Sabrina Carpenter under fire over controversial song lyric

Sabrina Carpenter's latest song 'Manchild' has sparked debate over the use of an ableist slur

Fans were overjoyed when Carpenter surprised them with new music earlier this month.

The song became an instant hit for the pop star, but Carpenter is now facing backlash over the lyrics.

J. D. Mills, known as @theactualjdm, posted to TikTok saying:

"So... when are we gonna talk about the slur in Sabrina Carpenter's song [Manchild] that's going viral?"

In the caption, they continued:

"Not to kill the vibe, but “Manchild” has a lyric we seriously need to talk about. Disabled folks deserve better."

"Ableism doesn’t look good on you, girl".

The user did not disclose the lyric they were referring to, but among commenters, it's believed to be the word 'slow'.

In the pre-chorus of the song, it reads:

"Stupid, or is it slow? Maybe it's useless? But there's a cuter word for it, I know."

Many commenters agreed with Mills

One person commented:

"I LITERALLY KEEP ASKING MYSELF THIS. I keep being like wait does everyone think those is ok?"

"No I agree; it’s weird no one’s mentioning it", another wrote.

"As someone with a learning disability and been called slow all my life it is offensive", a third wrote.

However, many people disagreed with Mills, saying that the term is not a slur, but is derogatory and harmful.

"I think slur is the wrong word. But yes calling people slow in 2025 is weird af", one person said.

Another person wrote:

"Hi! Coming from an autistic, it’s not a slur. However, it is a derogatory word, and she definitely could have easily used a different word in the song."

A third said:

"Slow is derogatory, not a slur. This distinguishment is important.

"Slow can he used in an ableist manner, but it can also be used to just mean not keeping up or refusing to grow up.

"She also sounds like she's repeating what he told her."

Do you think Sabrina Carpenter is in the wrong?