Sabrina Carpenter is a music artist who makes energetic and often silly pop songs. As I am an old, cynical whiner, I shouldn't like her music and regard her in the same way as many new and younger singers I despise. That said, so much of her stuff is just plain good that I am a fan. Plus, she's crafty with her marketing--a recent controversy illustrates this. You see, Carpenter announced she has a new LP coming this August titled, "Man's Best Friend," with the cover art featuring her on her knees with an unseen man grabbing her hair, somewhat roughly. Clearly, between the imagery and title, it is a bit of a joke about BDSM, and considering she's fully clothed on the cover, not especially racy or extreme. Still, it was just enough over the edge for many folks to ignite some controversy. Obviously, this was Carpenter's plan all along and folks have merely played into her hands. Observe the cover:
Countless times, those who create art have done something controversial to get attention. It helps if the controversial art itself is good, because empty controversy/pushing the envelope simply to upset people just comes across as lazy. Carpenter is a great musician, and I would imagine, "Man's Best Friend," will have multiple bangers on it. She's managed to get a ton of press for her LP simply through the cover art and has outright goaded critics to comment--such as with an Instagram post sharing alternative cover artwork she sarcastically added was, "Approved by God." Some people have complained they are tired of the controversy...but Carpenter just put the artwork out there and let the hubbub happen. As I already said, Carpenter makes solid jams, so I'm quite sure there will be substance to back up her playful prodding of the public (say that three times fast). For now, however, she already has many people's attention!