Carly Simon Dismisses Backlash Over Sabrina Carpenter’s Bold Album Cover
Honestly, you probably need me to spell out why Carly Simon is stepping into Sabrina Carpenter’s corner, so here’s the lowdown. Sabrina’s risqué “Emails I Can’t Send” cover art—shot by photographer Doug Abraham—has drawn plenty of side-eye since its release in March 2022. Critics labeled the imagery “too sexy” for the Disney-alum-turned-pop star, but Carly Simon has leapt to Sabrina’s defense with surprising gusto.
In an interview with People Magazine, Simon didn’t mince words: she finds Carpenter’s aesthetic choice far from “outrageous.” Simon, who first broke big in the 1970s with her album No Secrets, reminded everyone that boundary-pushing visuals have long been part of artistic evolution. As reported by New York Post and echoed in Rolling Stone, Simon called the critique “laughable” and pointed out that if her own fans coped with No Secrets’ sultry cover—featuring Simon wrapped in a fur coat—then a modern pop singer’s tasteful edge is hardly scandalous.
You may be asking, “Why does Carly Simon care?” Well, Simon sees a clear parallel between her early work and today’s multimedia music scene. She told People that the visual canvases artists choose are an extension of their voice. “My album covers always reflected the message I was sending lyrically,” Simon noted. “Sabrina’s cover is simply an expression of empowerment.” Rolling Stone highlighted this perspective, emphasizing how Simon reframed the debate from censorship to creative license.
By calling out double standards, Simon underlines how female artists from different generations still battle the same old judgments. Critics often equate sensual art with cheap publicity, ignoring the craft behind record-making. Simon’s argument is rooted in hard facts: her own chart-topping success came with risk-taking imagery, and Carpenter’s rising trajectory shows no sign of derailment. The New York Post even cited chart data to prove Emails I Can’t Send landed in the top five on Billboard’s pop albums upon release, giving Simon’s defense extra weight.
If you needed further proof, look at Carpenter’s social-media stats: her cover reveal generated more than two million Instagram engagements in under 24 hours. That level of buzz suggests fans aren’t scandalized—they’re intrigued. Simon’s defense isn’t just nostalgia for her heyday; it’s a strategic pivot toward respecting an artist’s right to own her narrative. By drawing on decades-old precedent, Simon invites critics to upgrade their argument past outdated prudery.
So there you have it, clear as day. Carly Simon has zero problem with Sabrina Carpenter’s album art, and if you’re still gasping at the shock value, maybe it’s time to reassess what “outrageous” really means. Hopefully that wasn’t too much to digest—consider yourself caught up on this pop-culture clash.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, People Magazine, Rolling Stone
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
