Sabrina Carpenter—petite, blonde, pop star extraordinaire—got her start on Disney Channel. She was a staple of many childhoods on Girl Meets World, and now she feels like that has held some people up from letting her grow. Not only as an artist, but specifically as a 26-year-old woman in pop music.
Speaking with Variety recently, Carpenter shared her thoughts about the somewhat negative response to her Man’s Best Friend album art, as well as how she navigates modern pop stardom. Overall, she actually seems pretty chill about it.
“I want to remember this as a time in my life when I really didn’t hold back,” she said. “I wore the skirts I wanted to wear; I spoke about things in a way that I won’t regret, because I was very open; I think that’s all that matters.”
She added that “people think, ‘Oh, she’ll say and do anything.’” The reality? “No,” she clarified, “I really do have boundaries with myself. You’d be surprised!” She added, “I’m just actually living my life, and you’re watching. If you don’t like it, it’s not for you. If you do like it, let’s play.”
Sabrina Carpenter Discusses Criticism of ‘Man’s Best Friend’ Album Art
One of the things that people thought was Carpenter just saying and doing anything was the aforementioned album cover. Man’s Best Friend features Sabrina Carpenter on her hands and knees, looking right into the camera while clinging to a faceless man. Meanwhile, the man has a tight grip on a fistful of her blonde hair, looking like he’s about to drag her across the floor.
But for Carpenter, the imagery was crucial to the rest of the project. Additionally, the criticism actually proved the point she was trying to make. She spoke about chaos and control, how you can knowingly make mistakes in your life and relationships, while still being in control.
“You can be super put-together, and everything can be in shambles. Like, two things can exist!” she said. The album cover drew comments about being degrading to women and even accused Carpenter of setting feminism back by decades.
But in reality, she explained, “It was about how people try to control women, and how I felt emotionally yanked around by these relationships that I had, and how much power you’re allowing yourself to give them.”
Overall, though, she seemed pretty neutral about the response. “It meant one thing to me and 100 things to other people, and I was looking at it going, ‘That’s valid. Mine’s valid. What’s for dinner?’” She said. “Not to bypass the weight that it did carry for some people. I saw it and was like, ‘That is a great point. It wasn’t the point I was trying to make.’”
She’s Not the First Pop Star To Talk About Sex, So Why Is It Such A Big Deal?
One thing Sabrina Carpenter mused about was the fact that some listeners don’t seem to pick up on how sarcastic her music really is. Especially the songs on Man’s Best Friend, where “Tears”, as an example, had Carpenter promising sexual favors to a fictional partner in exchange for doing the dishes. Her previous hit “Please, Please, Please” was also steeped in dry wit.
“There’s so much sarcasm in the album. More than people have been able to pick up on, unfortunately,” said Carpenter. “Sometimes I’m like, ‘You do know, right?’ Maybe I’ve gotta make it more obvious.”
The other thing she’s noticed is some fans’ reluctance to let her be sexual openly and without shame. She’s far from the only pop star to express her sexuality, so why does there have to be a national conversation about it every other week? Carpenter has a theory about that.
“I think it wouldn’t matter so much if I wasn’t a childhood figure for some people,” she explained. “But I also can’t really help that. It’s not my fault that I got a job when I was 12, and you won’t let me evolve.”
Photo by Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images
The post Sabrina Carpenter, the Sexual, Chaotic, and Sarcastic Superstar, Says, ‘If You Don’t Like It, It’s Not for You’ appeared first on VICE.
