Latest news with #albumCover
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Sabrina Carpenter may be ‘highly sexualised' – but that's not what is most provocative about her
There are some hot takes on feminism that it's better to bow out of when this isn't your first rodeo. The reveal of Sabrina Carpenter's album cover, which landed last month, was such an event. The photograph shows Carpenter on her hands and knees, with her hair being pulled by (presumably, as you couldn't see his face) a man. The Daily Mail reported that 'over-sexed Sabrina Carpenter' had been 'roasted by fans' for her 'highly sexualised and provocative album art'. Could we prove that she wasn't being criticised by people who hated her already, while her fans understood something different from 'sexualisation' and were not provoked? Never mind. When you are in the business of slating young women, the onus isn't upon you to explain what the problem is, or whether it's you who has the problem, or indeed whether it's some other constituency, be it 700 bots on X or real people who think. All you have to do is say what you see. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old singer, songwriter and actor is already mega enough to have got into beef with Taylor Swift, released seven albums and gained worldwide renown. So, realistically, what does she care if she is being used in an argument about sex, pornography, the male gaze, female desire and blond hair that has been going on since before her grandmother was born? And yet, on Sunday night, I saw Carpenter play in Hyde Park – a performance so vivacious and self-determined that, even though she needs defending less than ever, I still feel like clearing up a few things. First, women are allowed to play with whatever 'highly sexualised' tropes they like, because the obverse of that – any woman who does so is a plaything and the mouthpiece of the patriarchy – is so last century. If you remember the Britney years – the prurient, global is-she-isn't-she ick around her virginity, the way she was asked to carry contradictory Madonna-whore expectations of womanhood that reached back centuries (and woe betide her if she didn't look happy about it) – you will accept and celebrate, I hope, that things have moved on. Whatever Carpenter is saying about the male gaze, with her cartoon pornification, she is saying it for herself. I decline to adjudicate what her message is, what mashup of irony and aesthetic puts the joke in her submissive stance, but I can see that it's a stance she chose; she wasn't gamed into it. Second, it's just not reasonable or fair to expect every young female superstar to act as a template for every other young woman. This is a critique that comes up a lot: Carpenter, Swift and Charli xcx are creating a world in which women feel that they have to conform to a new, unabashed sexuality that is more about objectification than self-expression. At the Charli xcx gig at Glastonbury, in which, fair play, she did writhe around a bit, I heard a young woman say in disgust: 'This is just soft porn.' Well, maybe, but the only reason to get angry about that, in a world in which sexual signifiers move so fast it's sexy to be in fetish wear one week and a Mennonite headscarf the next, is if you think she was mandating a new mode of femininity for everyone. That is not right – and would never be said about men in any era. No man ever looked at Mick Jagger and thought: 'Well, this is demeaning; now we're all going to have to wear too-tight jeans.' Third, there is an absurd omertà around beauty now. Even though chart success is pretty much a referendum on who is the most gorgeous, stars are expected to lean into it yet pretend not to know it. Any suggestion that a young, beautiful woman might have the pick of the world is somehow a surrender to a harsh misogynist reality. What if it isn't? What if she does have the pick of the world and is happy about that? 'Highly sexualised' is right, but when has that not been true of a mainstream album cover? What is really provoking people is that Carpenter isn't embarrassed about it. Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnist Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Sabrina Carpenter may be ‘highly sexualised' – but that's not what is most provocative about her
There are some hot takes on feminism that it's better to bow out of when this isn't your first rodeo. The reveal of Sabrina Carpenter's album cover, which landed last month, was such an event. The photograph shows Carpenter on her hands and knees, with her hair being pulled by (presumably, as you couldn't see his face) a man. The Daily Mail reported that 'over-sexed Sabrina Carpenter' had been 'roasted by fans' for her 'highly sexualised and provocative album art'. Could we prove that she wasn't being criticised by people who hated her already, while her fans understood something different from 'sexualisation' and were not provoked? Never mind. When you are in the business of slating young women, the onus isn't upon you to explain what the problem is, or whether it's you who has the problem, or indeed whether it's some other constituency, be it 700 bots on X or real people who think. All you have to do is say what you see. