Sabrina Carpenter at BST Hyde Park
American starlet Sabrina Carpenter doesn’t just headline London’s BST Hyde Park – she turns it into her own technicolour TV special. It’s a surreal blend of pop concert, sketch comedy and high-budget performance art, complete with old-style commercials and a vintage design.
The night eases in with support from Beabadoobee, whose soft and dreamy indie pop radiates through the park. Clairo follows, effortlessly cool, though at times overpowered by her band. Still, she has the crowd on their feet, dancing along to her distinct and delicate sound. A perfect calm before the storm.
As the sun begins to set on the Great Oak Stage, it is time for the main event. Carpenter’s entrance is anything but conventional. A delayed start is filled with suspense, the stage cloaked in anticipation until a news anchor-style recording introduces the show. Dancers appear in black and white and decked out in 1950s-esque costumes, before colour explodes onto the screen as Carpenter emerges in a red bedazzled bodysuit with “Sabrina” glittering across her chest. With tongue firmly in cheek right from the get-go, the singer launches into a set packed with choreography, comedy and crystal-clear vocals.
The majority of the set is dedicated to the singer’s Short n’ Sweet album, having somewhat reinvented herself from her younger years. Not that anyone seems to mind. From the first note, the crowd is hers. Taste and Slim Pickins are early highlights, while Nonsense – one of the singer’s biggest hits – is slotted in as a mid-set filler. An ode to the singer’s rising star power, every song feels like a single, as the audience sings along to every word. Known for her unapologetic attitude and sexually liberated lyrics, there is plenty of cheekiness in the 90-minute set. A “Parental Discretion Advised” warning preludes a Bed Chem/Pony mashup, as Carpenter writhes around on a bed with her dancers. The older Because I Liked a Boy deviates momentarily, serving as a nice nod to the singer’s journey, with the enthusiasm from fans palpable throughout every offering.
She strips things back midway through for an acoustic version of Sharpest Tool, providing a moment of vulnerability as she speaks about trusting your own voice and being okay with unanswered questions. It is a brief break from the sparkle, and it lands beautifully. Then it’s right back to the fun with an exhilarating cover of The Weather Girls’ It’s Raining Men with the clouds above fittingly threatening a downpour, while a fan is “arrested for being too hot” by the singer before Juno. A superstar of this size could forgo the crowd interaction, but Carpenter knows that there’s magic in shared joy. She takes several opportunities to address attendees and even levitates above them on a moving platform for Don’t Smile.
Two years ago, Carpenter opened for Blackpink on this very stage. Tonight, she’s confidently commanding a headline slot at her first of two sold-out shows. As mega-hit Espresso closes the show to deafening cheers, it’s undeniable: this is Sabrina Carpenter’s world – sexy, silly and spectacular – and how lucky we are to live in it.
Katherine Parry
Photos: Courtesy of BST Hyde Park/Ambra Vernuccio (supports)
For further information and future events, visit Sabrina Carpenter’s website here.
Watch the video for Taste here:
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