"He's obsessed with sex": The photo of Sabrina Carpenter on all fours that has set social media alight

BarcelonaSinger Sabrina Carpenter is at that point in her career. that, whatever he does, generates conflicting comments and opinions. A few days after the triumphant performance at Primavera Sound, the American and former Disney girl announced that she already had a new album in the oven, Man's best friend, due out August 29. To announce the news, she used the main image from the new album cover: her on all fours in a short black dress and high heels, while a man in a dress and jacket grabs her hair. The photo, which some users consider the umpteenth example of sexualization in Carpenter's career, has received a barrage of criticism, to which she has responded with the ease that comes from working in the entertainment world since she was 11 years old (she's now 26).

"This cover makes me uncomfortable, especially right now. Totally out of place," said one of the singer's followers. "Are we really going to use irony as an excuse? There's nothing ironic about this image," said another. "Maybe we shouldn't turn abuse into a sexual fetish," added a third. AX, a user wondered if the singer had a personality beyond sex. Without batting an eye, Carpenter responded: "Yes, girl, and she's awesome." The graphic image of Man's best friend It is the work of photographer Bryce Anderson, known for his work focusing on gender expressions and questioning certain beauty standards. Playing possum (1975), in which he appeared on his knees, has pointed out the hypocrisy of the debate. "He doesn't appear doing anything scandalous. In fact, it's quite bland. There have been covers that are much more daring than his. One of the most surprising I've ever seen is the one by Sticky fingers, by the Rolling Stones. That one really stood out in terms of sexual attitude. So I don't understand why [Carpenter] gets so much criticism," argues the singer of You're so vain in an interview in Rolling Stone.

Popular scrutiny

Interestingly, the cover of Carpenter's new album doesn't stray far from the iconography and style of the album that has made him a worldwide phenomenon, Short & sweet (whose design is also by Anderson). Both the music videos and the world tour she has done are based on a sexualized aesthetic that plays with the stereotypes of the explosive woman (when she sings Juno, for example, always strikes a different position, often sexual). Although her lyrics aren't particularly sexual, sensuality and sex have always been present in this musical phase of the singer. But she downplays it.

"I find it funny when people complain. They say, 'Just sing about this subject.' But those are the songs you made popular. Clearly, you love sex. You're obsessed," Carpenter said in an interview with Rolling StoneShe adds that she finds all the fuss surrounding this issue "funny and ironic" and that it doesn't bother her at all. If her critics were horrified by the photo from the new album, they'll also be up in arms about the photographs the magazine took of her. On the cover of the summer issue, Carpenter is seen kneeling, wearing only white stockings, strategically photographed from a corner so that she doesn't show more than strictly necessary. These snapshots evoke erotic icons like Cicciolina and Emmanuelle.

Carpenter argues that the criticism she receives is yet another example of the constant scrutiny women are under, pointing out that the comments actually have little to do with her. "I don't want to be pessimistic, but I truly feel like I've never lived in a time where women have been more criticized and scrutinized in every way. I'm not just talking about myself. I'm talking about all the female artists making art right now."

The scrutiny Carpenter complains about is already part of her reality, whether she likes it or not. Aside from criticism for the cover, this week she also had to endure a TikTok user calling her out for a photoshoot she did in 2024 for W Magazine and reproached him for having been inspired by the film adaptation of Lolita 1997. Specifically, the user claimed to be offended by a photo that appears to recreate the moment when the teenager is lying in the garden and the sprinklers soak her dress, revealing her underwear, while her stepfather watches. The singer quickly responded forcefully: "I've never seen this film. It has never been, nor will it ever be, a source of inspiration for me."