Sabrina Carpenter, a former Disney Channel star turned pop sensation, cemented her place in pop stardom this year with a sold-out tour, numerous charting songs, and her most commercially successful album to date.
Part of Carpenter’s recent, rapid rise can be credited to her opening performances for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. The coveted slot gave her massive exposure to a new fan base.
Striking while the iron was hot, Carpenter released her album Short n’ Sweet in August of this year. Short ‘n Sweet debuted at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, and three of the 12 songs landed top five positions; another eight of the LP’s 12 songs made the top 40.
At 25, Carpenter’s career has reached new heights. In June 2024, she announced her arena-scale Short n’ Sweet Tour that marks a significant upgrade from the smaller theater venues from 2022–23 her Emails I Can’t Send tour.
The Short n’ Sweet Tour has 29 stops. It kicked off on Sept. 23, 2024 in Columbus, OH, and will wrap up this week on Nov. 18, 2024 in Inglewood, CA. In March 2025, Carpenter will head to Europe for the second leg.
Related: Sabrina Carpenter on Her Mother’s Support, Taylor Swift Friendship
My Short n’ Sweet Story
I was lucky enough to watch Carpenter perform at her Raleigh, NC show on Oct. 19, 2024 at the Lenovo Center, a venue with a capacity of over 18,000.
The previous year, in May 2023, Carpenter performed in Raleigh on her Emails I Can’t Send Tour at The Ritz, a venue with a capacity of just over 2,000. The shift to arenas for the Short n’ Sweet Tour highlights the rapid growth of her career following the album’s release.
The moment I stepped into the stadium, I was struck by the creativity of the crowd’s outfits—pastels, corsets, and plenty of glitter. It was clear that everyone, myself included, was embracing Carpenter’s fun, flirty, and girly tour aesthetic.
We settled into our seats, and as the lights dimmed, the curtains lifted to reveal a surprised Carpenter “taking a bath.” She stared open-mouthed at the screaming fans before one of her dancers handed her a towel.
This has become a now-signature moment of Sabrina’s show: stepping out of the tub to unveil the sparkly bodysuit chosen for each city. For Raleigh, the crowd was treated to a stunning Carolina blue bodysuit.
The show opened with Carpenter chart-topper Taste which has spent the last 12 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remains to this day, as she danced around the stage.
Sabrina’s Signature
What makes Carpenter such a magnetic performer is that her entire vibe, aesthetic, and energy are all about capturing one of the best feelings in the world for many women: that lighthearted, fun, and flirty sense of confidence.
At every show, between songs, Carpenter “arrests” someone in the audience for being “too hot.” Sirens sound around the stadium and she picks an unsuspecting member of the audience out of the crowd and their face is displayed across the venue’s screens.
“Girls, can you come out for a minute? I might have just found my husband”, Carpenter calls playfully to her backup dancers as they come up with pink handcuffs and toss them to the chosen fan. It’s a playful nod to Carpenter’s song Juno, where she sings, “Wanna try out my fuzzy pink handcuffs?”
Along with the iconic bodysuit reveal, each city’s show featured a few unique moments, including her “fuzzy handcuffs” giveaway, the Juno position, and a surprise song of the night.
Possibly the most iconic moment on tour is another playful reference to Juno. As Carpenter sings, “Wanna try out some freaky positions? Have you ever tried this one?” she rushes to the heart-shaped section of the stage that extends into the crowd, where she presents a new “position” each night, keeping the energy fresh and fun for every audience.
But this isn’t the only steamy moment of the show.
During Carpenter’s performance of Bed Chem, the energy takes a playful, provocative turn. As she and her male dancers rush toward a prop bed, sheer curtains close around them. Although still fully visible, Carpenter and one of the dancers get into a suggestive position, adding a cheeky, flirtatious element to the show that keeps the crowd buzzing. But also, maybe leave the young kids at home for this one.
Carpenter’s Classics
Even though the Short n’ Sweet album itself is just 36 minutes long, the show stretched to a full hour and a half, running from 8:30 to 10:00 P.M., ensuring fans got an unforgettable experience that was packed with both high-energy moments and playful surprises.
Adding to the show’s runtime, audiences are treated to some of Carpenter’s older songs such as Feather, because i liked a boy, and Fast Times.
There’s also the surprise song segment of the night in which Carpenter performs a cover of an iconic pop song. To decide on which song to perform, Carpenter spins a wheel with potential such as Material Girl by Madonna, Mamma Mia by ABBA, Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer, 9-5 by Dolly Parton, and That Don’t Impress Me Much by Shania Twain. For the show I attended in Raleigh, North Carolina, the wheel of fortune landed us on Madonna’s Material Girl.
Personal Touch
In between songs, Sabrina would pause to thank the audience and chat with us, recognizing our dedication to be there. For many fans that night, this meant navigating through hours of traffic due to the North Carolina State Fair happening just minutes away from the stadium.
Despite the delays, Carpenter’s genuine warmth and gratitude made the experience feel even more personal and connected.
“You guys are so loud, wow! I was like, this traffic is crazy, but you guys came to party tonight! Thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for being here and coming with all the energy you have, I have not been able to hear myself tonight which is like a beautiful blessing and a curse,” she beamed. “This is all I’ve ever wanted in a show, but honestly, the first time I played North Carolina I was in a very, very, small building, and this tour has been so incredible because I get to see 20,000 of you in a room just looking so gorgeous, and you sold out this whole show tonight so thank you so much!”
The sold-out audience roared as Carpenter smiled and giggled back at her fans, flirting with every single one of us. Carpenter wrapped up the show with her hit single Espresso.
Overall, the Short n’ Sweet tour exceeded all my expectations. Carpenter brought unmatched energy, fun, and charisma to the stage. It’s clear why her career has skyrocketed, and I’m already counting down the days until her next tour. Whatever she has in store next, I’ll be there, waiting, impatiently.
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