Latest news with #ManBestFriend
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sabrina Carpenter reveals alternative album cover 'approved by God' amid backlash
Sabrina Carpenter divided fans earlier this month with her choice of cover art for her forthcoming album, 'Man's Best Friend.' Playing on the title, she poses on all fours like a dog while a faceless man pulls her hair. While some interpreted the cover as cheeky and ironic — especially given the themes of the album's first single, 'Manchild' — others accused the former Disney Channel star of promoting sexist stereotypes and setting women's rights back decades. Carpenter has addressed criticism by releasing an alternative cover 'approved by God,' the singer revealed Wednesday on Instagram. The black-and-white image seemingly channels Marilyn Monroe as the singer, dressed in an elegant beaded gown, leans against a man in a suit. Carpenter is front and center while the man's face is partially hidden. Read more: Sabrina Carpenter gets cheeky as she announces new album, 'Man's Best Friend' This isn't the first time Carpenter has ruffled some feathers. In 2023, she received backlash from the Catholic Church after she filmed parts of her 'Feather' music video at the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church. The Diocese of Brooklyn said it was 'appalled' by the nature of the video and the priest who allowed her to film there was removed from his administrative duties. When asked about the incident in an interview with Variety, Carpenter responded, 'Jesus was a carpenter.' She doubled down during her Coachella debut in 2024, wearing a shirt with the same phrase. The singer has also raised eyebrows on her Short n' Sweet Tour, which returns to North America this fall. During her sultry performance of 'Juno,' she acts out a different sex position every night. Carpenter addressed the criticism that she's shaped her entire brand around sex in her June cover story with Rolling Stone. Read more: A Sabrina Carpenter music video leads to discipline for a priest as a church is re-consecrated 'It's always funny to me when people complain,' she said. 'They're like, 'All she does is sing about this.' But those are the songs that you've made popular. Clearly you love sex. You're obsessed with it. It's in my show. There's so many more moments than the 'Juno' positions, but those are the ones you post every night and comment on. I can't control that.' In a since-deleted post, an X user shared the first 'Man's Best Friend' cover and asked, 'Does she have a personality outside of sex?' Carpenter responded, 'Girl yes and it is goooooood.' Among those who came to Carpenter's defense of the original album art was 'You're So Vain' singer Carly Simon, who received backlash for the cover of her 1975 album, 'Playing Possum.' 'She's not doing anything outrageous,' Simon told Rolling Stone. 'It seems tame. There have been far flashier covers than hers. One of the most startling covers I've ever seen was [the Rolling Stones'] 'Sticky Fingers.' That was out there in terms of sexual attitude. So I don't know why she's getting such flak.' 'Man's Best Friend' will be released Aug. 29, a little over a year after Carpenter's last project, 'Short n' Sweet.' Signed editions and copies with the alternative cover are available for preorder on her website. Get notified when the biggest stories in Hollywood, culture and entertainment go live. Sign up for L.A. Times entertainment alerts. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Controversy Is Sabrina Carpenter's ‘Best Friend' With Scandalized Reaction to New Album Cover
At this point, we should be conditioned to expect pop stars to behave in a controversial manner. And yet, when Sabrina Carpenter released the cover for her upcoming Man's Best Friend album, social media was up in arms about the provocative artwork, which features the singer/songwriter on all fours with her hair being grabbed by a faceless person. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about the loud reaction to the album art — including the women of The View debating its feminist merits — and why the buzz plays directly into Carpenter's hands. (Did you know Sabrina had a new album coming out on Aug. 29? Now you do!) More from Billboard Sabrina Carpenter to Follow 'Short n' Sweet' With New Album 'Man's Best Friend': Here's When It Arrives John Mayer Shares His New Dating Philosophy at 'SmartLess Live' Podcast Taping: 'Vulnerability Is the Sh-' Seth MacFarlane on Channeling Frank Sinatra for 'Lush Life' & Who Will Be His 'First Call' If He Uncovers a Lost Sinatra Duet Also on the show, we've got chart news on how Carpenter's 'Manchild' debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, scoring