Top pop star Sabrina Carpenter takes fans behind the scenes of her Billboard Hot 100–topping hit “Manchild” in the latest episode of Vevo Footnotes. Joined by music video co-directors Vania Heymann and Gal Muggi, Sabrina walks through the creative vision behind the video, from wardrobe decisions and favorite moments to the hidden Easter eggs fans love spotting.
In the episode, viewers learn that the shoot stretched across three days, featured a wide range of outfits, and even included a pair of jean shorts hand-stitched by Sabrina’s sister. Heymann and Muggi share that their goal was to create a trailer-style video inspired by self-discovery, Americana, and disco-era sensuality, giving it a timeless feel.
Sabrina also talks about adding personal touches throughout the video, including Easter eggs that fans didn’t catch until after the album announcement. She reflects on the intense heat, the fast pace of the shoot, and how improvisation helped bring extra energy and authenticity to the final product. Standout moments include the roadside breakdown scene, a car driving off a cliff, and bold costume choices like the red sequin dress from the bridge scene. The episode wraps with Sabrina revealing that there was so much great footage that editing ended up being one of the biggest challenges in bringing the vision together.
FULL TRANSCRIPTION BELOW:
0:10 – Sabrina Carpenter: The shoot was intended to be a 2 day shoot but ended up being a 3 day shoot once I realized I wanted more scenes in it. It was 35!!! outfits total. My sister also hand-stitched “manchild” on my jean shorts.
0:30 – Vania Heymann & Gal Muggia, Co-Directors: Initially the concept was to create a trailer for a nonsensical forgotten film. We were inspired by self revelation films, Americana and a kind of disco-era sensuality with some strong post-60’s vibes. At the same time it was important to us that it feels specific yet timeless.
0:50 – Sabrina Carpenter: I wrote the song and didn’t think much of it until I came back to the studio the next day and heard it with brand new ears. I knew I wanted it to be the next song that came out from that day, and so the music video wheels started to turn pretty quickly.
1:05 – Sabrina Carpenter: I basically hid the acronym for my new album ‘Man’s Best Friend’ on the motorcycle license plate and I didn’t see fans make the connection until after I announced the album, which was funny.
1:25 – Sabrina Carpenter: It was scorchingly hot and we were moving at the speed of light as we had so many insane setups and wanted time for the beauty of improv!
1:40 – Sabrina Carpenter: Every man that you see driving a vehicle was really driving that particular vehicle so props to them for multitasking and I just let Jesus take the wheel.
2:10 – Sabrina Carpenter: I love and adore the red sequin dress from the bridge scene. But the whole video was built around the white tie-up shirt and jean shorts, that was the look that sparked the creative for me.
2:30 – Vania Heymann & Gal Muggia, Co-Directors: The roadside breakdown scene was somewhat a surprise, because the emotional intensity of Sabrina’s performance elevated the moment far beyond what we expected. And of course, filming the car driving off the cliff was pretty exhilarating for everyone.
2:50 – Sabrina Carpenter: I think Lucille Ball is one of the first great females that used humor as her superpower. I like to think that it sort of happened through my writing; I felt more connected to songs that really embraced that part of my personality.
3:10 – Sabrina Carpenter: I really love watching things where I can’t take my eyes off the screen. I live for color and great cinematography, I live for underlying themes and hidden messages. Attention to detail isn’t just fun for the audience but for myself as well.
3:30 – Sabrina says the hardest thing about making the “Manchild” video was editing it: “There was so much amazing footage and moments we couldn’t fit.”
