Sabrina Carpenter is once again at the center of controversy, this time over a photoshoot she did last year. Some accuse the Grammy winner of taking inspiration from Lolita, a story deemed morally abhorrent. The photoshoot in question is from the September 2024 issue of W magazine, in which the singer is seen sprawled out on her stomach in a grassy field, with a sprinkler behind her — a theme that, to be fair, closely resembles a still from the 1997 movie adaptation. But what is the truth behind it? Did the “Espresso” singer really take inspiration from the contentious and widely criticized tale?
Sabrina Carpenter Puts All the Debacles to Rest
The 2024 photoshoot didn’t sit well with fans and online spectators alike, who called out the singer for the spread’s uncanny resemblance to a scene from Adrian Lyne’s 1997 film adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov’s controversial novel. It centers around a middle-aged man’s inappropriate attraction to a 12-year-old girl. A user on X (formerly Twitter) pointed out that the photoshoot wasn’t the only instance the singer has “directly referenced Lolita,” with the vinyl cover for Man’s Best Friend sharing similarities to a scene from the said movie. Some came to her defense, explaining how such discourse is more reflective of the critics themselves than of Carpenter. One user explained that it only exposes the fact that they “paid way too close attention” to the movie they claim Carpenter used as a reference for the photoshoot.
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The pop singer has now joined the conversation. Carpenter left a comment denying the accusation on a TikTok video where a user called the photoshoot “gross.” The “Please Please Please” singer asserted that she had never seen the movie and would never use it as a reference, let alone in a photoshoot. She wrote: “I’ve never seen this movie. It’s never been on my mood board and never would be.” However, the creator — who uploaded a side-by-side comparison of Carpenter’s photo and the Lolita movie — didn’t seem convinced with Carpenter’s response, saying, “‘Fully grown but I look like a niña’ yh sure.”
The comment was a reference to the singer’s “Nonsense” outro during her performance at The Eras Tour’s Mexico stop in 2023. “I’m full grown but I look like a niña (little girl) / Come put something big in my casita (small house),” she sang. One user defended Carpenter, noting that the lyrics were just a joke about her height and that it was “not that deep.”
Sabrina Carpenter Has Faced Criticism for Her Provocative Persona
The pop star’s comments come after she drew negative attention for the album cover of Man’s Best Friend, her upcoming seventh studio album set for release on August 29. In the photo, the singer is seen sitting on all fours while a mysterious man in a suit pulls her hair. Some slammed the singer for hypersexuality and for claiming to be a man-hater, only to end up submitting to one. Even so, others pointed out that the cover art was simply a satirical nod to the album’s title, while some are saying it is actually empowering and not at all degrading to women. But the album cover and last year’s spread were just a few of the instances in which the singer came under scrutiny for her artistic and sexual expression.
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Sabrina Carpenter Is Fighting Back Against Criticism Over Her Provocative New Album Cover
Carpenter has a lot to say when it comes to her critics.
Carpenter sure is not everyone’s cup of tea. That is especially true among parents who strongly criticize the singer for the sexual nature of her performances and lyrics. Despite this, the singer has remained unbothered — as she should be. In a Rolling Stone cover story (via Variety), she said:
“It’s always so funny to me when people complain. They’re like, ‘All she does is sing about this.’ But those are the songs that you’ve made popular. Clearly you love sex. You’re obsessed with it. It’s in my show. There’s so many more moments than the ‘Juno’ positions, but those are the ones you post every night and comment on. I can’t control that. If you come to the show, you’ll [also] hear the ballads, you’ll hear the more introspective numbers. I find irony and humor in all of that, because it seems to be a recurring theme. I’m not upset about it, other than I feel mad pressure to be funny sometimes.”
The commotion surrounding Carpenter’s provocative image is nothing new. We’ve seen it with artists like Madonna, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, and more. If female artists aren’t criticized for being too sexual, they’re sometimes criticized for playing it safe. There really is no middle ground where female artists can express themselves without being criticized.
Man’s Best Friend releases on August 29.