Internet is shocked by Sabrina Carpenter's provocative Man's Best Friend album cover image: ‘It's disgusting'

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

Singer Sabrina Carpenter's album cover for her next, Man's Best Friend, has stirred up controversy, with social media users accusing her of pandering to the male gaze. Many people took to social media to express their frustration, with some describing the artwork as triggering. Also read: Sabrina Carpenter unveils new album Man's Best Friend: 'Can't wait for it to be yours'
Following the release of her latest single Manchild, the Grammy-winning pop star revealed the title and release date for her new album, Man's Best Friend, on her social media pages on June 11.
"My new album, 'Man's Best Friend' (paw emoji) is out on August 29, 2025," Sabrina, 26, wrote, adding, "I can't wait for it to be yours'.
She also shared an image which appears to be the cover of her album. The photograph shows Sabrina, dressed in a black dress and high heels, kneeling on the ground in a dog-like pose while an unidentified individual stands off to the side and pulls her by the hair.
A post shared by Sabrina Carpenter (@sabrinacarpenter)
The album cover has sparked intense scrutiny and debate on social media, including Reddit, with one writing, 'Gonna be that person and say she's not beating the 'catering to the male gaze' allegations. What are we doing here.'
'If it were for the female gaze, SHE would be in the power suit having shirtless men on dog leashes or she would have a dude on his knees in front of her, this is for men only,' another noted.
One social media user mentioned, 'People are already going 'it's SATIRE, she's a COMEDIAN. What exactly is funny about the picture? If she were making this pose with a knife strapped to her ankle or rolling her eyes it would be...kind of better, but she's literally there giving the viewer 'f**k me' eyes, it's not for us ladies, it's for men.
''I'm so sick of this grown a** woman sexualising herself while also acting like a baby. Genuinely sick,' shared another.
One social media user shared, 'Right? I'm all for women empowerment, but she's the one on the floor getting her hair grabbed. Gives me an ick', with another mentioning, 'She's really gone out of her way to degrade herself here. I've never seen a woman present herself as a man's dog before. Very misguided move by her and her team'.
Some found the image 'very triggering', with one writing, 'I hate this' and another noting, 'Yeah, this wasn't even something the creative team thought of, it absolutely is triggering'.
'What the hell is that cover? I love Sabrina's music and I've been supporting her since 2017 but this is terrible,' shared one. One called the cover 'uncomfortable', and another 'disgusting'.
However, some fans of Sabrina welcomed the bold imagery along with the announcement of new music. "SUMMER OF SABRINA FOR A SECOND YEAR IN A ROW," wrote one in the comment section, with another mentioning, 'Sabrina is coming for album of the year, artist of the year, pop vocal album, all of it and I'm here for it'.
Man's Best Friend, Sabrina's seventh studio effort, follows the release of her breakthrough 2024 album Short n' Sweet. The album, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, had hit songs such as Espresso, Please Please Please, Taste and Bed Chem. She first teased Man's Best Friend with the release of Manchild on June 5.