Sabrina Carpenter Reveals Why She Writes About Sex: ‘It’s More Complex Than People Think’

Sabrina Carpenter has steadily built her reputation as one of pop’s boldest voices, not just for her sharp songwriting and chart-topping hits, but also for her willingness to sing about themes that many artists still shy away from. In a new interview, the Grammy winner opened up about why she feels compelled to push those boundaries — and why she believes there’s more depth to her choices than people often realize.

In a conversation with Interview published Tuesday (Sept. 2), Carpenter was asked about her signature brand of playful, sexually charged lyricism. The subject arose as she reflected on the controversy surrounding her provocative Man’s Best Friend album artwork, which debuted in late August. The cover — which depicts her on all fours as a man grips her by the hair — immediately drew strong reactions when it was revealed earlier this summer.

“When I came up with the imaging for it, it was so clear to me what it meant,” Carpenter explained. “So the reaction is fascinating to me. You just watch it unravel and go, ‘Wow.’”

The reaction, however, was far from unanimous. For some, the cover symbolized empowerment, a fearless reclamation of sexual imagery by a young woman fully in control of her artistry. For others, it crossed a line, with critics calling it degrading or unnecessarily provocative. Carpenter, for her part, sees the discussion as proof of its complexity. “There’s a lot of nuance,” she said firmly.

“I just felt like, ‘Why is this taboo?’” she continued, reflecting on both the Man’s Best Friend visuals and the candid way she writes about sex. “This is something women experience in such a real way — learning to be comfortable with themselves and who they are. There are so many reasons why I called the album Man’s Best Friend. It ties directly to what I was going through emotionally at the time, when I genuinely felt like one. And I’m so grateful that a big part of my audience knows me well enough to understand these songs in the way they’re intended.”

It’s not the first time Carpenter has addressed her decision to lean into sexual expression through her art. After reaching global superstardom with 2024’s Short n’ Sweet, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, critics were quick to zero in on explicit tracks such as “Juno” and “Bed Chem.” But Carpenter has been clear from the start: those songs aren’t meant for “pearl clutchers.”

Speaking to CBS Mornings on the day Man’s Best Friend dropped, she explained, “Sometimes people hear bold lyrics and think, ‘I don’t want to sing this in front of other people.’ But I think about being at a concert and seeing so many young women in the front row, screaming the words with their best friends. In that moment, everyone can just breathe a sigh of relief and go, ‘This is fun.’ And honestly, that’s all it has to be.”

For Carpenter, embracing sexuality in her music isn’t about shock value — it’s about honesty, freedom, and connection. And judging by her devoted fanbase, the message is being received exactly as she intended.

The singer is now preparing to bring that same energy back to the stage. Following a successful run of European shows this summer, she will resume her Short n’ Sweet Tour on Oct. 23 in Pittsburgh. From there, she’ll embark on another North American leg, highlighted by an impressive five-night residency at New York City’s Madison Square Garden — a milestone that underscores just how far she’s come, and how powerfully her unfiltered voice is resonating in today’s pop landscape.