Sabrina Carpenter redefines her rules amid Man's Best Friend buzz and backlash

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Carpenter revealed she’s considering banning phones at future shows. This will honestly piss off my fans,” she admitted via Rolling Stone and explained that the idea came after attending a phone-free Silk Sonic concert in Las Vegas.

The pop star expressed how the no-phones rule gave audiences the opportunity to be present, dance, and actually connect.

Coinciding with the announcement of her upcoming album Man’s Best Friend, the interview arrived on the heels of her trending new track, "Manchild." Alongside the news of the album, the cover drew both admiration and controversy for the artist.

The scrutiny didn’t stop there. Sabrina’s cover art for her upcoming seventh studio album, which appears to depict a suited man holding her by a leash, has been branded by some as misogynistic, despite its ironic intent.

Carpenter has responded to the backlash with confidence. When one user on TikTok questioned whether she had referenced Lolita in a previous photoshoot, she shut it down: “I’ve never seen this movie. It’s never been on my mood board and never would be.”

On social media, she’s also defended her right to explore themes of power and sexuality, responding to accusations of oversexualization on Twitter/X by saying, “Girl yes [I have a personality outside of sex] and it is goooooood.”