Sabrina Carpenter may be facing heat, good and bad, over her new album artwork, but the numbers suggest she’s hotter than ever. On June 11, the pop star and Espresso hitmaker announced her upcoming album Man’s Best Friend, set for release on August 29.
But it wasn’t the announcement that lit the internet ablaze — it was the album cover.
While fans delighted in saying, “Sabrina Season has started,” others described the photo as “sexist” and “regressive.” The provocative image has quickly become a lightning rod for debate. Detractors accuse Carpenter of pandering to the male gaze and undercutting feminist ideals. Glasgow Women’s Aid chimed in on Instagram, calling the image “not edgy, but regressive.”
Another follower said, “Love Sabrina – but this picture – why is the man in there like that? its not a very empowering image for women. I think it’s a mistake since most of her fans are women and as a dv survivor I find it uncomfortable and id rather see her empowered than like that 😐 idk i don’t wanna be negative, I’m sorry, maybe it’s just me.”
Still, controversy may be exactly what’s fueling the machine.
According to new data from QR Code Generator, Carpenter has gained nearly 61,000 new Instagram followers in just 24 hours following the reveal. Since dropping her latest single Manchild on June 5, she’s added more than 328,000 followers, pushing her total count to 47.6 million.
Searches for “Sabrina Carpenter concert tickets” have also skyrocketed — up nearly 400% in recent days, suggesting that despite (or perhaps because of) the backlash, fan interest is spiking.
QR Code Generator CEO Marc Porcar weighed in on the digital fallout, “It’s clear that Sabrina Carpenter’s recent album announcement has left fans divided,” said Porcar. “While the Instagram comment section is overflowing with negative responses, the numbers show that she’s actually thriving in the discourse. This kind of viral controversy can create massive anticipation — and that appears to be happening here.”
The backlash hasn’t been universal. Some fans and culture critics have applauded Carpenter for “owning her sexuality” and defended the cover as a satirical takedown of pop music expectations.
Regardless of how you read it — provocative art or PR stunt — one thing’s clear: Man’s Best Friend is already commanding attention weeks before its release. And in the streaming era, attention is currency.
Whether the backlash will dent the album’s reception or drive it to debut-week domination remains to be seen. But as of now, Carpenter’s controversy is trending in her favor.
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