Sabrina Carpenter Gets Shoutout From Legendary Singer Amid Album Cover Backlash

Sabrina Carpenter is basking in the joy of having her single, “Manchild,” reach #1 on the Hot 100. She’s also dealing with some haters over the artwork on her upcoming album. “Man’s Best Friend,” due to be released on August 29.

The picture depicts Carpenter in a short black dress and black high heels, kneeling. A man stands above her, pulling her hair, while her fingers rest gently on their pants leg.

One X user who posted the negative comment “Does she have a personality outside of sex?” which went viral when Carpenter reshared their post and responded. “girl yes and it is goooooood.”

While those offended don’t seem to be going away, Carpenter has the public support of fellow musician Carly Simon. The Grammy-winning singer dealt with an eerily similar situation 50 years ago.

Carly Simon Weighs In on ‘Man’s Best Friend’ Album Cover: ‘It Seems Tame’

For Simon’s 1975 album “Playing Possum,” a photo of the “You’re so Vain” singer is on the cover. She’s wearing a black negligee and knee-high black boots, her eyes closed, fists balled up, and her lips pressed together as if she were whistling. Just like Carpenter, she’s on her knees. Simon noted the similarities, but doesn’t see the outrage.

“It seems tame. There have been far flashier covers than hers,” she told Rolling Stone. “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 only aspect Simon questioned was the placement of Carpenter’s hand. “I thought it was going over the line a little bit, touching the man’s knee,” she said with a small laugh. “I thought she didn’t have to do that.”

But Simon doesn’t think all the attention the “Espresso” singer is getting is such a bad thing. “Well, any press is good press, so I wouldn’t worry about the press,” she said. “And as far as her being salacious, I certainly don’t think it’s that. 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.”

Carole King and Photographer Address Her Controversial Album Cover: ‘Beautiful Shot’

At the time that Simon’s “Playing Possum” came out, she noted that “Everybody looked at it, and people definitely had a reaction to it.” But she and photographer Norman Seeff hadn’t tried to create a controversial cover at all.

“It wasn’t done on purpose. It wasn’t a setup,” she explained. “No one thought about what it might convey. It was a fascinating, unique image and it left a lot to the imagination.”

Seeff agreed.  “There’s this whole controversy around what did it represent?” he said. “It felt very much like that energy in a woman, but I just thought of it as a beautiful shot. None of that stuff they were talking about was the intention.”

But, just as Simon remarked about Carpenter’s cover: Any press is good press.