Following criticism over the original cover of her upcoming album Man’s Best Friend, pop artist Sabrina Carpenter has released an alternate version — and she claims it received approval beyond just her record label.
On Wednesday, June 25, Carpenter revealed that she would be offering signed copies of her album, set for release on August 29 through Island Records. Some of these versions feature a reimagined black-and-white cover, where she is shown placing her hand on the shoulder of a man in a suit, while gazing away from the camera.
“i signed some copies of Man’s Best Friend for you guys,” she captioned the post. “& here is a new alternate cover approved by God.”
The updated cover follows widespread reactions to the initial artwork, in which Carpenter appeared on all fours, touching a man’s leg while he held a fistful of her hair.
Some viewers criticized the original image as overly sexual and accused it of being anti-feminist. On the other hand, many defended the design as consistent with Carpenter’s reputation for promoting sex positivity. Singer-songwriter Carly Simon also commented on the matter, saying the image seemed “tame” by comparison to past examples. “She’s not doing anything outrageous … There have been far flashier covers than hers,” Simon told Rolling Stone. “I don’t know why she’s getting such flak.”
The album’s promotion is already seeing success. The lead single, “Manchild,” reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated June 21, marking Carpenter’s second time topping the chart and her first No. 1 debut. “I can’t tell you how much this means to me!!!!” she wrote in an Instagram post. “This song makes me so happy. Thank you eternally for listening.”
Check out Sabrina Carpenter’s divine-ordained new artwork for Man’s Best Friend below:
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