the singer her second chart-topper; Mariah Carey lands her 50th Hot 100 hit with the debut of 'Type Dangerous'; and Lil Wayne, ENHYPEN, Addison Rae, My Chemical Romance and Turnstile shake up the top 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Plus, we're remembering Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson, who died last week at age 82. The Billboard is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard's weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard's executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard's managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on or or your favorite podcast provider. ( on Best of Billboard Drake's Historic Chart Week: How He Matched The Beatles' 57-Year-Old Record How Elton John Keeps Up His Hot 100 Hot Streak With Dua Lipa Duet 'Cold Heart' Pink's 'All I Know So Far' Has Us Looking Back at the History of Live Music on the Charts
The Guardian
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Let women be horny – but Sabrina Carpenter's album cover isn't helping
Please join me for a quick game of 'is this sex-positive feminism or just a lazy repackaging of the patriarchy'? Today's protagonist is Sabrina Carpenter, a pop star whose music videos have got a Brooklyn priest demoted and might have played a small role in getting the mayor of New York, Eric Adams, indicted. On Wednesday, Carpenter revealed the cover art for her forthcoming album Man's Best Friend in a social media post, which featured two photos side by side. One was a closeup of what appears to be a fluffy dog with a collar bearing the words 'man's best friend'. The other is a photo of Carpenter on her hands and knees in front of a man who is pulling her by the hair. The imagery has caused controversy and drawn mixed reactions. On the one hand, you've got people who think Carpenter is being clever. On the other hand, you've got people who think she is being crass and catering to the male gaze in a way that is extremely unhelpful to women. In the latter camp is Glasgow Women's Aid, a Scottish group that helps victims of domestic violence. They have called the imagery 'regressive' and 'a throwback to tired tropes that reduce women to pets, props, and possessions and promote an element of violence and control'. Some people on social media vehemently disagree. 'i am a little concerned about peoples inability to immediately clock that the cover is obviously a commentary on the way women are treated, especially with the context of manchild [the lead single from the album] and the album being called man's best friend like guys omfg think,' someone in the 'Sabrina's doing satire!' camp posted. That got over 53,000 likes. (I, myself, am a little concerned about people's inability to use apostrophes.) Meanwhile, Diet Prada (an influential Instagram account with more than 3.4 million followers) posted a picture of the video with the line 'let women be h*rny on main' and a caption that essentially called Carpenter's critics stupid prudes. I'm all for letting 'women be h*rny on main' but I'm having a hard time seeing Carpenter's cover art as either satire or sex-positive feminism. Sure, some of the best satire is extremely subtle. But this isn't subtle or sex-positive – it's just soft porn pandering to the male gaze. At a different point in time I suppose you might be able to make the case that this sort of imagery was edgy and subversive. Madonna, for example, used her sexuality to challenge social norms. But at the current moment, when sexualized imagery is everywhere, women's rights are being aggressively rolled back in the US, and there is backlash to women's rights around the world, Carpenter's cover art isn't subverting anything. The hair-grabbing visual is in particularly poor taste considering recent court testimony that Sean 'Diddy' Combs grabbed his then girlfriend Cassie Ventura by the hair and dragged her into another room where he assaulted her. There is also very disturbing video surveillance of Combs assaulting Ventura. If Carpenter's fans can't see all the problems with this imagery, then it's because internalized misogyny is everywhere – and it's a real bitch. (Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution.) None of this, to be clear, is an attack on Carpenter. In my best middle-aged woman voice I'd like to say that I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed. I think Carpenter is very talented and particularly appreciate her track record on taking down awful men. Please, Sabrina, you've helped take down one mayor. Why not train your creative energy on trying to stop Andrew Cuomo, the disgraced former governor of New York, who has spent millions of dollars in taxpayer money on an aggressive legal battle against the women who have accused him of sexual harassment, from becoming mayor of New York? Forget man's best friend, pull that off and you'll be a lot of women's best friend. The activist, who was recently deported from Israel after taking part in an attempt to bring a symbolic aid shipment to starving Gaza, responded by saying the world needs more angry women. It certainly does. Olorato Mongale, 30, was allegedly murdered by a man she went on a date with – it's one of the more high-profile murders in a country with the highest rates of femicide in the world. 