Last year, US singer Sabrina Carpenter dominated the charts with her hit “Espresso”, widely regarded as the song of the summer. The single, along with her album “Short n’ Sweet”, also earned her first Grammy awards in the Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance categories.
Following the release of her latest single, “Manchild”, which is rumoured to be inspired by her breakup with Irish actor and former boyfriend Barry Keoghan, the artist has officially revealed the artwork and title of her upcoming album, “Man’s Best Friend”. However, the response to the album cover may not have been what she was hoping for. Here’s why:
Earlier this morning (Thursday, 12th June), Sabrina Carpenter unveiled the official artworks for her seventh studio album, “Man’s Best Friend”, which is set to be released on 29th August. The first image shows her in a black dress, kneeling on all fours, with her hair being pulled by a man, posing as though she were his pet. The other photo shows a dog wearing a light blue coloured collar that had the album title on it.
Although comments on Instagram have been mostly positive as fans expressed excitement for new music, those on Twitter, however, had different opinions about the album cover. As seen in the screenshots below, many described the artwork as off-putting, criticising it for portraying her, or women in general, as subservient to men, likening the imagery to that of a pet dog.
Others accused the singer of objectifying herself for the “male gaze”. Some fans defended the former Disney star, arguing that the image and album title were intended as irony and satire, highlighting how women are often sexualised and objectified by men. However, while others recognised the underlying message, they felt that the imagery and title might not have been the most effective artistic choices to convey her point.
At the time of writing, Sabrina Carpenter has yet to respond to the criticism surrounding her album artwork. Perhaps once the record is released, audiences will have a clearer understanding of the intention behind the imagery she chose. What are your thoughts on the artwork?
