Manchild

Sabrina Carpenter dropped "Manchild" as the lead single from her sixth studio album Man's Best Friend on June 5, 2025. The track arrived via Island Records and clocks in at exactly 3 minutes and 33 seconds. Recording took place at Electric Lady Studios in New York City with a team that included co-writers Amy Allen and Jack Antonoff. A 7-inch vinyl release paired the song with an instrumental B-side titled "Inside of Your Head When You've Just Won an Argument with a Man."

Antonoff produced the track alongside Carpenter, creating a soundscape that merges disco glitter with synth-pop bounce and a distinct twang of country sass. The production shifts focus between sections, highlighting country elements during the pre-chorus and instrumental break before balancing multiple influences for the chorus hook. Carpenter described the final result as "the song embodiment of a loving eye roll" that evokes the feeling of a "never-ending road trip in the summer." Although fans speculated the lyrics targeted her then-fiancé Barry Keoghan, she clarified the song was written before their December 2024 breakup and targets a general archetype of immaturity rather than one specific person.

The official music video arrived the following day on June 6, 2025. Directed by Vania Heymann and Gal Muggia, the clip was shot in Santa Clarita, California, and utilizes fast-paced editing inspired by movie trailers. It depicts Carpenter hitchhiking across the American West with various men using unconventional transport like a jet ski, a shopping cart attached to a motorcycle, and a motorized recliner chair. A memorable scene shows Carpenter sitting in a bathtub with two pigs while saying "Hey, men," a moment that sparked numerous online memes. Visual effects work for the video was later detailed in a March 2026 feature. [edit]