'Women die no matter what they do,' one activist told the Guardian. 'They've been stabbed while they sleep, shot in broad daylight and had their houses burned down by former partners.' According to CNN Brasil, the influencer Taís Bruna de Castro, 36, was murdered in the food court of a shopping complex where she worked; the suspect is a janitor who worked in the same complex. The janitor reportedly told investigators that he killed the influencer because she didn't want to pursue a relationship with him. Four women and three girls (two of whom were believed to be under five) recently died after a boat carrying migrants capsized just metres from a pier in the port of one of Spain's Canary Islands. An increasing number of women are now trying to migrate from west Africa. 'Women are becoming the main actors in their own migration process, whereas in the past it was usually the men who migrated first and the women joined later,' one expert told the Guardian. Sign up to The Week in Patriarchy Get Arwa Mahdawi's weekly recap of the most important stories on feminism and sexism and those fighting for equality after newsletter promotion Gyutsova is a Bulgarian influencer who, per DW, doles out misogynistic advice to men and incites violence against women. 'On her social media channels, she not only encourages people to degrade women and use violence against them, she also boasts that she uses the same methods on her child and her cat,' one commentator told DW. I guess Gyutsova has discovered that misogyny can be a lucrative grift. All the vol-gay-noe jokes you could want for Pride month. A little palate cleanser for everyone who feels like exploding with rage at the moment. Women's Health profiles Jan Todd, who broke the world record in the women's deadlift when she was 22 and went on to a career in academia. 'Her research discoveries are the reason we now know about the all-but-forgotten history of heavy resistance training among Victorian girls and women on both sides of the Atlantic,' the outlet notes. Turns out Victorian women were swole. This is the sort of thing that shouldn't be news story in 2025 but unfortunately is. Good on Labour MP Luke Charters, however, for being part of a small group of politicians agitating for better paternity leave for fathers and leading by example. 'As nine in 10 households [in Gaza] face extreme water shortages, the lack of clean water, soap, and privacy has turned menstruation into a source of anxiety, isolation, and shame,' UN agencies have said. If you're British and angry about this, there's a handy tool here to check if your MP supports war crimes against Palestinians. Do not allow your female lawmakers to posture as feminists if they support genocide. Would you like to see a baby camel called Faye say 'hey?' A lot of people do! A TikTok of Faye posted by her owner, a south-east Missouri camel farmer called Flaire Ferrell, has got millions of views. Ferrell has said he's using the viral moment to try to change misconceptions about camels being mean-spirited and prone to spitting. If you raise a camel right not only will they be polite, they'll never desert you. Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sabrina Carpenter's New Man's Best Friend Album Cover Has Some Fans Clutching Their Pearls
We all know by now that Miss Sabrina Carpenter isn't a stranger to a risqué moment or two. The US pop star has soared through the charts and shot to main girl pop status over the past few years, thanks to her 2024 album Short N' Sweet, which featured the number one hits Espresso, Please Please Please and Taste. Since the album's release, Sabrina has gone viral on more than one occasion thanks to her cheeky on-stage innuendos, from her racy outfits and choreo to mimicking a different sexual position each night of her most recent tour during the song Juno. Her NSFW antics even sparked a flurry of Ofcom complaints this year in light of her suggestive Brit Awards performance, during which she suggestively crouched down in front of a winking backup dancer (who happened to be dressed as a royal guard). Now, she seems to have split the internet right down the middle after releasing the cover for her new album Man's Best Friend, which follows the new single Manchild. