Over the past few years, you most likely noticed the gradual rise of a pop superstar. Although not new to the limelight, the release of Sabrina Carpenter’s fifth studio album “emails i can’t send” and the virality of its song “Nonsense” propelled her to a new level of public relevance. She continued to ride this wave of popularity with her album “Short n’ Sweet,” whose lead singles “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” both charted on the Billboard Hot 100 for multiple weeks, and have over 1 billion streams on Spotify alone.
Sabrina Carpenter is no stranger to a bit of raunchiness. From her “Juno” positions and fuzzy pink handcuff arrests at her world tour performances, to the entire song “Bed Chem”, and to hundreds of double entendres in her songs, it’s fair to say it’s become part of her brand. The lightness and humor in which she explores these topics has added to her authenticity, leading to excitement and praise from her fanbase, which makes the controversy surrounding her next album, somewhat surprising. On June 11th, Sabrina posted a new image to her social media, announcing her seventh studio album “Man’s Best Friend.” This announcement was met with mixed reviews, most of which were concerned with the album cover. The image shows Sabrina on all fours in a black dress, while a faceless man pulls her hair. Many fans worried the image had gone too far, arguing that displaying herself as submissive to a man was degrading. Some even went so far as to say it was “setting back feminism” and was “regressive.” Sabrina went on to release new cover variants for all physical releases, leaving a caption that said they had been “approved by God” (most likely poking fun at the criticism).
My initial reaction, considering the album’s title and its debut single “Manchild,” was that the cover was quite obviously satire. The release of the full album definitely supports this interpretation. A consistent theme in many of the songs is codependency, and how Sabrina tends to stick around and remain loyal to men who treat her poorly. In a conversation with Interview Magazine, Sabrina said the album was about “loss and heartbreak and celebration and trying to navigate my life as a young woman.” In regards to the cover, she states “it was so clear to me what it meant….The image, the way I see it, is a metaphor.” So that’s a pretty straightforward answer, right? Well, regardless of what Sabrina’s intentions were behind the cover, I find the public’s reaction to be way more concerning. And, I think it begs the question, what would have the issue been with the cover being explicitly sexual in nature?
The main problem with people accusing Sabrina of “setting back” the feminist movement is that they have a deep misunderstanding of what they’re referencing, and are actually reinforcing harmful ideas. An important feminist argument is that our current view of sexuality “prioritizes male pleasure and reinforces the idea that women’s sexuality exists solely for the pleasure and satisfaction of men”(Easy Sociology). By looking at this cover and immediately accusing Sabrina of catering to men or degrading herself, you are perpetuating the idea that a woman can have no sexual agency of her own. What separates this from objectification is that Sabrina is consenting and making the choice to be depicted that way. No matter how you feel about the “activities” she’s engaging in on the cover, the point of sexual freedom is that women should get to express their sexuality in any way they desire, without being shamed. In that way, the cover itself is actually quite empowering.
The biggest fact we seem to be struggling to accept as a society is that a woman can be sexy just because she wants to be. Because there has been a repeated history of women being objectified against their wishes, many people argue that women should refrain from doing anything that could possibly promote this. The problem with that is we’re still treating women as if they’re the issue. It was never with women expressing their sexuality, it’s with the way society treats those who do.
Something I’ve noticed about Sabrina from the beginning is that, although she is attracted to and sings about her relationships with men, it never felt like she was singing to them. Songs like “Tears” and “House Tour” may be directed at them, but her main goal seems to be connecting with other women over our shared sexual expression. Many of her songs give off the vibe of going lingerie shopping with my best friends while we joke about wearing it (hopefully not a unique experience). On Oct. 18th, Sabrina Carpenter performed some of her new songs on Saturday Night Live. Her “Manchild” performance featured her singing in a bedroom in a simple t-shirt and underwear, while using a hairbrush as a microphone. I believe this performance perfectly encapsulates what Sabrina has been trying to portray. By ditching the glittery bodysuit, perfect curls, and bedazzled microphone, and replacing it with a scene many girls have acted out in their own rooms, Sabrina is encouraging the idea that women can embrace their sexuality solely for their own satisfaction. I think it’s great for young women to have a role model to teach them how to have confidence in themselves and their desires, and I really look forward to how Sabrina chooses to explore this in her future music.