Why Are People Uncomfortable with Sabrina Carpenter's Sexuality? The original text is already quite natural and fluent, but this version makes it slightly more conversational while keeping the core meaning intact.

I’ve known we live in a frustratingly puritanical society since middle school, when my principal looked at the knitted shrug I wore over my uniform polo and said, “We’re glad you’re proud of your body, but take it off.” (I was twelve!) But nothing drives that point home like the latest round of online debates about Sabrina Carpenter.

The newest controversy surrounding the 26-year-old pop star involves the cover art for her upcoming album, Man’s Best Friend, set for release in August. The image shows Carpenter kneeling on the floor in an all-black outfit while an unseen hand tugs at her tousled blonde hair.

While this might be her boldest take on a flirtatious cultural trope (hello, Babygirl), it’s far from her first. This is, after all, the same woman who made out with an alien at the 2024 VMAs and sparked outrage over the Eiffel Tower sex position while on tour.

“It’s always so funny to me when people complain,” Carpenter recently told Rolling Stone, addressing criticism of her music’s suggestive themes. “They say, ‘All she does is sing about this,’ but those are the songs you’ve made popular. Clearly, you love sex. You’re obsessed with it. It’s in my show.”

As usual, Carpenter is absolutely right. The way people fixate on her expression of sexuality says more about our obsession with sex—especially when it’s embraced unapologetically by a confident young woman. Sure, the idea of a petite, blonde, irresistibly sexy pop star isn’t new (give Britney Spears her due!), but Carpenter stands out by seeming completely in control of her image. Watching her strut in Louboutins during her tap-dancing Grammys performance was a joy, partly because she looked like she was having the time of her life. If anything, she deserves praise for fully owning her artistry—sex appeal included.

I haven’t heard Man’s Best Friend yet, so I can’t say whether pup play factors into the lyrics. But it’s classic Carpenter to spark conversation with just a single photo before the music even drops. (Seriously, who’s pulling her hair? Will we ever know?) Honestly, we’d all be better off if we stopped clutching our pearls over her playful, liberated take on sexuality and just let her do her thing—whatever anyone has to say about it.