As backlash brews over her explicit “Juno” performances, Sabrina Carpenter doubles down—calling out critics, championing female artists, and teasing her bold new album Man’s Best Friend
Sabrina Carpenter isn’t here to play it safe—especially when it comes to “Juno.”
In a candid cover story interview with Rolling Stone for its June issue, the Grammy-winning singer and performer opened up about the controversy swirling around her provocative Short n’ Sweet Tour performances of the hit track “Juno”—named after the 2007 film about teen pregnancy. The lyric in question? “I might let you make me Juno.”
But Carpenter doesn’t stop at innuendo. Each night, during the Juno performance, she brings the lyric to life with on-stage sexual reenactments, showcasing a rotating sequence of suggestive positions as she sings, “Wanna try out some freaky positions? Have you ever tried this one?” The shock-value staging continues during “Bed Chem,” where she climbs onto a heart-shaped bed, disappearing behind a curtain for a simulated sex scene with a male dancer.
While her fans eagerly await what each city’s variation will bring, some critics have taken issue with the overt sexuality of her performances. But the 26-year-old pop star isn’t losing sleep over the backlash.
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“It’s always so funny to me when people complain,” Carpenter told Rolling Stone. “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.”
She didn’t stop there.
“There are so many more moments than the Juno positions, but those are the ones you post every night and comment on,” Carpenter added. “I can’t control that. If you come to the show, you’ll [also] hear the ballads, you’ll hear the more introspective numbers.”
Despite the pressure to perform with humor and boldness, Carpenter maintains that the criticism reflects a deeper pattern in how female artists are treated.
“I find irony and humor in all of it because it seems to be a recurring theme,” she said. “I’m not upset about it, other than I feel mad pressure to be funny sometimes.”
Sabrina on Sex, Scrutiny, and Shutting Down the Double Standards
Beyond the flashy headlines, Carpenter used the moment to address a broader issue in entertainment: the hyper-scrutiny of women in music.
“We’re in a time where women have been picked apart more and scrutinized in every capacity,” she said. “I’m talking about every female artist that is making art right now.”
“It’s something that keeps coming back,” she continued. “We just have to grow thicker skin, but they don’t have to learn how to shut their mouths.”
Surprise! Man’s Best Friend Is Coming
Just one day before her Rolling Stone feature went live, Carpenter shocked fans by announcing her seventh studio album, Man’s Best Friend, due out August 29, 2025.
“I’m living in the glory of no one hearing it or knowing about it, and so I can not care,” she shared about the album’s surprise rollout. “I can not give a f— about it, because I’m just so excited.”
Alongside the announcement, she revealed the album cover: an arresting image of Carpenter kneeling in a black mini dress and heels while a faceless man tugs her blond hair—another bold visual statement certain to stir conversation.
She had already teased the era with the release of her lead single, “Manchild,” on June 5.