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sabrina Carpenter (@sabrinacarpenter) The cover depicts Sabrina on her knees in a black mini dress and a pair of stilettos, while a man just out of frame grips strands of her long blonde hair. A second picture shared with the announcement shows the album tiel engraved onto a baby blue dog collar. While Sabrina has long embraced her sexuality and championed female empowerment, some feel this cover doesn't quite land right, especially in the current political climate, with some worrying the (presumably satirical) message could get lost in the mix. I understand that sabrina carpenter's new album cover is supposed to be a satirical/tongue in cheek way to highlight how poorly women are treated by men in society but the men who are going to see and engage with it are too stupid and porn pilled to extract that nuance from it — e (@ninasayerss) June 11, 2025 Pretending to be this hyper-aware, feminist, anti-male figure, while your entire artistic identity still revolves around seeking male approval and being desirable to them is… a choice! — 𝐁𝐄𝐘𝐒𝐔𝐒🇲🇦 (@mileycyrusvibez) June 11, 2025 For someone who keeps calling men PIGS she keeps degrading herself to appeal the male gaze — eri˚❀*·ꕤ. (@eternalcumslimz) June 11, 2025 girl the cover. . . why are we doing things for the male gaze in 2025 — 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢 | 🕊️ (@positionsmafiaa) June 11, 2025 The cover? This is weird and you can't convince me otherwise… — 💕 (@_jazllyn) June 11, 2025 I'm sorry this feels like it's very rushed + the album cover is so degrading…… — HARRYS HOUSE (@HARRYSHOUSE3) June 11, 2025 As a woman myself,claiming sabrina carpenter is singlehandedly setting the entire female population back decades is over the top. That being said,this cover definitely doesn't give what she thinks it gives,hopefully she'll change it — 🫧 (@yunjeanpink) June 12, 2025 the message sabrina is trying to convey is that men treat women like their pets (etc) but the cover doesn't necessarily help that argument due to the fact that the general public is dumb and unable to comprehend satire — head taybrina⸆⸉ 合 🩰 (@headtaybrina) June 11, 2025 i get the message shes trying to send but this album cover does not work, media literacy is dead people are not going to look at this album cover and see the message of men treat women like pets, vast majority of people will see this as perpetuating that — Valerie 𖹭 (@RosalinaIsSilly) June 12, 2025 However, others feel this response is maybe a bit of an overreaction – and even suggested that the cover was a clear tongue-in-cheek critique of the very thing people claimed it was glorifying. It's going to be her taking control of the 'men use women as objects' narrative. Every one of her songs is her being in control. It's supposed to be ironic. I'm here for it. — just a girl💚🦋 (@courtlynn3695) June 11, 2025 love it. also illustrates that media literacy is dead because it is SO obviously ironic — sam ౨ৎ gelphie brainrot (@glindalesbo) June 12, 2025 how life feels when you realize sabrina carpenter can do whatever she wants with her album covers and concepts without it being "for girls" or "for the male gaze" because she is a human being and not a political pamphlet — Adri🇻🇪 (@Adr74n) June 11, 2025 sabrina carpenter haven't been killing man in all of her music videos the past 3 years for yall to switch on her and not understand a fucking album cover. grow a brain. — ANTO (@929SELFISH) June 11, 2025 I'm seeing a lot of discourse about Sabrina Carpenter's new album cover… for those of you who may lack critical thinking skills, the cover is clearly satirical with a deeper meaning, portraying how the public views her, believing she is just for the male gaze. — Wicked News Hub (@wickednewshub) June 11, 2025 in honor of sabrina carpenter's new album i would like to remind everyone of satirenounthe use of humour to attack a person, an idea or behaviour that you think is bad or sillyparodynouna piece of writing, speech or music that copies the style of something in a funny way — ᯓᡣ𐭩 (@casualbrina) June 11, 2025 Ya'll takes on Sabrina Carpenter new album are so stupid & nothing about is male centered when the first damn single is calling men stupid — 🥀 (@gorqeousaly) June 11, 2025 the fact that some of y'all do not get that the cover is satire when the main single is called MANCHILD?? i can only pray for them to open the schools. — mona lisa⁷ (@ARISOUTRO) June 12, 2025 sabrina carpenter been doing s x positions on stage but this album cover is the breaking point for yal…let the girl be — ✰kayla✰ (@neorvng) June 12, 2025 people