Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Manchild’ Is the Savage Summer Anthem We Didn’t Know We Needed
The pop princess we’ve all been obsessing over has officially declared open season on disappointing men everywhere. Fresh off her Grammy triumph and riding the stratospheric success of Short n’ Sweet, Sabrina Carpenter has unleashed “Manchild”—a deliciously venomous anthem that feels like the sonic equivalent of a perfectly manicured middle finger raised to the heavens.
Darling, let’s be honest: we’ve all been there. That moment when you realize the person you’ve been giving your precious energy to is operating on the emotional maturity level of a particularly stubborn houseplant. Carpenter, ever the astute observer of millennial romantic disasters, has bottled that exact feeling into three minutes and seventeen seconds of pure cathartic gold.
The track, crafted alongside her trusted collaborators Amy Allen and the indomitable Jack Antonoff, crackles with the kind of wit that makes you want to screenshot every lyric and send it to your group chat immediately. “Did you just say you’re finished? Didn’t know we started,” she purrs with the confidence of someone who has absolutely zero time for your nonsense. It’s giving main character energy in the most delicious way possible.
What’s particularly intoxicating about “Manchild” is its origins—born from what Carpenter describes as “a random Tuesday” that transformed into “the best random Tuesday of my life.” There’s something beautifully chaotic about the creative process here, the way inspiration strikes when you least expect it, much like realizing your latest romantic interest has the emotional depth of a puddle.
The Grammy winner’s confession that this song serves as “the mental montage to the very confusing and fun young adult years of life” hits differently when you consider we’re watching an artist at the absolute peak of her powers. Having swept the Grammys with wins for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance for the infectiously brilliant “Espresso,” Carpenter isn’t just riding a wave—she’s creating the tsunami.
Her description of the track as “the song embodiment of a loving eye roll” paired with the feeling of “a never ending road trip in the summer” is poetry in motion. It’s that perfect blend of exasperation and liberation, the moment you stop taking someone seriously and start taking yourself seriously instead. The imagery alone makes you want to book a convertible and drive somewhere with better music taste and worse cell service.
The timing couldn’t be more perfect. As festival season kicks into overdrive with Carpenter set to command stages at Primavera Sound Barcelona, Austin City Limits, and Lollapalooza, “Manchild” arrives as the ultimate summer soundtrack for anyone who’s ever dated someone who needed a GPS to find emotional availability.
Her cheeky Instagram gratitude—”thank you men for testing me!!”—accompanied by that perfectly placed pig emoji, is the kind of chaotic energy we absolutely live for. It’s giving unbothered queen vibes while simultaneously serving notice that she’s been taking notes, and honey, the report card isn’t pretty.
The response has been immediate and visceral, with fans already declaring Carpenter’s superiority in the art of the musical takedown. “Sabrina be writing better diss tracks than rappers,” commented one devoted follower, and honestly? They’re not wrong. There’s something particularly devastating about being eviscerated by someone who looks like they stepped out of a Pinterest board for “cottage core princess meets pop sensation.”
As Carpenter prepares to soundtrack our collective hot girl summer with Ravyn Lenae, Amber Mark, and Olivia Dean supporting her upcoming North American dates, “Manchild” feels like both a battle cry and a celebration. It’s the sound of someone who has learned to laugh at the absurdity of modern dating while serving vocal perfection and lyrical assassination in equal measure.
Consider this your official notice: summer 2025 belongs to Sabrina Carpenter, and she’s not asking for permission.
