Sabrina Carpenter thinks women have always "had to train" men

She told Vogue Italia magazine: "When one of my female friends announces that she's having a son, I just rejoice for that young boy, because I know he's going to be raised right.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, I've only been on Earth for 26 years, but I feel like we've always kind of had to train them. Unfortunately, it's a tale as old as time.

"I do think that men have been a super entertaining species to watch. In positive and negative ways. I feel really adored and inspired and loved by some of them... and really confused and attacked and ridiculed by others."

The Manchild singer - who released her seventh album Man's Best Friend last month - insisted she has often felt forced to find "humour" in more difficult moments.

She explained: "Part of life is making light of moments that maybe make us uncomfortable, or at least, that is for me.

"My whole life I felt like humour was just this, and it wasn't even always humour, I think it was usually just sort of a wit that kind of saved me.

"It was always there to make sure that at the end of the day I was protecting myself for the future."

Sabrina's new album featured a picture of her on all fours standing close to a man who is pulling her hair, and she recently admitted she didn't expect so many people to be offended by the raunchy shot.

During an interview on NPR, she explained: "I was surprised. I think mostly because when I thought about making this album cover, I was really inspired by a man sort of delicately playing with my hair.

"Because I think there were a lot of metaphors between this dog and me emotionally. You know, a man's best friend and sort of all the implications that that comes with it, the power in dominance and submission.

"When I saw it, obviously for me, it checked all the boxes in between my friends and family. It just felt like what the music sounds like."