can't handle art based on a concept that chat GPT couldn't generate for them — no (@saturnxoi) June 12, 2025 i think the song is gonna come out, the meaning behind it will be more clear and then everyone complaining is gonna look stupid — ari💗 (@JHSCLTR) June 12, 2025 Whether or not the noise has reached Sabrina yet, it's safe to say she probably won't be perturbed by the naysayers. Following her Brits performance this year some viewers accused her of 'oversexualising herself'. In response, Sabrina captioned a picture from the night, 'I now know what watershed is!!!!', referring to the time of the day when TV programmes which could be unsuitable for children can be broadcast, which is 9pm in the UK. Addressing the wider backlash she has faced in her career, she told Time in a 2024 interview: 'You'll still get the occasional mother that has a strong opinion on how you should be dressing. And to that I just say, don't come to the show and that's OK. 'It's unfortunate that it's ever been something to criticise, because truthfully, the scariest thing in the world is getting up on a stage in front of that many people and having to perform as if it's nothing. If the one thing that helps you do that is the way you feel comfortable dressing, then that's what you've got to do.' Sabrina's seventh album Man's Best Friend is due out on 29 August 2025, with the pop star writing on Instagram that she 'can't wait for it to be yours'. Manchild – heavily rumoured to allude to her relationship with Barry Keoghan – is also on track to land the former Disney star her fourth UK number one. Everyone Is Thinking The Same Thing As Sabrina Carpenter Unveils Telling New Single Title Dolly Parton Had This 1 Big Rule For Sabrina Carpenter Before Recording Their Duet Sabrina Carpenter Pokes Fun At Barry Keoghan Split While Performing In His Hometown
BreakingNews.ie
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Sabrina Carpenter announces new album Man's Best Friend
US pop star Sabrina Carpenter has announced she will be releasing a new album called Man's Best Friend later in the summer. It comes after the 26-year-old singer from Pennsylvania released a new single titled Manchild last week, which is on track to claim the number one spot on the UK singles chart, according to the Official Chart: First Look. Advertisement The record is to be released a year and a week after she dropped her chart-topping sixth studio album Short N' Sweet, which contains the number one hits Espresso, Taste and Please, Please, Please. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sabrina Carpenter (@sabrinacarpenter) In a message to fans, she said: 'My new album Man's Best Friend releases Aug 29 I didn't plan on releasing a new record however when inspiration strikes, I go to the studio, and when it doesn't, I still go to the studio. 'But luckily life was really happening to me and inspiration struck! 'I tried not to overthink the process this time, I felt so at ease making Man's Best Friend that I felt like it was a gift that shouldn't be taken for granted as every inch came together so effortlessly, different from my other previous projects where I'd bang my head to crack numerous codes. Advertisement 'This one felt like riding a bike! I went back to some of my favourite artists growing up listening to a lot of Stevie, Dolly, Donna etc and was surprised to find so many of those artists I loved put out a new record every year for a long time. 'Can't say that is or will be the norm for me but this time it really eased my mind about putting something out when it feels right!' According to the Official Charts Company the singer is the first female artist in history to score both the UK's number one album and single simultaneously, while holding all three top positions on the singles chart with Taste at number one, Please Please Please at number two, and Espresso at number three. Sabrina Carpenter after winning the Global Success award during The BRIT Awards 2025 at London's O2 Arena (Lucy North/PA) Late last year her catchy pop track Espresso was named the biggest song of 2024 by BBC Radio 1 and in April the Official Charts Company said Short N' Sweet was one of the UK's biggest album of 2025 so far. Advertisement Her music videos have seen appearances from a number of famous faces including Irish actor Barry Keoghan in Please, Please, Please. The Saltburn actor was romantically linked to Carpenter in late 2023, but they were reported to have split late last year. Carpenter is due to headline Hyde Park's British Summer Time festival (BST) this July where she will be joined by special guests including Clairo and Olivia Dean across two performances. Man's Best Friend will be released on August 29. Advertisement
