'I guess Sabrina Carpenter's 15 minutes are up.'

Sabrina Carpenter is the hot topic online this week. And not in a good way.

She hasn't done anything illegal. Anything cruel or outwardly vicious. But she is a star at her peak; one with the glamorous presentation of Betty Boop and the dashing charm of Dolly Parton, with a natural inclination for the kind of hijinx one would traditionally associate with Bugs Bunny.

Her lyrics, her wardrobe, her man-hating music videos: Sabrina Carpenter's entire schtick for the past few years has seen her practically playing a caricature of herself in these sexy, sexy scenes. And people loved it.

But this week, she seemingly took things too far.

The woman at the centre of the social media storm. Image: Getty.

Along with easygoing melodies and powerhouse vocals, Sabrina has become known for her sexy lyrics as she charts her way to mega-fame. Comedically laced through her songs, they're the musical equivalent of a sultry winky face emoji.

Her latest album, Short N Sweet, includes lyrics like 'Come right on me, I mean camaraderie' and 'Wanna try out some freaky positions?'.

On her Short N Sweet world tour, she accompanied that second line with different demonstrations of sex positions — showing off a new move each night, always with a big grin on her face. In another moment, Sabrina and a male dancer pretended to be hooking up behind a curtain, with their shadows suggestively (and often comedically) depicting different scenes.

At the time, there were complaints over the show not being 'child-friendly'. Scandalous headlines ran in the tabloids, with arguments kicking up on social media about her so-called inappropriate behaviour.

But for the most part, this criticism washed away. The phrase "I'm 17 and afraid of Sabrina Carpenter" became a running in-joke within her fandom, as they defended the artist against expectations that she should cater herself to minors just because she's a woman.

It's believed her recent song, 15 Minutes, was released in part due to the first inklings of backlash she received for being 'too sexual' on tour.

"Piss some people off, show them what they're missing, you know I can," she sings in the catchy tune, pledging to do something scandalous when her "time is up".

Because she knew damn well it would be.

Which brings us to the new cover for her upcoming album, Man's Best Friend. And the people, they've been scandalised.

The cover that launched one thousand think-pieces. Image: Sabrina Carpenter.

The album cover in question features Sabrina — fully clothed — on her hands and knees. A faceless person in a suit tugs at her hair. A second back-cover photo shows a dog wearing a collar, with the album title etched onto it.

Given everything we know about Sabrina's tongue-in-cheek history of sexy songs with absurd lyrics and even more ridiculous music videos, there's every possibility this 'aesthetic' plays out as a grand joke come August when Man's Best Friend is released.

There's speculation the album picture will be zoomed out to show Sabrina tugging her own hair. Or that it could be one of her best friends, who have previously dressed as boys to pretend to 'flirt' with her on-tour.

Will there be a music video where she's annoyed with a man for treating her like a dog? There's also speculation there could be a song about a man calling her 'bitch' to tie into the album title.

But the likelihood of Sabrina serving up some silly 'gotcha' moment isn't stopping the discourse from reaching extreme heights. In fact, it's propelling it forward as some claim the image doesn't count as satire if it requires that many 'what-if' caveats.

The reactions currently lie in two major camps.

On the one hand, there are people who think the implication of this cover image is simple: she's engaged in a consensual sexual act. One that many women enjoy and one that is not inherently controversial. The people in this camp think everyone else is overreacting or engaging in puritanical, conservative culture.

On the other hand, there are women in their thousands voicing their frustrations with the cover — saying it's anti-feminist and derogatory and harmful. They've said her music isn't political enough to warrant this level of satire or this aesthetic. While there are plenty of measured takes in this camp, there are so many who are steadfast in their view that this is the worst possible thing a woman could do. If you think I'm dramatising the intensity of the reaction, I recommend you go spend some time in the comment sections of social media.

Some people have said she is fetishising abuse, going so far as to claim her makeup is designed to look like she has been attacked (it's actually just her usual blush and highlighter).

What's the answer? As with all things online, I believe it's a bit of Column A and a bit of Column B.

