Sabrina Carpenter Announces New Album and Everyone Loses Their Minds

Sabrina Carpenter just dropped a new album, and the internet immediately spiraled into chaos — not just from the excitement surrounding ‘Manchild’, but from the cover art that had netizens clutching their metaphorical pearls.

Is the outrage justified, or just another day of people not knowing how to act? Some of us see it for what it is: Marketing.

As a former agency marketer, I see so many layers of nuance. But also I have worked in the adult industry for the better part of the last decade. My takes on sexuality are far more nuanced than most people’s sensibilities. So today, we’re just going to unpack the conversations. Let’s go:

Not for Children Anymore – Breaking the Disney Curse

Let’s be honest: Did you think she was going to make G-rated sitcoms for tweens forever? She’s 26-years-old, babes. It’s called growing up. Wouldn’t it be a little weird to expect someone pushing 30 to still be doing musical numbers in a cafeteria? This isn’t GLEE.

The Disney-to-diva pipeline is alive and well, and Sabrina is just the latest to set the path on fire. People who think she is meant for children are just WEIRD at this point.

See The History of Sex Symbols: From Goddesses to Hollywood

She’s made herself clear: she is not a child.

Have we learned nothing from Miley? Sure, Miley Cyrus did it with a sudden shift that rocked her fanbase. One day she was swinging naked on a wrecking ball, grinding on Robin Thicke, and licking construction tools. Iconic? Yes. Subtle? Absolutely not.

Sabrina chose the slow-burn glow-up, and became a woman before our very eyes, if you paid attention. Even if you think she didn’t. Over time, the eyeliner got darker, her outfits got sexier, and suddenly she’s singing lyrics that you’d rather not have your young ones singing along to, in the car.

You either clocked the transformation early, or you’re still stuck in 2016.

Sabrina was never going to stay your childhood fave forever, though her initial roles were minor. She used smart branding to go from “that girl from Girl Meets World” to a chart-topping, headline-snatching provocateur. And now? She’s just playing the game.

You’re angry about marketing.

Pushing Societal Boundaries – Sabrina Carpenter

From Madonna simulating masturbation on stage (she was almost arrested) in the ’90s to Britney strutting through a high school in a sexy schoolgirl outfit, women in pop have always had to push boundaries just to be taken seriously. And Sabrina?

She’s commanding like a seasoned professional; not reinventing the wheel.

Her past albums like Emails I Can’t Send and Short n’ Sweet already hinted at a bolder, unfiltered Sabrina.

It’s painfully obvious that this album cover is tongue-in-cheek light submission. She’s not afraid to bring these concepts to the forefront, to cause a commotion. I noted, however, that it’s in juxtaposition with the lead single “Manchild” where she is clearly not praising men.

A purposeful contradiction, it seems. Have you noticed that her whole brand has been about being tongue-in-cheek? For the less perceptive (or non-fans) among us, it’s only jarring.

It’s enough to make middle America write strongly worded Facebook posts. Which means… the marketing is working.

The additional uproar is not understanding that she’s creating imagery of kinks that are not mainstream: Pup Kinks. 🐶 Woof.

So… Um. What Is a Pup Kink?

So, this is the part where the pearl-clutchers really lost their minds. The imagery was immediately obvious to me as an allusion to a submission/pup kink.

So, a “pup kink” is a roleplay-based fetish, where one partner pretends to be a puppy. That’s it. No actual dogs involved. It’s about submission, playfulness, and power dynamics, often involving collars, leashes, or wagging tails (yes, really).

Did Sabrina explicitly say this is what she’s referencing? Kinda. It’s purposely provocative. It’s marketing. And it worked.

If you want to learn more about other kinks and fetishes, make sure to check out our Sexually Speaking category!

Your Puritanism is Showing

Deep down, we’re still clutching onto purity culture like our virginity at Bible camp. OR maybe it’s because people still think she’s making music for children, which she never did.

Let it go. Men write lyrics about date rape and assault, and people are less apt to lose their minds. Kinks aren’t anti- or pro-feminism. They’re kinks. She’s displaying them in a way that looks like a lot of things to the uneducated masses, and is wide open for misinterpretation.

This is her art.

At the end of the day, I don’t think overt kink has a place in pop culture. I think some things are only meant for some circles. It’s the same reasoning why I don’t think kinky sexual acts should be on display at Pride. Same reasoning why I don’t wanna talk about your bedroom acts when we’re just trying to eat brunch.

It’s a nuanced conversation, but certain parts of this conversation are extremely cut and dry.

There’s a time and a place.

A Culture Afraid of Sex, but not Violence

We all have to learn about sex at some point, and it’s inarguably healthier to understand, so you can express yourself one day and in appropriate timeframes.

Have you noticed that violence is far more accepted than sexuality? Sabrina is exposing people’s real thoughts about sex, which don’t seem to have progressed far beyond the days where Madonna released her Sex Book in 1992.

Ask yourself how you’d respond if the imagery was violent, as opposed to a BDSM dynamic that isn’t actually harmful. Her hair isn’t even being pulled aggressively. You’re just imagining violence, here.

Besides, she KILLED A MAN in a music video. Where was the uproar? 🧐

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The Evolution of a Pop Star

We should all be free to explore our desires without shame. That’s what Peach Kisser is all about! Sabrina Carpenter’s latest era expands her brand with a little more edge. What she is doing isn’t feminism, however it’s the fruit of the work feminists have done, to allow women to make choices and become provocateurs. Whether it’s a moral failing on her or not doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, it’s marketing and branding that works.

Sabrina is not here to babysit your kids, and she never was. She’s not meant for children, and a lot of people seem to struggle with that concept. At the end of the day, we must all get better acquainted with the concept of nuance.

So if you’re still clutching your pearls, maybe it’s time to loosen that necklace. You’ve played right into her hands with the outrage, and as a marketer? That looks like success.