The last couple of weeks of summer are incredibly promising for people desperately in need of new pop music. We’ve already received “The Subway,” a highly-anticipated new single from Chappell Roan, an official ending to Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS era, and a Taylor Swift album announcement, but one pop princess is ready to end the season with a bang.
It hasn’t even been a year since Sabrina Carpenter released her sixth studio album, Short n’ Sweet, and she’s already back for more. On June 11, she posted the cover for her next album, Man’s Best Friend, creating a media uproar that continues to this day. Now, with exactly two weeks until the album drops, she’s released four cover variants.
Each variant features a vastly different photograph, yet ties back to the album’s controversial title in their own way. With the final variant announced last week, it’s time to decide how all four stack up against one another.
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Flower Alternate Cover
The third variant announced for Man’s Best Friend features Carpenter lounging in a baby blue armchair surrounded by bouquets of flowers. She’s holding a card with the album’s initials on the front, a fun nod that doesn’t feel too in your face. The initial drop of this variant included an exclusive rose vinyl on her online store.
There’s no denying the beauty of this variant. The white walls and beige carpet allow the flowers, chair, and Carpenter to stand out perfectly. When considering the title, the flowers are likely from men or a single man seeking her attention. Compared to the other three, it’s incredibly soft, but maybe this hints at the varying themes present on the album.
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“Approved By God” Alternate Cover
In a direct response to the backlash she received from the original album cover, Carpenter dropped the second variant, captioning it “here is a new alternate cover approved by God.” The image is a recreation of a famous photograph of Marilyn Monroe, showing Carpenter looking over her shoulder with her hand on the arm of a man looking the opposite direction.
She looks like a Hollywood movie star, giving the album an expensive quality. It’s more directly tied to the title simply because of the man in the frame, but also because of the three men behind the couple. Carpenter is surrounded by men and doesn’t wear a ring on her ring finger like Monroe, suggesting she’s available or assessing her options.
Altogether, this variant is a brilliant response to a controversy that opened up conversations about feminism and a woman’s right to her own creative expression. It’s a cover that any fan would be happy to have in their collection.
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Final Alternate Cover
The final variant released for this album is one that immediately became many fans’ favorite. Carpenter leans over a dinner table, surrounded by some of the same men featured in the previous image, with her lips parted like she’s about to speak.
Her left hand is up while her right rests on the table, propping her up to get more involved in the conversation. The expression she shows is impassive, leaning towards a sense of command or disagreement. It’s a flawless take on Man’s Best Friend that flips the viewer’s original ideas about the album into a complete 180.
This is her album and her music, so she’s going to maintain control over it. This variant is unique in that it features the album’s only bonus track so far. “Such A Funny Way” is available only on vinyl.
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Original Controversial Cover
While every variant of the album’s cover is fantastic in its own ways, nothing comes close to the original. The rapid reactions from fans and those who don’t even listen to Carpenter’s music is something that’ll likely be remembered in her career for years to come. Despite all of this, the photograph got people talking, which only boosted her promotions.
Those who were the most disgusted by the image of Carpenter on all fours with her face turned towards the viewer and a man standing above her gripping onto her hair aren’t the ones who are eagerly awaiting August 29. Man’s Best Friend is a title that, thanks to its different variants, is interpreted in many different ways.
The original cover conveys these three words in what the majority of her Instagram comments deemed as degrading. Unfortunately, these rash reactions didn’t bother to take more than a few seconds to consider the kind of career Carpenter has already paved for herself. With a lead single like “Manchild,” it’s unlikely that this album proves the naysayers right.
