Sabrina Carpenter’s “Man’s Best Friend” Cover Sparks Backlash After New Alternate Artwork

• New alternate cover unveiled this week, reviving controversy around the album’s visuals; a vinyl-exclusive track accompanied the drop.
• Original cover drew criticism for depicting Carpenter in a dog-like pose with a man, sparking accusations of misogyny while some fans called it satire.
• Carpenter previously brushed off the backlash and shared a “God-approved” alternate cover on June 25.
• A women’s organization publicly condemned the first cover as regressive, adding fuel to the debate.
• Album release date is August 29, 2025, with pre-orders live on her channels.

Sabrina Carpenter’s album rollout flared again after she revealed another alternate “Man’s Best Friend” cover, a late-campaign twist paired with a vinyl-only track that boosted attention and reopened an already heated discourse about the project’s visuals. The new image arrives just weeks before release, signaling a strategy that keeps the spotlight on the art as much as the music.

The original cover set the controversy in motion, with critics objecting to imagery they viewed as demeaning while defenders argued the concept works as pointed satire in line with the album’s themes. Coverage and fan debate have focused on whether the framing undercuts or critiques the “male gaze.” Carpenter, for her part, has answered the outcry with wry defiance and selective tweaks to the artwork across editions.

Earlier in the summer she posted an alternate “approved by God” version, a tongue-in-cheek nod that did little to quiet discussion after advocacy voices labeled the first cover regressive. With “Man’s Best Friend” set for August 29 and pre-orders underway, the conversation now rides into release week, where listeners will decide whether the album’s content clarifies the intent behind its most polarizing visuals.