Sabrina Carpenter appears on the cover of Rolling Stone, addressing some of the reactions to her decisions—particularly the surprise announcement that her next album, Man’s Best Friend, will be released only a year after her hit record Short n’ Sweet. While she’s still performing on her Short n’ Sweet Tour, which ends close to Thanksgiving, some fans are questioning whether she might be doing too much too fast. Carpenter, however, isn’t bothered.
“If I really wanted to, I could have stretched out ‘Short n’ Sweet’ much, much longer,” Carpenter said. “But I’m at that point in my life where I’m like, ‘Wait a second, there’s no rules.’ If I’m inspired to write and make something new, I would rather do that. Why would I wait three years just for the sake of waiting three years? It’s all about what feels right. I’m learning to listen to that a lot more, instead of what is perceived as the right or wrong move.”
“Not to be dramatic, but what can I do while my legs still work? I’m limber, let’s use it,” she added later about her career hustle. “My brain is sharp, let’s write. I try not to get sad about the fact that nothing lasts forever, but genuinely, it’s such a beautiful time right now. I want to soak it up and keep making things while I’m feeling this way.”
Carpenter mentioned that artists she admires, such as Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, used to “release a 10-song album every year,” and she said: “I’m like, ‘When did we stop doing that?’ Writers write, they make music, and they release music. I understand the beauty of disappearing. My last two albums both took two and a half years to make, and they needed to. I just think every project is different. It just has to feel right.”
Her current tour has drawn criticism over performances where she mimics sexual behavior on stage, despite having young fans in the audience. One particularly viral moment comes during “Juno,” when she acts out a sexual position after singing the line: “Wanna try out some freaky positions? Have you ever tried this one?” Another performance of “Bad Chem” ends with her simulating sex with a dancer behind a curtain. Still, Carpenter stands by her stage choices.
“It’s always so funny to me when people complain,” she told Rolling Stone. “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. It’s in my show. 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 also said, “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.”
Man’s Best Friend will be released on August 29. The full cover story is available now on Rolling Stone’s website.
