter’s 'Man’s Best Friend' cover has sparked outrage—and that’s the point

Sabrina Carpenter is on an undeniable hot streak—Espresso is dominating charts, Manchild just hit No.1 on Spotify U.S., and her tour now stretches through Thanksgiving. But the biggest drop? Her announcement of a brand-new album titled Man’s Best Friend, out August 29, with an Instagram post that made the internet spiral.

In the carousel’s first image, Carpenter is posed on all fours in a micro-mini dress while an anonymous man grips her hair. In the next? A powder-blue dog collar engraved with the album’s title. It’s provocative, absurd, darkly funny—and very on-brand for Carpeneter. Whether it’s a cheeky nod to patriarchal power dynamics or a deadpan send-up of them, one thing’s for sure: Carpenter knows exactly what she’s doing. 

The backlash (and the bait)

Of course, not everyone is laughing. Some internet critics called the image “degrading” and “tone-deaf,” especially given the current political climate around women’s rights in the US.

On the other hand, some defended it as satire, arguing it cleverly reflects how she’s perceived through the lens of the male gaze—and how it ignites a conversation around the way female pop stars are often infantilised, objectified, controlled, and commodified.

And Carpenter knows this. That smirk (literal or not) says: You think I don’t know what I’m doing? Please. She’s offering up an image that both provokes and parodies. It’s uncomfortable because it’s meant to be.

Puppy metaphors and pop power plays

This isn’t her first flirtation with pet motifs either. The Manchild video features Sabrina cradling a puppy like an accessory—a tongue-in-cheek jab at emotionally unavailable men. She’s clearly building a narrative here: one that takes the most infantilising stereotypes of femininity and flips them into spectacle.

What’s fascinating is how the image both invites and mocks the very reactions it’s receiving. Yes, Carpenter is positioned like a pet. But she’s also smirking—figuratively, if not literally. She’s in on the joke. That may be what’s making people uncomfortable: the fact that she’s playing with power by appearing to give it up.

And it’s working. After debuting Manchild live at Primavera Sound in Barcelona, she’s riding the momentum into summer festival season, with appearances at Lollapalooza and Hyde Park. The album’s multiple formats (vinyl, cassette, and even a picture disc illustrated by Jacob Rochester) only further signal that Man’s Best Friend is more than just a title—it’s a tightly curated, tongue-in-cheek pop campaign.

She’s holding the leash—literally and metaphorically

And let’s be honest: outrage is a hell of a marketing strategy. The conversation around the cover has gone viral, from Reddit threads to morning talk shows. Everyone has an opinion, and whether you think it’s high art or lowbrow pandering, you’re talking about it. That’s the point.

The pose might look like submission, but that’s what makes it subversive. She’s in the power seat, not despite the pose, but because of it.

Sabrina Carpenter isn’t asking for your approval

In an industry that still expects women to walk a fine line between sexy and serious, empowerment and objectification, Carpenter seems unbothered, and her playbook is refreshingly chaotic.

She’s not here to be your role model. She’s here to make great pop music, spark conversations, sell records, mess with expectations, and maybe make you question why you’re so upset by a woman pretending to be a man’s best friend.

Like it or not, the leash is in her hands.

Lead image: Getty Images

Also read: Cherry cola lips, daddy issues, and the truth behind the Lana Del Rey Effect

Also read: Billie Eilish and Nat Wolff's relationship is finally out in the open