Overview

• Carpenter announced the new cover on June 25 via Instagram, captioning it “approved by God” and offering signed copies on her website.
• The alternate artwork depicts her in an elegant beaded gown holding a suited man’s arm in a style that echoes Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller.
• Critics had labeled the initial cover—which showed Carpenter kneeling as a man tugged her hair—as overly sexual and feeding into the male gaze.
• This is the latest in a series of challenges Carpenter has faced over provocative imagery in her videos and performances, and she has consistently defended her creative autonomy.
• Man’s Best Friend, her seventh studio album featuring lead single “Manchild,” is scheduled for release on August 29, 2025.