Is Sabrina Carpenter sipping her “Go Go Juice” and spilling tea at the same time? Fans certainly think so.
The 25-year-old pop star dropped her highly anticipated album Man’s Best Friend on August 29, and one track in particular — “Go Go Juice” — has fans convinced she’s cheekily referencing her ex-boyfriend Barry Keoghan… and maybe a few other famous flings, too.
At first pass, the rollicking country-infused track sounds like a lighthearted ode to bad decisions made after one too many drinks. “I’m just drinking to call someone / Ain’t nobody safe when I’m a little bit drunk,” she sings. But then Carpenter gets specific, crooning: *“Could be John or Larry, gosh, who’s to say? / Or the one that rhymes with ‘villain’ if I’m feelin’ that way.”
Cue the internet detectives. Fans immediately noted the rhyme scheme: Larry rhymes with Barry — as in Oscar-nominated actor Barry, whom Carpenter dated for about a year before their split at the end of 2024. Villain, meanwhile, could rhyme with Dylan, fueling speculation about her rumored 2022 fling with Dylan O’Brien. And John? Some believe that’s a subtle wink at Shawn Mendes, who Carpenter was linked to in early 2023.
On social media, theories spread fast. “She didn’t just say Barry without saying Barry,” one fan wrote on X, while another joked, “Dylan, Shawn, Barry… Go Go Juice is just Sabrina’s version of roll call.”
Even without the fan speculation, the lyrics feel like a knowing nod to her past. “A girl who knows her liquor is a girl who’s been dumped,” Carpenter belts at one point, making it clear heartbreak — and a little liquid courage — is at the center of the song.
Jack Antonoff, who worked on Man’s Best Friend, told Rolling Stone ahead of the release that Carpenter’s latest record contains “some of the most honest work I’ve ever heard.” He added that while the album’s overall sound feels celebratory, “most of the lyrical content is about disappointment in relationships and all the different shapes it takes.”
And disappointment seems to be the fuel for “Go Go Juice.” Carpenter is at once playful and biting, balancing lines about numbing the pain with ones that almost dare listeners to decode who exactly she might be drunk-dialing.
The timing of the track only adds to the intrigue. Carpenter and Keoghan’s breakup went public in late 2024, and though the pair haven’t addressed each other directly since, both have dropped subtle post-split commentary. Carpenter, for her part, has leaned into her trademark cheekiness, referencing exes in live shows and videos. Keoghan, meanwhile, has spoken about the “absolute lies, hatred, disgusting commentary” he faced online after the relationship ended.
Whether she’s really referencing (and calling) Barry, Shawn, or Dylan, one thing is clear: “Go Go Juice” is less about who picks up the phone and more about Carpenter owning the messy and hilarious aftermath of heartbreak.
