insults framed in summer sun in manchild

A review of the amusing and abundantly critical new track from Sabrina Carpenter

“Behind every successful man, there is a woman”. Sabrina Carpenter takes this idiom seriously in her latest release, Manchild.

In a cheery, upbeat tone, Carpenter sings of an entitled, ignorant man who expects everything to be done for him. Insults are framed behind a facade of cheery synth instrumentation. Critical in words but summery in nature: the track blends pop with country and disco undertones, creating a compelling piece.

In many ways, it feels like a cross between the bitter anger of Taylor Swift’s The Man and the condemnatory essence of Carpenter’s own track Please Please Please.

Throughout the single, she describes the difficulty of falling for an attractive man, who is unwilling and incapable of problem-solving, sarcastically mirroring the stupidity she describes in broken sentences: “Why so sexy if so dumb / And how survive the Earth so long?”. The writing is masterfully witty whilst remaining simultaneously catchy.

An amusing and playful track: Manchild perfectly encapsulates the vibes of a road trip in the height of summer.