Sabrina Carpenter has opened up about her controversial album cover, revealing it reflects how she felt “emotionally yanked around” in past relationships.
In Variety’s Hitmakers Issue cover story, the Please Please Please singer addressed the debate over her latest album Man's Best Friend album cover, which shows Carpenter on her hands and knees while an unidentified man grips her hair.
“It was about how people try to control women, and how I felt emotionally yanked around by these relationships that I had, and how much power you’re allowing yourself to give them," Carpenter, 26, told the outlet.
“It meant one thing to me and 100 things to other people, and I was looking at it going, ‘That’s valid. Mine’s valid. What’s for dinner?'" she added.
The Espresso singer went on to say, "Not to bypass the weight that it did carry for some people. I saw it and was like, ‘That is a great point. It wasn’t the point I was trying to make.'"
After revealing the artwork in June, Carpenter faced backlash over its portrayal, though she insists the message wasn’t intentional.
In the interview, she also reflected on admiring women who sang about sex as a girl, saying she looked forward to embracing her own sexuality.
Carpenter added, “I have boundaries with myself… I’m just living my life, and you’re watching. If you don’t like it, it’s not for you.”
Man's Best Friend, Sabrina Carpenter's seventh studio album was released on August 29, 2025.
