Performing her first show in Manchester in 2 years, Sabrina Carpenter stunned audiences as she brought her Short ‘N’ Sweet tour to the Co-Op Live arena.
Opening for Carpenter was Rachel Chinouriri, a British singer-songwriter who perfectly warmed up the crowd with a mix of upbeat songs and heartfelt ballads. Having released her most recent album last year, and opening for Carpenter this year, there is no doubt that Chinouriri is a name to keep an eye on in the music industry (Check out our review of her concert last year).
Before the beginning of Carpenter’s set, the crowd was entertained with their very own introductory video for the tour. Including animations, video reels, jokes, and more, it set a retro vibe for the evening ahead, with these videos and funny commercials featured throughout the night and intervals of Carpenter’s set. This retro feel was emphasised by the unveiling of Carpenter’s tour set and the old-school-style Hollywood cameras embellished with her initials that stood at either side of the stage.
The set itself was a masterpiece. It was as if a doll house had grown massively in size, with different rooms and props visible, from a bathroom with a light up heart mirror, to a bed, to a cosy fireplace. Every inch of this set was used during Carpenter's concert alongside projections, including a credit reel of all of the crew near the end of the show, props such as a piano and bathtub, and more. You could very clearly see the amount of effort and passion put into the concert which was reflected in the performances and touches added for the audience. It truly was a whole production, with its dancers, numerous costume changes, and of course, Miss Carpenter herself.
Carpenter first appeared on stage wrapped in a bath towel with the first notes of ‘Taste’ playing as she revealed her outfit for the first portion of the night. She donned a new bodysuit - it being silver with red lipstick kiss marks all over - and of course matching shoes. As well as her dancers and backup singers, Carpenter has a multitude of outfit changes throughout her performances, including bodysuits, jumpsuits, night robes, a two-piece that transforms from a top and long skirt (appearing as a dress) to a top and short skirt. These sparkly outfits are all incredibly designed with some even including certain Easter eggs relating to the city she is performing in, for example Carpenter wearing Union Jacks boots when performing in London. When talking about the UK’s fashion and how excited she was to see how the UK fans would dress for her tour, Carpenter stated that the UK’s “fashion is like no other”, so there is no doubt that she is pulling out all the stops with her own outfits, with new colourways, designs, and more.
With a selection of songs from her newest album Short ‘N’ Sweet (including the song ‘Busy Woman’) from the deluxe version of the album), and one of her previous albums ‘Emails I Can’t Send’, Carpenter’s set was a treat for old and new Carpenters (the aptly name for her fans) alike. Her set includes different interpretations of her songs including a jazz-style introduction (including dancers, feather fans, and all) to her song ‘Feather’, and a slower, almost Donna and The Dynamos-esque, start to ‘Please Please Please’. It was extremely refreshing to see and hear these performed as they weren’t something expected, but they were most definitely enjoyed.
After performing her song ‘Because I Liked A Boy’ which came out in 2022, Carpenter stated that when she “first wrote that song” she “couldn’t imagine singing it to 20 people let alone 20,000” - with the capacity of the CoOp Live Arena being around 23,000 people. It clearly reflects her growth and success that she’s had as an artist, especially in recent years.
For part of her set, Carpenter performs on a mini heart-shaped stage which is attached to her main stage via a catwalk. This mini stage is further into the crowd, and the moments performed upon it really make it feel like you’re at a big party. All the dancers, backup singers, and Carpenter herself (donning a long black robe along with her bodysuit and heels) are sat on this mini stage with a chandelier hung overhead. It truly emphasises the atmosphere of a good old-fashioned slumber party, with the fun part vibes and being up close and more personal with the members of the concert.
Carpenter had many a fan interaction during her concert, even making the crowd have a competition during her song ‘Coincidence’ to see which side of the arena could sing the backing vocals the loudest. This really added to the atmosphere of the concert as not only could you see, but you could also very clearly hear the crowd having a lot of fun.
Adding to the fun aspect of the concert, Carpenter does a part of every show on the tour called “Short ‘N’ Sweet spin the bottle” where a bottle is spun and “whatever number it lands on is the song” they’re “going to sing for you tonight”.
Before getting this though, one of the most humourous moments of the evening has to be mentioned. To do spin the bottle Carpenter had to finish her drink that was in said bottle. The crowd chanted for her to “chug” her drink, however Carpenter decided not to and apologised as she placed it down on the floor. Immediately after doing this the crowd started booing which encouraged Carpenter to finish her drink and afterwards had her, her dancers and backup singers, and the crowd in hysterics laughing and cheering. Carpenter herself said, once finished with her drink, “never boo me again that was terrifying” to which she received a laugh from the crowd.
Focusing back on “Short ‘N’ Sweet spin the bottle”, Carpenter spun it and, after landing on the number 4, it was revealed on screen that the song she and her band would be covering was the iconic Mamma Mia by ABBA. 23,000 people singing Mamma Mia was certainly an experience, and an incredibly joyous one at that.
After some more fan interactions mentioning the crowds outfits, dancing and more, Carpenter brought the show round to a section surrounding her performance of the song ‘Juno’, which has notably gone viral on social media for a particularly raunchy part of it. Before the song, Carpenter “arrests” a member of the audience with a pair of fluffy pink handcuffs for “being too hot” and then dedicate the song to them. However, that’s not all as during the performance, after walking the catwalk to the heart mini stage and singing the lyrics “have you ever tried this one?” Carpenter holds herself in a risqué position before the stage rises and she continues with the song. Once the stage has fully risen, Carpenter asks for the entire audience to crouch down, and then jump up and dance during the instrumental break in the song. It truly is a party in the crowd during the concert, but especially at that point, with everyone having fun singing, dancing, and cheering.
Keeping the party going until the very end, Carpenter closed her concert with ‘Espresso’, the viral song that topped charts and cemented her place as a pop princess. With confetti falling from the ceiling and the crowd still dancing, she thanks her dancers, band, backup singers, and the crowd for an incredible evening. Carpenter sang her final lyrics as she ascended the staircase before disappearing through one of the doorways in her life-sized dollhouse set, and, therefore, bringing her concert to a close.
The Short ‘N’ Sweet tour is continuing in Europe until April before heading back to the US and finally concluding in November, over a year since the tour first started. If you’d like to see the show, then be sure to grab your tickets. The Short ‘N’ Sweet tour is truly an entire production that reflects the incredible passion and energy of its team and Miss Carpenter herself.
WORDS GRACE PATIENT
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