I'm not here to say whether you can find something like an album cover offensive.

That would be absurd, that's your choice to make. But I am personally of the opinion we're making a mountain out of a molehill, right as there are quite literally a plethora of mountains closing in on us. Like maybe, we should strap on some hiking gear and go climb one of those real mountains instead? But we're having this discourse, so here we go.

Sabrina's schtick isn't winning over fans the way it did in 2024. Image: Getty.

I was surprised by Sabrina's album cover choice, feeling it was a step further than she'd taken her image before. There's normally an aura of silliness surrounding her sexiness; it's missing here. But it did feel on-par with the sexy pop girlies we've loved for decades, who subverted expectations with shock-factor.

I wasn't obsessed with this album cover reveal, but I also wasn't offended; I understand the feelings of those who were.

Those fans are claiming that, unlike stars such as Madonna or Miley Cyrus, Sabrina's music on this album won't be radical enough or political enough to warrant the corresponding artwork. Until we hear the music, we actually have no idea if that's true.

And, above all else, she never claimed it would be. Perhaps it's not a feminist artistic moment. If fans are the ones wrapping her sexy message up in the concept of empowerment, why is it her responsibility to deliver on the claim?

It's extreme to suggest that a display of a sexual fantasy is the same thing as a depiction of abuse. This is a consensual depiction — and claiming all women should feel degraded by such an act is a problematic comment to spew under the guise of women's empowerment.

But the concerns that she's catering to the male gaze with this artwork? That it's not quite hit the mark in the current times in which we live? I understand that disappointment.

I don't think we can ignore the context in which she posted these images — one where her fellow American women are being stripped of reproductive rights, with a genuine fear of what will happen next. A time when male violence against women and misogyny are rising. Some women are disappointed or outraged that a powerful woman would choose to compare herself to a dog in this climate, to show herself as a man's 'play thing' — and I get where they're coming from.

In my opinion, this album cover isn't her attempt at a feminist statement. It isn't an anti-feminist statement. It simply exists. Something that she's created in her own orbit, as much as one can — something we can probably assume she finds sexy and shocking, yet fun — to market an album. And it's working. Despite the noise that the cover has made, her single Manchild is currently top of the charts in the UK and the US.

Given her decision to ignore the outrage thus far — aside from immediately and firmly shutting down a fan claim she was referencing the film adaptation of Lolita in new imagery — I don't think Sabrina will be changing her tune. She's sticking to her guns.

But she knows her 15 minutes of fame is up. She told us as much in her song.

The part of her career where fans are enamoured by her every new move, that part is over. She worked for more than 16 years to reach that milestone, but now that she's at the apex of the industry, she will forever be held to an impossible standard.

Much like other child-stars-turned-pop-stars Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, and even Taylor Swift before her, she was given a small window of time in which to be the appropriate amount of famous and adored and perhaps a little sexy. But it's over now; she's now at the point in her career where she will be picked apart for every decision. Attacked for every mistake or perceived misstep she makes, while her male peers do whatever they like with almost zero repercussions.

And people will feel entitled to rip her apart: after all, they made her famous.

The important caveat is, of course, that women of colour in the entertainment industry are not afforded their 15 minutes to begin with. The vitriol and scrutiny comes quickly, with artists including Megan Thee Stallion placed instantly under a microscope for singing about their sexuality or wearing so-called 'provocative' clothing. They face worse backlash, and they face it faster.

As a white, conventionally attractive and petite blonde, Sabrina was able to enjoy an (almost) scandal-free few years of being a sexy savant with amazing vocals. She was just being ironic! She was just embracing her sexuality! Or maybe it was feminism! But now the line has been drawn in the sand. Now she has a choice to make: to appease the masses and pull back or double down. She'll probably choose the latter.

But you'd be hard-pressed to convince me that makes her my enemy, that she's the sole person 'setting us back' as feminists. Or that this singular photo was worthy of such one-sided, unyielding animosity — especially with far greater and more imminent mountains to climb.

Feature Image: Getty.