Pop star Sabrina Carpenter brought her “Short n’ Sweet” tour to Chicago on Oct. 13.
Carpenter performed for nearly 20,000 fans during her sold-out show at the United Center. Her team also held the traveling Short n’ Sweet cafe pop-up in downtown Chicago. Many streets were blocked off for the Chicago Marathon that same weekend. However, that didn’t stop fans from lining up for the pop-up.
Opening Act
Carpenter’s opener was Amaarae, a Ghanaian-American singer-songwriter whose drastically different sound and style of music was specifically requested by Carpenter herself. While Carpenter almost exclusively makes pop music, Amaarae writes alternative styles. A two-member band and a singular backup dancer joined Amaarae, captivating the crowd.
Corbin Hodge, ‘25, a longtime fan of Carpenter’s, commented on the opening act.
“I had not heard about Amaarae before Sabrina’s show. Usually, when I am going to a concert, I am at least familiar with one or two songs from the opener but for this show I had no idea who Sabrina’s opener was or what genre of music they made. I did enjoy her performance, though. I really enjoyed how she played two songs that were by other artists because it got the crowd hyped even if they had no idea who was performing,” said Hodge.
The ‘two songs’ Hodge refers to were none other than Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!” and Travis Scott’s “FE!N“. Amaarae mostly performed songs from her album “Fountain Baby“ and the extended play EP, “roses are red, tears are blue“.
Performance
The show opened with the first track off of ‘Short n’ Sweet’, “Taste“, wearing a light pink Betty-Boop corset dress and short white Mary Jane heels. Carpenter quickly added a matching babydoll dress to the ensemble as she continued the show with songs on the album.
Fans were also excited to find out that several tracks from her previous album, “emails i can’t send“, were also on the setlist for this tour. Carpenter also made a reference to the album’s namesake track that opens with the line “It’s times like these, wish I had a time machine so I could see what you did October 13th” and ends with “I mean, as they say in Chicago; ‘He had it comin’”.
Though she didn’t perform the song during the show, longtime fans caught her quick reference.
Other popular tracks such as “Bed Chem“, “Feather“ and “Nonsense“ had the audience buzzing throughout the show. Carpenter also kept up her tour tradition of arresting a fan in the audience for being ‘too hot’ before singing “Juno“. The magical night ended with a very loud rendition of the song of the summer, “Espresso“, as everyone in the audience sang along.
“[Her performance] really showed how much growth as an artist she’s had and how much her confidence while performing has grown just in the past few years,” said Hodge.
Themes and Dress Codes
There has been a growing theme within the concert going experience, specifically within pop concerts, over the past few years. Most recent examples are connected to Taylor Swift’s ‘The Era’s Tour’, where many fans wore outfits inspired by Swift’s various album themes. Concert goers now put extra effort into their outfits to fit the unspoken dress codes of each show they attend.
Carpenter’s show was no exception. Many fans carefully planned their outfits to make sure they dressed to impress.
“For my outfit I referenced her Coachella t-shirt that she wore, and I decided to wear brown jeans to go with the “Espresso” theme. Other people at the concerts were wearing dresses with heart cut outs to replicate what she wore on her last tour,” said Hodge.
Carpenter has now become a bit of a fashion icon following her tour with Taylor Swift in Latin America and Asia. Her fashion influence has also played a large factor into what her fans wear to her shows.
“One thing I would say that has become a “Sabrina thing” in fashion has got to be platform heels. Many concert goers were wearing those with their outfits. For colors that resonate with her brand, there were many outfits that had the colors pastel yellow, blue, pink and black,” said Hodge.
Molly Triplett, ‘27, a frequent concert goer, also attended Carpenter’s Chicago show. Though she doesn’t always participate in concert dress codes, she appreciates the concept and understands why other fans do.
“I personally love Sabrina’s theme/brand! I think dressing up is always a great idea and makes the experience more fun for everyone. I don’t like putting in the work and stress over it but I’m always supportive of those who try to dress up! It just makes it a better experience and you feel more connected to the fan base and the artist,” said Triplett.
A true star
Carpenter demonstrated her evolution from Disney Channel star to pop sensation at Chicago’s United Center. Her performance quality, songwriting skills and fashion influence have allowed Carpenter to rise to stardom. She is sure to be a continuous pop icon for years to come.