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old singer, songwriter and actor is already mega enough to have got into beef with Taylor Swift, released seven albums and gained worldwide renown. So, realistically, what does she care if she is being used in an argument about sex, pornography, the male gaze, female desire and blond hair that has been going on since before her grandmother was born? And yet, on Sunday night, I saw Carpenter play in Hyde Park – a performance so vivacious and self-determined that, even though she needs defending less than ever, I still feel like clearing up a few things. First, women are allowed to play with whatever 'highly sexualised' tropes they like, because the obverse of that – any woman who does so is a plaything and the mouthpiece of the patriarchy – is so last century. If you remember the Britney years – the prurient, global is-she-isn't-she ick around her virginity, the way she was asked to carry contradictory Madonna-whore expectations of womanhood that reached back centuries (and woe betide her if she didn't look happy about it) – you will accept and celebrate, I hope, that things have moved on. Whatever Carpenter is saying about the male gaze, with her cartoon pornification, she is saying it for herself. I decline to adjudicate what her message is, what mashup of irony and aesthetic puts the joke in her submissive stance, but I can see that it's a stance she chose; she wasn't gamed into it. Second, it's just not reasonable or fair to expect every young female superstar to act as a template for every other young woman. This is a critique that comes up a lot: Carpenter, Swift and Charli xcx are creating a world in which women feel that they have to conform to a new, unabashed sexuality that is more about objectification than self-expression. At the Charli xcx gig at Glastonbury, in which, fair play, she did writhe around a bit, I heard a young woman say in disgust: 'This is just soft porn.' Well, maybe, but the only reason to get angry about that, in a world in which sexual signifiers move so fast it's sexy to be in fetish wear one week and a Mennonite headscarf the next, is if you think she was mandating a new mode of femininity for everyone. That is not right – and would never be said about men in any era. No man ever looked at Mick Jagger and thought: 'Well, this is demeaning; now we're all going to have to wear too-tight jeans.' Third, there is an absurd omertà around beauty now. Even though chart success is pretty much a referendum on who is the most gorgeous, stars are expected to lean into it yet pretend not to know it. Any suggestion that a young, beautiful woman might have the pick of the world is somehow a surrender to a harsh misogynist reality. What if it isn't? What if she does have the pick of the world and is happy about that? 'Highly sexualised' is right, but when has that not been true of a mainstream album cover? What is really provoking people is that Carpenter isn't embarrassed about it. Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnist
Daily Mail
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Sabrina Carpenter unveils cheeky alternative to her controversial, sexually-charged album cover
Sabrina Carpenter has released an alternative album cover for Man's Best Friend - and with a defiant message for those put off by her original, provocative visual. The singer, 26, has dropped the image after facing criticism over her original album cover which saw her posing on all fours as a faceless man tugged at her hair. On Wednesday, the singer unveiled a second cover that is a complete 180 from the original, with the black-and-white image capturing Sabrina holding a handsome man as she works a sexy retro gown. In a message that addressed the criticism she faced over the original cover, Sabrina said this new image was 'approved by God'. She wrote: 'I signed some copies of Man's Best Friend for you guys, and here is a new alternate cover approved by God. available now on my website.' Some fans gushed over the religious reference, with one writing on social media: 'Approved by the big guy himself, love that!' Another said: 'Approved by God is perfect. Now everyone clutching their pearls can ease up a bit while they watch edits of all the Juno poses.' But not everyone was pleased with the religious aspect, with one posting on X: 'So we gonna continue to reward her for mocking religion?' Another wrote: 'Glad this cover is more modest - just wish it didn't come with the jab at Christians!' Someone else said: 'Girl I love you but it's not about Christianity or purity, it's just shocking seeing you in a position so degrading with A MAN. Like, you could have him in his knees for you and no one would bat an eye.' Sabrina's original album cover was called out by a leading domestic violence charity who accused her of 'reducing women to pets' in addition to various online commentators. The new image features on the cassette packaging, while the original still fronts the CD. The album's record is available in both the new and original cover.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sabrina Carpenter releases ‘God approved' album cover after backlash
