Sabrina Carpenter flirts with controversy (again)

Why Sabrina Carpenter’s new album cover is stirring criticism

Sabrina Carpenter’s new album cover has rekindled one of the classic debates around pop culture and sexuality: Satire or subjugation? Empowerment or degradation? Or is the debate itself the point?

The pop star, who burst into the mainstream last year, released the cover art for her upcoming album, “Man’s Best Friend,” last week. The image shows Carpenter on all fours while someone just out of frame pulls her hair.

Carpenter, 26, has courted controversy for a while with her open embrace of sex and sexuality in her music and live performances. Last year, a New York City priest was disciplined after she filmed a music video at his church. Many of Carpenter’s televised appearances have been met with backlash.

That all paled in comparison to the debate that has erupted in recent days.

“My entire timeline is either people talking about Israel and Iran or Sabrina Carpenter with the exact same level of intensity,” one user on X quipped.