A lot of people are talking about Sabrina Carpenter and Sydney Sweeney right now—and it’s not because they’re both blondes with names that start with the letter “S.”
This all started when Sweeney dropped a provocative collab in late May, releasing a limited run of Dr. Squatch soap that was made with her actual bathwater, some of which are currently being resold on the internet for thousands of dollars. Internet users were quick to question the target audience of this release, with many fans criticizing the Euphoria star for catering to the male gaze and rewarding her objectifiers. Others suggested the stunt was a bold way for Sweeney to reclaim her body autonomy and cash in on said objectification. Many thought the whole thing was just weird.
The original Instagram post, by the way, has since been removed from Sweeney’s Instagram feed.
What does this have to do with Carpenter? Well, the discourse surrounding her latest cover art is sparking similar conversations, with many even referencing Sweeney’s bathwater soap in the process. But what is it about the Man’s Best Friend album art set off the internet? Here’s the TL;DR.
Give Me the TL;DR
Shortly after the release of her latest single, “Manchild,” Carpenter announced her next studio album, Man’s Best Friend. On June 11, the 26-year-old singer posted an image of herself on her hands and knees with her hair being held up like a leash by a faceless being in a suit (presumably a man). The second image was a closeup of a dog wearing a collar and tag engraved with the album title.
“My new album, “Man’s Best Friend” 🐾 is out on August 29, 2025,” Carpenter captioned her Instagram post. “i can’t wait for it to be yours x”
While many were thrilled to get a new album so quickly after the release of Short N’ Sweet in summer 2024, other fans and Internet users were unhappy with the album art, which was quickly described as degrading and anti feminist.
What are the arguments?
On one side, you’ve got critics saying that the image is degrading and feeds into a culture that sexualizes and demeans women. Many of those users brought up Sweeney’s bathwater soap as further proof that our culture’s depiction of women is regressing.
On the other, you have fans who believe the art is satirical and on-brand for Carpenter, who has written as many cheeky, suggestive lyrics about sex as she has lyrics that make fun of her exes. Just look up the lyrics to “Juno,” “Bed Chem,” or a compilation of her ad-libbed “Nonsense” outros from her Emails We Can’t Send era.
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