Sabrina Carpenter has released a new cover for her upcoming album which she quipped is 'God approved' after the original X-rated artwork upset feminists and conservatives alike. The cover of her new album, Man's Best Friend was criticised as being overly sexualised when she shared it with fans on social media earlier this month. The cover featured Carpenter, 26, dressed in a black dress and high heels on her knees while reaching towards the upper leg of a suited man who is grabbing her by the hair. The risqué photo sparked a fervent debate online with some accusing the Espresso singer of 'centring men' and embracing the 'male gaze'. On Wednesday, Carpenter shared a photo of an alternative cover for the album showing her and a man standing in a close embrace. In a nod to her critics, she described the new cover as 'approved by God'. 'I signed some copies of Man's Best Friend for you guys & here is a new alternate cover approved by God available now on my website,' she wrote on Instagram. The Grammy-winner has previously been criticised for performing sexually provocative dance moves at her concerts. Addressing concerns about her performance style in a recent interview, the singer claimed her critics are 'obsessed' with sex. 'It's always so funny to me when people complain,' Carpenter told Rolling Stone. '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.' She added that women nowadays face being 'picked apart more and scrutinised in every capacity'. 'We're in such a weird time where you would think it's girl power, and women supporting women, but in reality, the second you see a picture of someone wearing a dress on a carpet, you have to say everything mean about it in the first 30 seconds that you see it,' Carpenter said. Man's Best Friend, Carpenter's seventh studio album, is out on August 29. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sabrina Carpenter Shares Alternate Covers 'Approved by God' for New Album 'Man's Best Friend' After Controversy
Sabrina Carpenter unveiled an alternate cover for her upcoming album Man's Best Friend and joked about the special someone who approved it The alternate cover shows Carpenter posing with her arm around a man "I signed some copies of Man's Best Friend for you guys & here is a new alternate cover approved by God," she wroteSabrina Carpenter has someone holy on her side! On Wednesday, June 25, the singer, 26, unveiled an alternate cover for her upcoming album Man's Best Friend on Instagram and joked about the special someone who approved it. One of the alternate covers show Carpenter posing with her arm around a man, seemingly paying homage to a photo of Marilyn Monroe. The pair are dressed in formal wear, with the singer in a long gown covered in jewels and her partner in a black blazer and white shirt. In the snap, Carpenter looks past the camera while the man faces the opposite direction. The next photo is a wider shot of the singer and the man, but this time she has a shocked look on her face as she looks behind her partner. "I signed some copies of Man's Best Friend for you guys & here is a new alternate cover approved by God," she captioned her post. 'Available now on my website 🤍." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sabrina Carpenter (@sabrinacarpenter) The first alternate cover photo can be purchased on her website in the vinyl and cassette formats. The standard vinyl, CD and cassette are also available. On June 11, the pop star announced the release of her album along with the original album cover. The artwork features her on hands and knees in a black mini dress and black heels as a man cut out of the photo grabs a fistful of her blonde curls. A few days later, the "Espresso" singer responded to a negative comment about the cover, after an X user wrote, "Does she have a personality outside of sex" Carpenter reshared the post, responding, "Girl yes and it is goooooood." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. The album is set to release in August, with the lead single, called "Manchild," out now. On June 5, Carpenter shared insight on the making of the song, writing in an Instagram post that she penned the hit on "a random" Tuesday with Amy Allen and Jack Antonoff, shortly after she finished her chart-topping LP Short n' Sweet. "Not only was it so fun to write, but this song became to me something I can look back on that will score the mental montage to the very confusing and fun young adult years of life," she continued. "It sounds like the song embodiment of a loving eye roll and it feels like a never ending road trip in the summer ! hence why i wanted to give it to you now- so you can stick your head out the car window and scream it all summer long!" Man's Best Friend follows her sixth album Short n' Sweet, released last August. The album featured hit singles "Espresso," 'Taste,' 'Please Please Please' and 'Bed Chem.' Carpenter took home Best Pop Vocal Album for the album and Best Pop Solo Performance for 'Espresso' at the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Man's Best Friend will be released on Aug. 29. Read the original article on People
