Please, please, please don’t jump to conclusions about Sabrina Carpenter’s new song.
After dropping “Manchild” June 5, the Grammy winner gave a not-so-short-n-sweet explainer on the summer anthem, which she wrote with Amy Allen and Jack Antonoff on what she called a “random Tuesday.”
“It ended up being the best random tuesday of my life,” the 26-year-old wrote on Instagram June 5 alongside a series of stills from the music video as well as a picture of her hugging both Jack and Amy. “Not only was it so fun to write, but this song became to me something I can look back on that will score the mental montage to the very confusing and fun young adult years of life.”
“It sounds like the song embodiment of a loving eye roll and it feels like a never ending road trip in the summer,” she added. “Hence why i wanted to give it to you now- so you can stick your head out the car window and scream it all summer long!”
And Sabrina—who split from Barry Keoghan late last year—admitted there are certain people she had to thank.
“Thank you always and forever for listening,” she wrote. “and thank you men for testing me!!”
Soon after the release, fans began speculating just who those men could be. “Barry Keoghan reading the lyrics to #Manchild and realising she exposed that he finishes quickly,” one fan tweeted. Another speculated she is perhaps singing about another ex, Shawn Mendes: “I thought it was obvious but manchild is not about Barry is about Shawn (just in case you’re slow) she said it was written right after she finished the sns album so don’t be slow ppl,” Or, as another fan noted, “the way everyone swore Manchild was going to be about Barry only to find out it’s literally a fun cheeky song about practically every single man in existence.”
Days before the song’s drop, she teased “Manchild” June 3 with a snap of her hitchhiking in wearing a pair of Daisy Dukes and a tied t-shirt. As she quipped at the time, “This one’s about you.”
Though this one is cryptic, Sabrina typically doesn’t shy from calling out nonsense. See for yourself below…
Talkin’ Nonsense
Not everyone is a fan of Sabrina Carpenter’s love for lace and provocative lyrics. In fact, music producer Pete Waterman labeled the “Nonsense” singer’s live shows as downright “offensive.”
“They’ve won all of their freedoms and their rights, women,” Waterman said in January 2025. “They fought for everything they’ve got, and now they’re throwing it away, is the way I would look at it.”
And in her response, the Girl Meets World alum did not hold back.
“My message has always been clear,” Sabrina said in an interview with The Sun on Sunday, “if you can’t handle a girl who is confident in her own sexuality, then don’t come to my shows.”
“Female artists have been shamed forever,” she continued. “In the noughties it was Rihanna, in the nineties it was Britney Spears, in the eighties it was Madonna—and now it’s me.”
Can’t Blame a Girl for Clapping Back
To the critics calling Sabrina’s renowned “Juno” poses and raunchy lyrics “lazy,” Sabrina countered their “totally regressive” opinions.
“It’s essentially saying that female performers should not be able to embrace their sexuality in their lyrics, in the way we dress, in the way we perform,” the pop star explained to The Sun. “It’s like those who want to shame don’t make comments when I talk about self-care or body positivity or heartbreak, which are all normal things a 25-year-old goes through. They just want to talk about the sexual side of my performances.”
She’s Working Late, ‘Cause She’s a Singer
During Sabrina’s Short n’ Sweet Tour, critics on social media shared their suspicions that the “Espresso” singer was lip-syncing during her shows.
“Hate to say it,” one person wrote in an October 2024 TikTok video, “but 30 percent lip singing [sic] 30 percent backing track [and] 40 percent singing.”
The Disney alum, however, was quick to shoot down the claims.
“I sing live at every show 100 percent,” Sabrina declared in the comments. “Would you like to speak to my audio engineers?”
Keeping it Short n’ Sweet
It doesn’t take many words for the Grammy nominee to silence her haters.
In June 2024, a keyboard warrior shared their disapproval of Sabrina’s hit single “Please Please Please.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone fumble a second single this hard,” the user wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “my goodness.”
But as soon as the tune reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, she posted side-by-side screenshots of the rankings alongside the comments with the caption, “ohhhh I’m a grateful grateful grateful girl.”
It’s Funny and It’s Ironic
After receiving backlash for her iconic “Feather” music video filmed in the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn—which she had received permission from the church to film in—Sabrina’s story differed from the one Msgr. Jamie J. Gigantiello told in his official statement.
“The parish did not follow diocesan policy regarding the filming on Church property,” the parish’s then-pastor said in his November 2023 statement, “which includes a review of the scenes and script.”
But Sabrina refuted his claims with one simple sentence.
“We got approval in advance,” Sabrina quipped to Variety at the time, “and Jesus was a carpenter.”
What a Coincidence
While onstage at NYC’s Madison Square Garden in September 2024, Sabrina alluded to her “Feather” music video scandal having played a part in New York mayor Eric Adams’ federal investigation at the time. The pastor that approved Sabrina’s “Feather” music video—though he said he was “not aware” of its inappropriate content—was demoted, leading to “broader administrative review” of the parish.
In their review, the diocese told the New York Post that they may have found a connection between the Parish and Adams involving business dealings between the pastor and senior figures within Adams’ embattled administration. (The mayor was charged with bribery and wire fraud scheme in the ongoing case, to which he has pleaded not guilty.)
And to that, Sabrina said, “Should we talk about how I got the mayor indicted or…”
