Sabrina Carpenter opens up about men, humor and a Vogue Italia cover ahead of new music

Sabrina Carpenter has opened up about her experiences with men, describing feelings of confusion, being attacked and ridiculed, and saying at times she feels she has to train them. The remarks come as she fronts a vintage-inspired cover story for Vogue Italia, where she reflects on how her view of the opposite sex has evolved and how humor has helped her navigate personal and public scrutiny.

In the interview, Carpenter describes men as a complex mix of affection and confusion, noting she has felt both admiration and frustration in equal measure. She says she regards humorous, witty moments as a way to shield herself from harsher judgments and to protect her own emotional footing as she moves through a highly visible phase of her career. The conversation sits against the backdrop of a recent push in her music and image, including the release of material linked to her album Man's Best Friend and its lead single, Manchild, which sparked online chatter when it dropped in May.

The Vogue Italia spread features Carpenter in a string of retro-inspired looks, including a look drawn from 1960s icon Brigitte Bardot. The shoot leans into a vintage mood that mirrors the album’s thematic exploration of desire, power and how women navigate expectations within relationships. The styling and photography emphasize both vulnerability and agency, aligning with Carpenter’s broader artistic arc as she leans into more mature, provocative material while retaining the pop sensibility that has driven her career since her early days.

Carpenter’s reflections arrive amid ongoing public interest in her personal life, particularly her relationship with actor Barry Keoghan. The pair were linked publicly in December 2023 and remained in the spotlight through late 2024, with intermittent reports about the status of their romance. Met Gala appearances in May 2024 brought the couple into a high-profile spotlight, and by December of the following year outlets began noting a split that was described as on-and-off by various sources. Reports in Us Weekly described Keoghan as being devoted to Carpenter’s happiness, though it was acknowledged that the couple were at different points in their lives. Some social media posts circled around the relationship, with fans parsing every public moment for hints about compatibility and timing.

Lead-up to the Vogue Italia feature, Carpenter released Manchild, the lead single for Man's Best Friend, in May. The promotional material for that track drew attention for what fans perceived as a dig at her ex, with a teaser video and lyrics that referenced arguments with a man. The public reaction underscored how closely her personal life and artistic output remain intertwined for listeners and tabloids alike, illustrating the fine line she walks between artistic self-expression and public perception.

In speaking about the inspiration behind her work, Carpenter frames the album as a project about curiosity and complexity in relationships, rather than a simple love-and-heartbreak narrative. She notes that the album uses humor as a lens through which to examine serious themes, suggesting that wit has long served as a coping mechanism in her life. This approach aligns with the broader cultural moment in which female pop artists are increasingly foregrounding autonomy, humor and resilience in their storytelling, even as they confront public scrutiny.

The Vogue Italia feature also underscores Carpenter’s comfort with reinvention. By adopting a look that nods to Bardot and pairing it with modern styling, she signals a readiness to explore different facets of her identity as an artist. The shoot’s aesthetic choices—alongside the candid reflections on gender dynamics—offer a portrait of a musician who is neither retreating from scrutiny nor allowing it to dictate her creative direction. Instead, she appears to be using the moment to recalibrate the boundaries between personal life and artistic expression, a move that some critics have described as a maturation of her public persona.

Industry observers note that Carpenter’s alignment with a high-fashion, retro-inspired visual language complements the musical and lyrical themes she has hinted at for Man's Best Friend. The album’s central premise—an examination of masculine behavior through a female perspective—arrives at a moment when female artists are increasingly weaving social commentary into their sonic experimentation. By pairing intimate, candid personal disclosures with a bold, image-forward shoot, Carpenter is positioning herself as both a storyteller and a provocateur within pop culture.

As promotion for Man's Best Friend continues, Carpenter has not indicated any change in the album’s trajectory. Her team has emphasized that the project remains a cohesive exploration of desire, humor, power and protection in human relationships, with the singles and visuals designed to illuminate those themes through a contemporary lens. Fans have reacted with a mix of anticipation and scrutiny, as is common when a major artist undertakes a more revealing, self-directed creative direction.

The interwoven narrative of Carpenter’s personal life, her broader artistic arc and the public’s appetite for candid celebrity storytelling reflect a broader trend in culture and entertainment: stars increasingly cultivate dual trajectories as both artists and public figures whose private experiences directly inform their creative output. In Carpenter’s case, the Vogue Italia shoot and the Man's Best Friend era appear to be a deliberate step in framing her experiences with gender dynamics as raw material for an era-defining musical project.

IMAGE

![Sabrina Carpenter Vogue Italia](