Fans Slam Sabrina Carpenter for NSFW Album Art

Sabrina Carpenter just stirred up one of the biggest controversies of her career, and it’s all because of her latest album cover.

The pop star, who’s been steadily reinventing herself from Disney darling to fully fledged femme fatale, unveiled the cover of her upcoming album, Man’s Best Friend, on Instagram, and the internet went into meltdown.

Dressed in a revealing black mini-dress and positioned on all fours with her signature platinum blonde hair gripped by a man’s hand, Sabrina is seen suggestively placing her hand on his leg. The reaction was immediate and divided, with many fans calling it bold and edgy, while others, especially parents and activists, are saying she’s gone too far this time.

One fan on X (formerly Twitter) didn’t mince words, saying the image looked like a “straight-up Pornhub fantasy,” sparking even more debate online. A domestic violence charity chimed in shortly after, publicly denouncing the imagery. “Sabrina Carpenter’s album cover isn’t edgy; it’s regressive,” the statement read. Critics argued that in a time where porn is easily accessible and young girls are being bombarded with hypersexualized images, a star with a massive following of kids shouldn’t be pushing visuals that glamorize domination and sexual submission.

This isn’t the first time the 26-year-old pop princess has been accused of crossing the line. Earlier this year, her Brit Awards performance caused a media frenzy when she danced in red lingerie in a legs-akimbo routine, prompting more than 900 complaints to Ofcom from parents who felt the segment was too graphic for a pre-watershed audience. The backlash then was intense, but now, with the release of this cover art, things have reached a whole new level.

Carpenter’s transition from squeaky-clean Disney Channel star to a sexually empowered performer hasn’t been subtle. From starring in Girl Meets World to climbing the charts with hits like Espresso and Feather, she’s proven her ability to reinvent herself. Her past albums were more sugar-sweet, but the Short n’ Sweet era showed a bold new Sabrina, one who doesn’t shy away from risqué lyrics or provocative performances. Now, Man’s Best Friend seems like her final declaration that she’s completely ditched her Disney roots.

Yet what makes this controversy hit harder is the age of her audience. Many of Sabrina’s fans are still very young, primary schoolers, even. One mother said she bought tickets to Sabrina’s upcoming Hyde Park performance as a reward for her daughter’s Year 6 SAT success. But now, she’s questioning whether this is a role model she wants her child looking up to, especially with lyrics like “I told that boy to sit me down on all fours / I told that boy go faster, now I’m all sore,” which she performed in Singapore last year during a cheeky improv outro of her song Nonsense.

Sabrina has also spoken publicly about her sexual identity, calling herself “vulgar” and “obnoxiously horny.” On her recent tour, she added in a now fan-favorite moment where she mimics a sex act on stage, right as giant confetti cannons explode behind her, leaving little to the imagination. Fans argue this level of showmanship is part of the pop game and point to legends like Madonna and Christina Aguilera, who’ve long used sexuality as a form of expression. But some critics argue this isn’t just about a sexy show anymore, it’s the overall message, especially in a culture where OnlyFans stardom and Andrew Tate-style misogyny are shaping how young people, especially boys, view women.

It doesn’t help that recent studies show nearly 4% of women aged 18–34 are active on adult-content platforms like OnlyFans. While most don’t take it to the extreme, the fact that this is becoming normalized makes Sabrina’s cover all the more troubling. Activists worry that images like hers contribute to a narrative where women feel their value lies in how sexually appealing they can be to others, even if they’re still teenagers.

To her credit, Sabrina has a strong fanbase who defend her fiercely. One viral tweet read, “Sabrina Carpenter is a genius for how she embraces her sexuality but still keeps women as her target audience. Like, how is she performing in lingerie, and I still feel like it’s not for men at all?” These fans claim she’s flipped the script by being provocative in a way that feels authentic and female-focused. They argue that she’s simply growing up and expressing that journey through music and visuals. Still, not everyone is convinced.

Some even call her the “anti-Taylor Swift.” And it’s not hard to see why. Taylor, known for her emotional vulnerability and self-reflective lyrics, has made it clear that sexy or edgy isn’t really her brand. “I just naturally am not any of those things. I’m imaginative, I’m smart, and I’m hard-working, and those things are not necessarily prioritized by pop culture,” she once said. Yet, both women remain close friends, with Sabrina opening for Taylor on the Eras Tour in 2023, further catapulting her into global fame.

Much like Taylor, Sabrina mines her personal life for material. Her song “Please Please Please”, which features her real-life boyfriend, Saltburn star Barry Keoghan, has fans speculating about their relationship. With lyrics like “Heartbreak is one thing, my ego’s another / I beg you don’t embarrass me, motherf***er,” the song appears to reference concerns about public shame and betrayal, themes that gained relevance after rumors swirled that Keoghan had cheated. That may even be the reason behind their rumored breakup.

Sabrina has never shied away from unpacking her family issues either. The opening track of Emails I Can’t Send is written as a letter to her father, who she claims cheated on her mother. The song dives into how that shaped her fear of being cheated on herself. Despite the raw honesty, her parents are still together. Interestingly, her dad, David, was also the one who helped launch her singing career. He built her a home recording studio when she was just a kid. By age ten, she was already posting covers of Christina Aguilera songs to YouTube. At 13, she placed third in a singing contest run by Miley Cyrus. And in 2013, she got her big break with Girl Meets World.

Fun fact? Her aunt is Nancy Cartwright, the voice of The Simpsons’ Bart Simpson. Rebellion and cheek seem to run in the family. Sabrina’s confidence and fearlessness have gotten her far, but this latest controversy might test just how far fans are willing to follow her.

While her brand of hypersexual performance art may please some, many, including concerned parents and social advocates, are wondering if this is just one shock too many. Is it artistic expression or a dangerous descent into over-sexualized pop culture pandering?

Whatever side you’re on, one thing’s for sure: Sabrina Carpenter is no longer playing it safe, and she’s making damn sure the world knows it.

Jamie Wells has a knack for getting the inside scoop on Hollywood’s biggest stars and up-and-coming talent. With a sharp eye for industry trends and an ear for viral moments, Jamie covers everything from red-carpet events to behind-the-scenes drama in movies, TV, and celebrity culture.

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