Carly Simon Defends Sabrina Carpenter Against ‘Flak’ for Divisive ‘Man’s Best Friend’ Album Cover: ‘It Seems Tame’

As Sabrina Carpenter continues to field criticism for her suggestive Man’s Best Friend cover, singer-songwriter Carly Simon is “Coming Around Again” to help her fellow performer out.

In an interview with Rolling Stone on Wednesday (June 18), Simon commented on the ongoing backlash Carpenter has received since unveiling the new artwork for her forthcoming album. “She’s not doing anything outrageous,” she says. “It seems tame. There have been far flashier covers than hers. One of the most startling covers I’ve ever seen was [The Rolling Stones’] Sticky Fingers. That was out there in terms of sexual attitude. So I don’t know why she’s getting such flak.”

The artwork for Man’s Best Friend shows Carpenter on her knees with her hand on a suit-wearing man’s thigh, as that same figure grabs a fistful of her blonde hair. Critics have claimed that the cover artwork is over-sexualized and anti-feminist, while fans of Carpenter have called such critiques misogynistic, saying the tongue-in-cheek cover is part of Carpenter’s established sex-positive brand.

While Simon joked that “touching the man’s knee” was “going over the line a little bit,” she said the “Espresso” singer shouldn’t worry too much about negative reactions to her work. “Any press is good press, so I wouldn’t worry about the press. And as far as her being salacious, I certainly don’t think it’s that,” Simon said. “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.”

Carpenter herself has responded to a few fans making similar claims about her image. When a fan claimed that her 2024 W magazine photo shoot was inspired by the 1997 film adaptation of Lolita, the singer quickly denied it, saying that she’d “never seen this movie” and that “it’s never been on my mood board and never would be.”

But the pop singer still has plenty to celebrate this week. “Manchild,” the first single from her upcoming new album, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning Carpenter her first debut at the chart’s summit and the second chart-topper of her career (following “Please Please Please” in 2024). “I can’t tell you how much this means to me!!!!” she wrote in an Instagram Stories post on Monday (June 16). “This song makes me so happy.”