Sabrina Carpenter Fires Back at Critics of Her Raunchy Lyrics: “Clearly You Love Sex — You’re Obsessed with It”

As she prepares to release her seventh studio album, Man’s Best Friend, Sabrina Carpenter takes a bold stand on artistic freedom, sexuality, and the pressure of being a woman in the spotlight.

Sabrina Carpenter isn’t holding back.

Ahead of the release of her highly anticipated seventh studio album, Man’s Best Friend, the 25-year-old pop star is addressing head-on the growing criticism surrounding her sexually charged lyrics, viral stage moments, and provocative visuals. In a candid interview with Rolling Stone, Carpenter called out the hypocrisy of her critics — many of whom are, ironically, her biggest supporters.

“It’s always so funny to me when people complain,” Carpenter said. “They’re like, ‘All she does is sing about this.’ But those are the songs that you’ve made popular.”

Known for her playful innuendos and choreography that toes the line between cheeky and daring, Carpenter doesn’t shy away from being bold. From her raunchy improvisations on the Emails I Can’t Send tour to the NSFW dance breaks during “Juno” on her current Short N’ Sweet tour — where she mimics new “freaky positions” nightly — the singer has gained both admiration and concern.

But for those calling her performances inappropriate or one-dimensional, Carpenter insists there’s far more to her art.

“There’s so many more moments [other] than the ‘Juno’ positions, but those are the ones you post every night and comment on. I can’t control that,” she said. “If you come to the show, you’ll [also] hear the ballads, you’ll hear the more introspective numbers.”

Despite the online noise — often from parents concerned about younger fans — Carpenter remains unfazed, if occasionally burdened by the pressure to be constantly witty in response.

“I’m not upset,” she added. “But I do feel mad pressure to be funny about it.”

The discourse hasn’t stopped with her lyrics and performances. Carpenter recently sparked controversy with the Man’s Best Friend album cover, which shows her on her knees in heels and a black dress while a man holds her by the hair. Some have accused the imagery of being “misogynistic,” while others believe she is cleverly satirizing objectification and embracing a pin-up aesthetic to reclaim agency.

While she hasn’t directly commented on the cover backlash, Carpenter did speak broadly about the current climate for women in the public eye.

“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,” she said. “I’m not just talking about me. I’m talking about every female artist that is making art right now.”

Despite a pop culture moment that’s seemingly built on the idea of female empowerment, Carpenter argues that women are still being policed — especially for how they dress or express their sexuality.

“We’re in such a weird time where you would think it’s girl power and women supporting women,” she said. “But in reality, the second you see a picture of someone wearing a dress on a carpet, you have to say everything mean about it in the first 30 seconds.”

The singer, who was recently honored as one of Entertainment Weekly’s 2024 Entertainers of the Year and earned praise from icons like Adele, is forging ahead regardless of the noise. With Man’s Best Friend set to drop on August 29, fans — and critics — can expect a record that’s unapologetically Sabrina: cheeky, smart, bold, and completely in control.