Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” is what happens when you combine biting satire with pop euphoria – and it absolutely slaps.
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Stream: “Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
Whoever said pop music can’t sting clearly hasn’t met Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild.”
The two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning global superstar kicked off 2025 with a bang, and maybe a little vengeance, with her new single, a dazzlingly produced kiss-off that blends disco glitter, synth-pop bounce, and a twang of country sass into one deliciously biting package. Co-written with longtime collaborator Amy Allen and pop maestro Jack Antonoff (who also produced the track), “Manchild” is both a new chapter and a signature Carpenter move: Razor-sharp wit wrapped in irresistible hooks.
Let’s just say… if your ex has ever claimed to be “emotionally mature” and then ghosted you mid-argument, this one’s for you.
You said your phone was broken,
just forgot to charge it
Whole outfit you’re wearing,
God, I hope it’s ironic
Did you just say you’re finished?
Didn’t know we started
It’s all just so familiar, baby,
what do you call it?
From the very first bars, “Manchild” knows exactly what it’s doing. There’s a bubbling synth line that winks toward the ’80s, a toe-tapping country rhythm in the backbeat, and a disco sheen so polished you could check your lipstick in it. It’s the kind of sonic fusion that feels at once retro and hyper-modern, like Dolly Parton on the dance floor with Carly Rae Jepsen, and maybe a little Donna Summer glitter thrown in for good measure.
But the real hook isn’t just the sound, it’s Sabrina Carpenter’s bite.
“Did you just say you’re finished? / Didn’t know we started,” she sings with deadpan venom, her voice sugar-sweet but her message crystal clear. That couplet is just the tip of the lyrical iceberg, which is packed with dry humor, eye rolls, and takedowns so specific they could have been ripped from a group chat. “It’s all just so familiar, baby, what do you call it – stupid, or is it slow?” Carpenter croons, twisting the knife with a smile.
Stupid or is it slow?
Maybe it’s useless?
But there’s a cuter word for it, I know
Man-child
Why you always come a-running 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
Man-child
Why you always come a-running,
taking all my loving from me?
Where lesser pop stars might hide their disdain behind vague metaphors, Carpenter lets the eyerolls fly. “Manchild” isn’t a breakup anthem; it’s a roast session with choreography. And it’s glorious.
Then there’s the video, which turns the song into a full-blown fever dream of freedom and frustration.
Directed by the ever-inventive Gal Muggia and Vania Heymann (both GRAMMY® nominated for good reason), the visual unfolds like a surreal summer road trip, equal parts desert mirage, vintage motel glamour, and metaphorical escape route. Carpenter, dressed like a cross between a Western heroine and a disco queen, dances through sandstorms, lounges on pink Cadillacs, and literally leaves the “Manchild” in the dust. It’s cinematic, cheeky, and just the right amount of unhinged.
There’s something cathartic about watching Carpenter reclaim her power not through torch songs or tearjerkers, but through biting comedy and glitter boots. “Manchild” is less about heartbreak and more about the absurdity of dating a man whose emotional maturity peaked in middle school. It’s not “Why did he hurt me?” – it’s “Can you believe this guy?”
And therein lies the genius.
Why so sexy if so dumb?
And how survive the Earth so long?
If I’m not there, it won’t get done
I choose to blame your mom
Man-child
Why you always come a-running 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
Man-child
Why you always come a-running, taking all my loving from me?
Sabrina Carpenter has always had a sharp pen; last year’s Short n’ Sweet showcased her lyrical flair, but with “Manchild,” she’s entering a whole new era of confident storytelling.
It’s bold, theatrical, and playfully pissed off. More importantly, it feels fun. In a pop landscape often clogged with copy-paste heartbreak ballads, “Manchild” zigs where others zag, delivering a breakup track that you can scream-sing and line dance to.
Oh, I like my boys playing hard to get
And I like my men all incompetent
And I swear they choose me,
I’m not choosing them
Amen, hey, men
Oh, I like my boys playing hard to get
And I like my men all incompetent
And I swear they choose me,
I’m not choosing them
Amen (Amen), hey, men (Hey, men)
And Jack Antonoff’s fingerprints are all over the place, in the best way. The production is lush without being overstuffed, nostalgic without being derivative. It’s got the same shimmery, layered quality we’ve come to expect from his work, but with a swagger that feels tailor-made for Carpenter’s whip-smart delivery. Amy Allen’s lyrical instincts shine too, especially in the song’s chorus, which feels like a meme waiting to happen. The trio clearly has chemistry, and it shows.
Clocking in at just under three minutes, “Manchild” is quick, catchy, and endlessly replayable.
It’s the kind of song that makes you laugh out loud the first time you hear it and smirk knowingly every time after.
Whether you’re in the middle of a breakup, reminiscing about that one terrible ex, or just vibing with your friends on a rooftop somewhere, this is the soundtrack to your petty-girl summer.
Man-child
Why you always come a-running to me?
f* my life
Won’t you let an innocent woman be? (Amen)
So what’s next for Sabrina Carpenter? If “Manchild” is any indication, she’s not playing it safe. With its genre-blending sound, scathing humor, and instantly iconic visuals, this single marks a bold leap forward – and one that places her firmly at the forefront of pop’s next wave.
Breakups may suck, but at least we have Sabrina Carpenter to turn them into sparkling, synth-laced anthems. And as for the “manchild” in question? He’ll just have to cry-dance to it like the rest of us.
Oh, I like my boys playing hard to get
And I like my men all incompetent
And I swear they choose me,
I’m not choosing them
Amen (Amen), hey, men
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:: read more about Sabrina Carpenter here ::
:: stream/purchase Manchild here ::
:: connect with Sabrina Carpenter here ::
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Stream: “Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
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