In an eye-catching photoshoot with renowned photographer David LaChapelle, Carpenter, 26, strips down to nothing but stockings for the magazine’s cover, signaling her confidence in owning her image.
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This photoshoot accompanies the release of her upcoming album Man’s Best Friend, due out next month. The album follows her widely successful Short n’ Sweet, released just a year earlier.
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Carpenter, who has faced online criticism for songs with sexually explicit themes and bold stage performances, addresses the backlash head-on. She argues that the public’s complaints about her lyrics—particularly those surrounding her song “Juno,” in which she acts out various sexual positions—are contradictory. “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,” she says in the interview.
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The singer also highlights the irony in her critics’ obsession with certain aspects of her performances. “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,” she adds. Carpenter further notes that her shows include more introspective ballads alongside her more playful tracks, emphasizing the diversity of her artistry.
Addressing the broader issue of women in the public eye, Carpenter expresses frustration with the intense scrutiny women face in the industry. “I truly feel like I’ve never lived in a time where women have been picked apart more, and scrutinized in every capacity,” she says. She continues, pointing out the paradox of so-called “girl power” and the constant judgment women endure for their appearances and actions.
Carpenter concludes that artists must develop a thick skin to cope with the online hate, stating, “They don’t have to learn how to shut their mouths.”
In the Rolling Stone feature, Carpenter also reflects on her quick follow-up album, her numbness to tabloid stories, and what she’s really like when off-stage.