Sabrina Carpenter has hit back at criticism that her music and image are oversexualized, saying there’s much more to her art that critics tend to ignore.
The 26-year-old Grammy-winner recently divided opinion among her fans after unveiling the artwork for her next album, Man’s Best Friend.
Set to be released on August 29, the album features artwork showing Carpenter on her hands and knees, while an anonymous male figure in a suit holds her by her hair.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Carpenter argued that lyrics about sex make up only a small part of her artistic output.
“It’s always so 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.”
She went on to refer to a portion of her live show, during which she performs her song “Juno” and demonstrates a sexual position after singing the lyric: “Wanna try out some freaky positions? Have you ever tried this one?” Videos of Carpenter in various poses have frequently gone viral on social media.
“It’s in my show,” she said. “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. If you come to the show, you’ll [also] hear the ballads, you’ll hear the more introspective numbers. I find irony and humor in all of that, because it seems to be a recurring theme. I’m not upset about it, other than I feel mad pressure to be funny sometimes.”
Carpenter added that she believes the scrutiny placed on her to be unfair, saying: “I don’t want to be pessimistic, but I truly feel like I’ve never lived in a time where women have been picked apart more, and scrutinized in every capacity. I’m not just talking about me. I’m talking about every female artist that is making art right now.”
The singer’s latest album cover has sparked a debate on social media, as some fans argue that it perpetuates misogynist fantasies while others say Carpenter is owning her sexuality as well as poking fun at patriarchal values.
“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,” one critic wrote on X/Twitter.
Another X user countered with their take: “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.”
Others pointed out that Carpenter has a history of making provocative or NSFW jokes and incorporating sexual innuendos into her songwriting.
Carpenter recently headlined Primavera Sound Barcelona festival and will headline British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park, London, next month.
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