Sabrina Carpenter, a well-known pop artist, has recently released her new album “A Man’s Best Friend” on August 29. The album has 12 songs, all with very diverse meanings and lyrics, however many are opposed to the fact that they don’t add up to the album cover and visuals itself. This has caused widespread controversy all around the world and many are left bothered by the theme of this hot release.
The album cover consists of Sabrina on the floor like a dog, and her hair is being gripped by a man whose face is not shown, hence the title “A Man’s Best Friend”. The audience conveys this as misogyny and the album promotes the idea that women are objectified or considered property to men. This concern brought attention to many, even to those who didn’t listen to Sabrina’s music at first. Although, a large majority thought this content was unsettling and “too far”, some of her die-hard fans disagree. They argue that Sabrina is very well known for her mature performances and music, commonly non-suitable for underage audiences.
Despite her fans’ insight, people from different genders, ages, and perspectives, can all collectively imply that Sabrina is devaluing women’s rights and place in society for attention.
“It’s almost like she’s feeding into more of this ‘male gaze’ content in order to gain attraction from her male fans.” Said Delisha Azad, a non Sabrina listener who felt uncomfortable from the new release.
But don’t judge a book by its cover, right? A good amount of the songs included in Man’s Best Friend represent a revolt against men and their incompetence in relationships. Some loved to see the contrast and irony between the songs and the cover. However, non-supporters felt like Sabrina was showcasing that women’s discomforts should be thought of, not displayed, and that they need to remain performative to men’s liking.
Sabrina responded to the controversy in shock from the sudden dismay of her audience, however she didn’t take anything too personally, even poking fun at the situation.
“It’s always so funny to me when people complain…” Said Sabrina Carpenter in an interview with the Rolling Stone.
Both sides still debate to determine the true intent of this release, and are constantly looking for someone to blame. Many defend Sabrina and say that her fans are insensitive, but those who feel invalidated believe that Sabrina’s been insensitive to the female society.
