Does Sabrina Carpenter’s New Song Reference Her Exes?
Sabrina Carpenter’s latest album, Man’s Best Friend, is already generating buzz due to its risqué lyrics, but fans have zoomed in on a particular track that appears to reference the singer’s past relationships.
In the chorus of “Go Go Juice,” Carpenter, 26, mentions a few names that intriguingly rhyme with men she’s been associated with previously. The verse even includes the word “rhymes,” prompting fans to piece together the clues.
“I’m just drinking to call someone / Ain’t nobody safe when I’m a little bit drunk,” sings the Grammy winner. “Could be John or Larry, gosh, who’s to say? Or the one that rhymes with ‘villain’ if I’m feelin’ that way.”
Listeners were quick to deduce that “John” refers to Shawn Mendes, with whom she had a brief connection in early 2023. (Fans had previously speculated that the Short n’ Sweet tracks “Coincidence” and “Taste” might be about Mendes, 27, reuniting with ex Camila Cabello following his fling with Carpenter.)
“Larry” is believed to be referencing Barry Keoghan, whom Carpenter dated for about a year before Us Weekly confirmed their breakup in December 2024. Keoghan, 32, notably appeared in the music video for “Please Please Please” prior to their split.
Social media detectives began to speculate that the word “gosh” might allude to Joshua Bassett, while the “villain” hinted at is thought to be Dylan O’Brien. Carpenter and Bassett, 24, were romantically linked in 2020 after his breakup with Olivia Rodrigo. (See also: Rodrigo’s “Drivers License,” which includes a mention of the “blonde girl” who’s “so much older than me.”)
Carpenter and O’Brien, 34, sparked dating rumors in 2022 when they were spotted together in New York City, but neither has publicly addressed their rumored relationship.
As is custom for Carpenter, she hasn’t confirmed whether her new lyrics pertain to any specific exes — and she intends to keep it that way.
“I just wouldn’t say,” Carpenter told Gayle King during a Friday, August 29, interview on CBS Mornings. “It’s more fun for people to imagine in their own minds than to know who I’m picturing.”
King, 70, inquired whether Carpenter felt “badly” about the backlash directed at Keoghan from her fans after their split, but the “Espresso” singer maintained that her romantic interests understand the nature of dating a songwriter.
“I feel pretty transparent going into any of my relationships, that I write songs. And I think they’re just as down for it. Typically, they’ve been quite flattered when a song gets written about them, whether good or bad,” Carpenter explained. “I think they’re just excited for the acknowledgment. I’m not apprehensive about men in that way. … I believe I will attract exactly who I’m meant to attract.”
Man’s Best Friend is available now.
