Starting in September 2024, Sabrina Carpenter kicked off her first-ever arena tour, the Short n’ Sweet Tour. Sharing its name with her chart-topping album, the tour has already conquered North America and Europe–with South America dates coming in 2026. For two sold-out nights, Carpenter brought back her glittery spectacle to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for November 4 and 5. Fans spilled into the venue, dressed in glitter and kiss marks, ready to scream every lyric from their favourite blonde popstar. Night one opened with Carpenter in an iconic burgundy handkerchief-patterned bodysuit, dazzling under her spotlight. Her setlist now includes three songs from her 2025 album, Man’s Best Friend. Specifically, a cheeky one is “House Tour”, a flirting anthem where she playfully refers to her body as a house and herself as a “hot tour guide.” The performance lit up the stage with rainbow lights and choreographed chaos. Another standout moment comes in the outro to her song “Bed Chem.” Normally known for its seductive silhouette, Carpenter later told the crowd that her parents and sisters were in the crowd. Fans joked that this prompted her to tone it in with a simple bit of riding a backup dancer like a horse, sending the crowd into laughter. Later, in “Juno,” her now-legendary arresting a fan moment for being “too hot” took a twist when she “arrested” none other than Nicole Kidman, joking she might “move to Nashville if it worked out.” Moments later, she slid on a glittery cowgirl hat, kicked up her go-go boot, and exclaimed, “Yeehaw!”
The show nears its finish with a heels dance to her newest single, “Tears”, having a breathtaking dance break written right into the lyrics. The crowd never stopped moving. Carpenter–often compared to Barbie–leaned into the comparison with humour, especially fitting after her Margot Robbie-inspired Halloween outfit at Madison Square Garden a few days prior. As the night ended and fans spilled out on Broadway, the post-show buzz carried like the final notes of the show-closer, “Espresso” still playing in everyone’s heads. Night two brought a fresh twist: a blue-and-white gingham bodysuit. She continued through her slower, more personal songs, singing about “Tornado Warnings,” which she stated was written here in Nashville. She showcases several of her favourite songs from her fifth studio album, Emails I Can’t Send, as well on this tour, making a lovely variety from her three newest works. Once again, she told fans that she should look for a place in the city. Carpenter expressed across both nights her love for Nashville’s music culture, always feeling the need to impress the crowd even more. Her playful “Juno” bit came back full force: this time, Carpenter arrested a fan named Helen from Ohio, who was more than ready to play the part. The artist even made it into a bit of the woman breaking up with her boyfriend for the duration of the song, “about four minutes for a relationship.” For the finale position, she staged a western standoff with a backup dancer, changing the music to a “wah-wah” twangy guitar, even having a tumbleweed go across the stage. As confetti fell and she took her final bow, Carpenter smiled and called out over the cheers: “I’ll see you on Broadway!”
- Rachel Phinney
