No One (Except Sabrina Carpenter) Knows What it Means, But it’s Provocative!
Adding the pop star's latest record cover to the long list of controversial album art
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In 2005, R&B group Black Eyed Peas released the infamously crude, yet catchy song, “My Humps.” Critics called the single “horrifically bad,” referring to lyrics like “Whatcha gon' do with all that junk” and “Mix your milk with my coco puff.” Fergie took the fall for the controversial lyricism as the sole female member of the group. Fans wondered how a woman could cosign a song of such vulgarity. Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times wrote, “Uh-oh. Sounds like someone may have just earned herself a singularly unpleasant new nickname.” But as writers added more fuel to the fire, the record became “the most-downloaded song in the country,” according to Slate. Two years later Will Ferrell famously sang the lyrics to “My Humps” in Blades of Glory and stated, “No one knows what it means, but it’s provocative… it gets the people going!”
Before Fergie, Britney Spears, Madonna, and Betty Davis set the stage for owning their sexuality. Nicki Minaj and Miley Cyrus followed suit, and now, Sabrina Carpenter is joining the club. Celeste Davis notes, “Carpenter is but one in a long, long, long line of condemned loose women who must pay for their sins of flaunting their sexuality by way of public crucifixion,” referencing Sigmund Freud’s Madonna-whore complex. Men have been cashing in on Freud’s theory for years to little fanfare (cc: PARTYNEXTDOOR, Robin Thicke, Roxy Music, Blind Faith). Over the past week, news outlets have been too: trying to pinpoint the meaning behind Sabrina’s cover. The New York Times ran a conversation between two editors that falls short of making an assertion, dimly asking, “Why now?”
Shot on Polaroid film, Carpenter’s album cover for Man’s Best Friend is reminiscent of a nude one would send to their long-distance paramour in the 80s. We see the singer on her knees, grazing an anonymous figure’s leg (presumably a man’s) who is tugging at a fistful of her hair. It’s kinky and kitsch. It’s Pam Anderson and Tommy Lee.
The Instagram comments on the cover reveal range from “Your music lacks the radicalism to do this type of cover” to “[of course] during the rise of conservatism as well.” It seems that fans have already forgotten the playful pinup character she assumed during Short n’ Sweet, or are only accepting of it as long as she doesn’t cross the line. In the hit single “Please, Please, Please,” Sabrina croons, “I know I have good judgment, I know I have good taste / It's funny and it's ironic that only I feel that way.” While initially singing about a down-and-out love interest, these lyrics now perfectly describe all the criticism doubting her self-portrayal.
In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Madonna reminisced on the controversy around her 1984 MTV awards performance of “Like a Virgin,” where she accidentally flashed the audience. “Those were the days when you shouldn't show your butt to have a career. Now it's the opposite…” The wardrobe snafu went on to secure Madonna her first Billboard #1, and as we all know, continued to make history. In 2013, Miley Cyrus’ heavily contested album Bangerz sold 270,000 copies in the first week. At the time, her previous Disney-approved album, Can’t Be Tamed, had only sold 348,000 copies since its release three years earlier. Bangerz’ second single, “Wrecking Ball,” also earned Cyrus her first Billboard #1 hit.
The cover of Man’s Best Friend isn’t Sabrina Carpenter’s first brush with controversy. In 2021, she released the single “Skin,” which fans deemed a chapter in the saga of her Olivia Rodrigo Joshua Bassett love triangle. It earned the singer her first Billboard Hot 100 hit. In 2023, for the single “Feather,” Carpenter filmed a campy horror music video. In one scene, the star dances in a church surrounded by the coffins of various men who have comically fallen to their deaths. This was not admired by various religious folk, yet the music video helped the single climb the charts eight months after its release. It delivered Sabrina her first top 20 hit, adding another trophy to her shelf.
Ten years into her career, Carpenter has emerged as a leading musician with a distinctive voice and a clear vision. Along the way to becoming seasoned, she has also gained experience as a businesswoman, understanding the profitability that can be garnered from the inevitable criticism that comes with the job. As she said to her audience in her Rolling Stone cover story, “those are the songs that you’ve made popular. Clearly, you love sex. You’re obsessed with it… I can’t control that.” What she can control is how to use it to her advantage. “Manchild,” the lead single off Man’s Best Friend, is currently sitting nicely at #1 on the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart.
In other album art news, the Grammys officially introduced a Best Album Cover category last week. I’m not freaking out, you are… Time to step it up, people!!!!!!
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I know nothing about Sabrina Carpenter but when I saw the image the first thing I thought of was Spinal Tap's "Smell The Glove" album. . . a similar image only described (not seen) in the film - a tribute, perhaps? Probably not.
I also remember how the Rolling Stones chose to very intentionally court controversy with images & lyrics on several of their '70s albums - "Black & Blue" and "Some Girls" come to mind.
Outrage & controversy sells records! Same as it ever was. . .
“Those were the days when you shouldn't show your butt to have a career. Now it's the opposite…” So on point, and so unfortunate. Carpenter is smart enough to know that suggestion is actually more titillating than outright display.