Sabrina Carpenter has just dropped her latest single “Manchild,” and it’s giving ✨petty princess in pink✨ energy, chaos glitter, and just a pinch of “get a therapist” for whoever inspired this lyrical roast beef sandwich. But despite what Twitter, TikTok, and your cousin with no boundaries might be saying, it probably isn’t about Barry Keoghan. Plot twist? Let’s unpack this mess.
First things first: Yes, she said “Manchild.”
And yes, that’s probably the most polite thing she could’ve called him.
The track kicks off with Sabrina laughing and saying “oh, boy,” which is the musical equivalent of someone unzipping their emotional baggage and dumping it on the floor with a wink. It screams, “He thinks 3-in-1 shampoo is a personality trait.”
Naturally, fans went full-FBI mode and decided the song must be about her ex, Barry Keoghan—because who else could inspire a lyric like:
“Manchild, why you always come a-runnin’ to me? / F–k my life, won’t you let an insane woman be?”
Like… please. Sabrina really said “I am not well and it’s your fault, sir.” ICONIC.
But then… the plot thickens. Like, eyebrow-gel thick.
In verse two, Sabrina hits us with a line that’s basically a lyrical backhand:
“Why so sexy if so dumb? / And how survive the Earth so long / If I’m not there, it won’t get dumb / I choose to blame your mom.”
And BOOM—there goes the Barry theory faster than a manchild ghosting after two dates and a shared Spotify playlist.
Because here’s the tea: Barry tragically lost his mom when he was just 12, and he’s spoken publicly about that loss and his struggles with addiction. So yeah, Sabrina dragging his mom? Absolutely not. She may be petty, but she’s not heartless. There’s no way she’d go there. Not even in a bridge with a high note.
So if it’s not Barry… then WHO is the Manchild?
Someone. Somewhere. Out there. Possibly wearing Crocs and sending “u up?” texts at 2am.
Sabrina wrote this lyrical clapback on what she calls “the best random Tuesday of my life” with songwriting royalty Amy Allen and Jack Antonoff. And guess what? She was still dating Barry at the time. So either this was a musical premonition (Sabrina Witch Trials when?), or it’s about another ex, a ghost of situationships past, or that barista who spelled her name “Sabrinahh” one too many times.
The Verdict?
Barry is probably in the clear. But the manchild population at large? They’ve been served.
And honestly, this bop might just become the national anthem for anyone who’s ever dated a man who thinks “emotional maturity” is a Marvel character.
Go stream it now, and if your ex texts “Is this about me?”—send him the lyrics and a clown emoji. 🎪💋
Sabrina said: know your worth, then double it, then block him.
