Sabrina Carpenter Slammed by Women’s Group Over ‘Regressive’ Album Cover: "She’s Pandering to the Male Gaze"
American pop singer Sabrina Carpenter is facing backlash over the cover of her upcoming seventh album Man’s Best Friend
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| Glasgow/Los Angeles — American pop singer Sabrina Carpenter is facing backlash over the cover of her upcoming seventh album Man’s Best Friend, set to release on August 29, 2025. The controversial cover features a faceless man pulling her hair as she poses on all fours—an image that has sparked outrage among women’s rights advocates.
Glasgow Women’s Aid, a prominent organization supporting survivors of domestic abuse, strongly criticized the cover, calling it “not edgy, it’s regressive.” In a public statement, the group said, “Picturing herself on all fours with a man pulling her hair and calling it Man’s Best Friend isn’t subversion. It’s a throwback to tired tropes that reduce women to pets, props, and possessions—and it promotes a sense of violence and control.”
They continued, “We’ve fought too hard for this. We get that Sabrina’s brand leans into retro glam, but we don’t need to go back to misogynistic stereotypes. Sabrina is pandering to the male gaze, which is especially disappointing considering the majority of her fanbase is made up of young women. Come on, Sabrina—you can do better.”
The criticism didn’t stop with advocacy groups. Fans also voiced their discomfort on social media. One user commented, “That’s kinda embarrassing for you, not gonna lie. Get up.” Another wrote, “This cover makes me uncomfortable… especially in times like these. Absolutely tone deaf.”
Others were more blunt: “How is this not just appealing to the male gaze? Insanely misogynistic imagery. Man’s Best Friend??? Please.” Another said, “Absolutely not. We fight for women’s rights only for you to call us dogs and men’s property? This is not it.”
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Sabrina addressed the backlash, saying that criticism has only increased the popularity of her more provocative content. “It’s always so funny to me when people complain. They’re like, ‘All she does is sing about this.’ But those are the songs you made popular,” she said. “Clearly, you love sex. You’re obsessed with it. It’s in my show.”
At 26, Sabrina Carpenter remains a trending figure in pop music, but this controversy may test the boundaries of artistic freedom and public responsibility in a cultural landscape increasingly sensitive to representation and gender issues.
