The wait is over, Carpenters! Sabrina finally dropped what is hopefully the anthem of the summer. Manchild is here, and it’s all things cute, fun, and extremely catchy. What more do you expect from the princess of pop girl summer, right?
But I’m here today to talk about those lyrics. Yep, Sabrina did not hold back when she was penning this song. Described as a “loving eye roll,” I can assure you, this song is cattier than just that.
This Particular Lyric is Shady to Her Ex (Or All Men in General?)
In the first verse, Sabrina Carpenter sings, “Did you just say you’re finished? Didn’t know we started” and yeah, that sounds super cheeky and loaded. It has a double meaning that fans aren’t missing: it’s got sexual connotation (ahem) but also major attitude, like she’s calling out someone who’s emotionally immature. And everyone thinks that “someone” is her ex, Barry Keoghan.
I mean, let’s not deny things here. Barry is the most, shall we say, ‘recent’ man(child) in Sabrina’s dating life, so all fingers naturally point to him. Other savage lyrics include, “Manchild, why you always come a-runnin’ to me? / F–k my life, won’t you let an insane 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?”
Barry’s name has been floating around ever since Sabrina teased the single with the IG caption, “this one’s about you.” Considering their messy breakup (there were rumors of him cheating), it kinda tracks. Plus, she’s already shaded him before—in her Dublin show and in the Please Please Please x Dolly Parton music video where she literally kills his character off.
BUT! Then there’s this lyric, which may (or may not) shut down theories that Manchild is about Barry…
The ‘Mom’ Lyric Has Fans Questioning Whether the Song is About Barry
In the second verse, Sabrina sings, “I choose to blame your mom,” after accusing this so-called ‘manchild’ of being “dumb.”
“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.”
On its own, it’s spicy and savage, but if it is about Barry… yikes. His mom sadly passed away from a heroin overdose when he was just 12, so some fans are like “no way she’d go there,” while others think it’s just vague enough to stir drama without being direct. Either way, it’s hella messy.
Sabrina Wrote the Song While Dating Barry
There’s also this: Sabrina shared that she wrote Manchild “on a random tuesday with amy and jack not too long after finishing short n’ sweet and it ended up being the best random tuesday of my life.” The popular star was actually still with Barry when she wrote short n’ sweet… so it’s unclear if this is actually a breakup song about him or if the timing just makes it feel that way.
Sabrina and Barry’s Relationship at a Glance
ICYMI: Sabrina and Barry dated for almost a year after meeting at Paris Fashion Week in 2023. They were cute, chaotic, and kind of obsessed with each other—until they weren’t. Rumors swirled that he wasn’t being loyal, and after the split, Sabrina started letting the lyrics and visuals do the talking.
Now with Manchild, she *could be* leaning into the narrative again. Whether the song is actually about Barry or not, fans are reading between the lines, and the tea is scalding.
READ NEXT:
What Made Sabrina Carpenter Famous?
