History Repeats Itself as Carly Simon Comes to Sabrina Carpenter’s Defense of Risqué Album Covers

The general public criticizing a female musician for being “too this” or “too that” is a tale as old as time, and Carly Simon coming to Sabrina Carpenter’s defense over the latter pop star’s controversial album cover is a testament to this historical trope. Simon’s defense of the “Espresso” singer comes five decades after the “You’re So Vain” singer experienced similar backlash over the cover of her fifth album, Playing Possum.

Videos by American Songwriter

Amidst intense debate over whether Carpenter’s album cover for Man’s Best Friend is a cheeky reclaiming of women’s sexuality or a damaging regression into patriarchal female submission, Simon argues that Carpenter’s imagery is relatively tame—especially compared to male artists who came before her.

The Controversy Around Sabrina Carpenter’s Album Cover

Sabrina Carpenter’s pop star aesthetic is an obviously captivating blend of kitschy, kinky, cute (kute?), and hyper-girly imagery, attitude, and style. From her sequin-and-lace on-stage outfits to her tongue-in-cheek songs like “Espresso” and “Bed Chem,” Carpenter has seemingly reclaimed the typical “male gaze” female persona and made it so charmingly witty and subtly sardonic that it seemed safe from patriarchal accusations. However, conversations shifted around Carpenter’s stylistic approach after she revealed the album cover for her August 2025 album, Man’s Best Friend.

With a lead single called “Manchild,” it wouldn’t take too much stretching of the imagination to assume Carpenter is, once again, throwing shade at her male counterparts in a sexy way. However, public discourse around her Man’s Best Friend album cover argues that she’s not fighting the patriarchy as much as some might think. Featuring Carpenter on all fours with what appears to be a man grabbing her hair like a dog, critics have denounced Carpenter for what they perceive to be a regressive sexualization and submission of women for the male gaze.

And to be frank, how many times have we, as a society, seen this argument played out before? A woman who appears too sexual is suddenly only performing for men and single-handedly destroying feminism. Virtually every major female artist who has shown a little skin or done something a little risqué finds themselves on the receiving end of these decries, no matter the decade, genre, or pearl-clutching image in question. Carpenter is certainly in good company, and that includes Carly Simon.

Carly Simon Comes To The Pop Star’s Defense

After hitting it big with hits like “You’re So Vain” and “Anticipation,” pop singer Carly Simon made headlines with her 1975 album Playing Possum. The media attention wasn’t because the songs were so good or the impressive feat of bouncing back into a musical career after having a child. Most of the press revolved around what the album looked like—not what was actually on the record. Simon faced immense backlash for her album cover, which featured her on her knees in a black negligee, fists clenched, mouth slightly open. By today’s standards, it’s relatively tame. But that didn’t stop countless publications (and her own family) from questioning her motives.

Five decades later, Simon saw the same situation play out for Sabrina Carpenter. “She’s not doing anything outrageous,” Simon argued to Rolling Stone in 2025. “It seems tame. There have been far flashier covers than hers. One of the most startling covers I’ve ever seen was Sticky Fingers [by the Rolling Stones]. That was out there in terms of sexual attitude. So, I don’t know why she’s getting such flak.”

“Any press is good press,” Simon continued. “As far as her being salacious, I certainly don’t think it’s that. I mean, look at all of the people who dress much more scantily. She’s so beautiful, and she should be proud of herself and the way she looks. I don’t see anything wrong with that.” She did admit with a laugh, however, “I thought it was going over the line a little bit, touching the man’s knee. I thought she didn’t have to do that.”

And indeed, if history has shown us anything, it’s that the controversy around Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend album cover will only boost its sales and ubiquity.

Photo by Geoff Wilkinson/Shutterstock