Hot Take: The Controversy Around Sabrina Carpenter

I have never been someone who normally vocalizes conversations about sex, and although I wouldn’t define myself as a prude, I toe the line.

Before Sabrina Carpenter released her most recent album Man’s Best Friend, I was pretty confident that there was going to be a pattern of sexual innuendos and metaphors throughout; especially with the infamous album cover that sparked serious dialogue online, but we will get into that. 

Sabrina Carpenter ©

Man’s Best Friend in my mind makes Short n’ Sweet seem PG. If Carpenter did anything, she went into this album with a “go big or go home” kind of mindset. Initially I didn’t think Man’s Best Friend would be my cup-of-tea, but to my surprise every song spurred a feeling of liberation, humor, and femininity.

It’s refreshing to listen to an album that talks about deepcut feelings and experiences, while simultaneously finding space in the sound to remind all of us that not everything has to be taken so seriously. Love hurts, life sucks, and sex is normal, let’s talk about it.  

The controversy surrounding the album cover and message it was sending to fans, especially younger ones, wasn’t coming out of left field. Everything from setting feminism back by 10 years, to accusing Carpenter of molding her image to the male gaze, has been said. 

There is a recurring pattern of backlash from parents of younger fans when female artists embrace their sexuality in their music. Sure, Carpenter is a mainstream pop girly whose music reaches audiences of all ages through social media, radio, and film, but that doesn’t mean she should standardize her feelings for other people’s peace of mind. 

Female artists generally face a double standard, but in the pop genre I have recognized there to be an additional pressure of counting oneself as a role model.

A female pop singer can either act like a role model, and perform music that sends messages appropriate for all said ages, or be risque, while damaging any remote title of being an exemplary individual for the youth to look up to. The pop princess who is open to talking about sex should not be characterized as the villain, but rather a woman who is learning and accepting more facets of her selfhood. 

Carpenter was intrigued by the fascination that the media was having with her album cover, but she also really questioned the obsession behind calling it taboo. Sex is something that people experience in such a real way, and while some might find it refreshing to hear it being sung about so openly, others might find it uncomfortable or crude. 

You don’t have to like what Carpenter is singing about, but owning and embracing her sexuality, something that we should all have the opportunity to do, deserves respect. 

It’s important to recognize that men have released hypersexual albums, and yet don’t face the same sort of backlash. Recall that in the 2000’s Kanye West and Eminem were writing lyrics that were not just sexually explicit, but derogatory towards women. 

Whether it’s women having to cater to their audience, stay consistent to their brand, or regularly prepare for criticism if they choose to expose skin, women face a very different environment within the music industry compared to their male counterparts. 

In my mind, this is Sabrina Carpenter taking back her vision of womanhood, but also a music industry that allows women to thrive in the sexualised versions of themselves, not the ones that men try to create for them. Carpenter has chosen to embrace her sexuality through song and sound, and she is not letting the expectations of herself as a woman control what she wants to create. 

Although sex has always been a popular topic in art, female pop stars in control of their sexuality are not as familiar. Man’s Best Friend by Sabrina Carpenter is creating a genre of music where female artists don’t have to always obey societal expectations of how women should speak about their sexuality, and there is something incredibly liberating about that. 

Something that I also like to remember is that art is meant to be perceived, and as individuals we often perceive differently than one another. For some people this album is doing too much, for others it conveys a sense of nostalgia or relatability, but whatever effect it is having, we all will experience it in our own way.

Art that moves us, in a direction that we like or not, is art that has an impact. On the outside Man’s Best Friend might seem like a frilly, unrefined breakup album, but really it’s bringing together so many feelings that are not just heavy and heartfelt, but curious and explorative. 

Art is not made to be liked, it’s made to be felt, and I think we can all say Carpenter has done just that and more.