NEED TO KNOW
Sabrina Carpenter let her fans in on the meaning behind “Manchild,” amid speculation that it was inspired by an ex.
On Thursday, June 5, the 26-year-old “Busy Woman” singer shared a candid caption explaining how her latest single came about.
According to the Grammy winner, she wrote “Manchild” on “a random” Tuesday with Amy Allen and Jack Antonoff, not long after she finished her sixth album, Short n’ Sweet.
“It ended up being the best random Tuesday of my life,” Carpenter wrote on Instagram.
Sabrina Carpenter/Tiktok
Between cheeky photos from the set of her new single, which is out now, she confessed it was “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,” Carpenter said.
She added, “It sounds like the song embodiment of a loving eye roll and it feels like a never ending road trip in the summer ! 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!”
Before concluding, Carpenter thanked her fans for support, adding, “and thank you men for testing me!!🐷🤍.”
“Sabrina be writing better diss tracks than rappers lmao 😭😭,” one person wrote in the comment section of her post.
John Nacion/Variety via Getty
Before getting to the chorus of the new song, Carpenter hurls insults over sweet and upbeat melodies with the lyrics: “Stupid / Or is it slow? ‘Maybe it’s useless / But there’s a cuter word for it, I know.”
“Manchild, why you always come a-runnin’ to me? / F— my life, won’t you let an innocent woman be? /Never heard of self-care / Half your brain just ain’t there / Manchild, why you always come a-runnin’, takin’ all my lovin’ from me?” she sings.
Though neither Carpenter’s song nor her Instagram caption makes mention of any one ex in particular, the “Feather” singer was most recently linked to Barry Keoghan.
The former couple first sparked romance rumors as they were spotted grabbing dinner together in Los Angeles in early December 2023 before taking a break the following December.
Kevin Mazur/MG24/Getty
“They are both young and career-focused, so they’ve decided to take a break,” a source told PEOPLE in December 2024.
During their time together, the Irish actor, 32, starred as the romantic lead in her “Please Please Please” music video.
While chatting with CBS Sunday Morning in October 2024, Carpenter said she used her “not-even-biased opinion” when casting him.
“I was like, ‘Who’s the greatest actor that I can find for this music video?’ And he was next to me in a chair,” she added. “And he was so excited about it.”
Carpenter is also rumored to have briefly dated Shawn Mendes in 2023. The singer later clarified that the two were “not dating” after they were seen together in Los Angeles.
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“Manchild” is now available on streaming platforms and the music video will premiere on YouTube Friday, June 6.
