What parents should know about Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet tour
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will have no doubt heard at least one of Sabrina Carpenter’s hits. And if you haven’t? Well, your kids definitely have.
The former Disney star not only took over TikTok with her ear-worm Espresso last year, she performed at Coachella, was given a Netflix Christmas special and has had three top-10 hits in the US and three number one singles in the UK. Her album, Short N’ Sweet, also topped the charts and now her tour of the same name is about to come to the UK.
Kicking off with Birmingham on March 6 and then heading to London on the 8 and 9, before touring other areas of the country, fans of the singer (known as "Carpenters" or "Sabrinators") are surely counting down the days, hours and minutes. As for parents, though, they may be a little more… concerned.
Why? Well, beyond the expletives and sexual innuendos packed into her songs, Sabrina Carpenter is known for her suggestive dance moves – particularly when it comes to her hit Juno, which involves her asking the question "have you ever tried this one?", before simulating various sex positions (yup).
And it’s safe to say that parents in the US who had absolutely no idea about her lyrics and performances were less than happy when dear little Jimmy was singing along to "I beg you, don't embarrass me, motherf*****".
So, if your child or teen has tickets to the Short N’ Sweet tour and you’re not sure what to expect, here’s the lowdown.
What happens at a Sabrina Carpenter concert
She gets out of the bath in little sparkly towel
The singer is known for doing skits during performances and so naturally her concerts open with a comedic routine. A pre-recorded clip of her in a bubble bath plays out on the screen, before she emerges on stage wrapped in a towel. She then rips it open to reveal a bejewelled interior – and her lingerie, of course.
Have you ever tried this one?
As mentioned above, when Sabrina gets to the song Juno (which is usually 15th on the setlist), she asks "have you ever tried this one?" before simulating a sex position. Sometimes they're quite tame and goofy, even – other times they are full-on raunch. So, if you're particularly worried about this number's effect on your kid(s), it's advisable you take a strategic toilet break at this point in the show.
There's a bed involved
Probably the least provocative part of Sabrina's show is the fact that she performs on a fur-draped silky bed in a teddy. This is usually reserved for the final song of the show, Bed Chem.
You never know what kind of Nonsense you’re going to get
The outro of Nonsense is another firm fan favourite, with the singer mixing up the lyrics every time she performs, depending on the audience and location, among other things. But it can also be one of the most NSFW moments of the show.
For example, during her Coachella set, Sabrina referenced her then-boyfriend Barry Keoghan's movie Saltburn, singing: "Man his knees so weak, he had to spread mine. He’s drinkin’ my bath water like it’s red wine."
And despite requests from the BBC to keep it family-friendly during her stint at the Big Weekend, she still managed to find a way to be naughty (see above).
She handcuffs guests for being "too hot"
Another bit that Sabrina likes to do is arrest a special guest for being "too hot" – which in the past has included stars Millie Bobby Brown and Margaret Qualley. In an extremely meta pop culture moment, she arrested Marcello Hernandez as his SNL character Domingo, in reference to the first time the fictional personality featured on the cult American show. On Domingo's first outing, the show's comedians sang a made-up song to the tune of Carpenter's Espresso. (I told you it was meta).
Some rather… choice lyrics
From declaring that she's "so f***** horny" in Juno to how her ex "makes paintings with his tongue" in Taste, there are some extremely X-rated lines in her songs – some of which may go unnoticed by your kids, but others definitely will not. But hey, we grew up listening to Spice Girls' 2 Become 1 and had no idea what the true meaning of that was...
How old should kids be to attend a Sabrina Carpenter concert?
Officially speaking, the only age restrictions in place are set out by the venues themselves. For example, most UK arenas state that the standing area is for those aged 16 and over and those under 15 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18+.
But just as you might refrain from taking a young child to see a slasher movie or allowing them to attend a funeral, you might want to consider whether it is best to hold out until they're teenagers.
Other things to consider when taking kids to gigs
Concerts are long
Even if it's not a three-hour-long special like Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, concerts are usually several hours long. It's worth thinking about whether your child will be able to get through the whole thing, whether they will get bored, or if they'll feel tired. These things are also expensive, so really you, your child – and those around you – should enjoy the experience to the fullest.
...and they finish late
You're usually looking at a finish time of 10.30pm, and that's before you even start your journey home. If it's a school night, especially, a late one can really impact your kids the next day.
Travelling to and from the event can be chaos
On travel, it's worth noting that most of these arenas are in busy cities and the commute – especially on the way back home – can be stressful and long. Not only do you have to navigate trains, there will be hundreds of thousands of other fans trying to get home. If you wish to beat the crowds, consider heading off slightly early.
They might not be able to see
Sure, you might be in the seated area, but no one really sits at concerts (unless they are hapless partner or parent dutifully going along to see an artist they have little interest in. Or they're boring). So it might also be the case that, if you have full-grown adults in front of you, your child might not be able to see any of the action anyway.
Their little ears must be protected
Ear defenders are a must for kids when they are seeing live music. You can buy them from most UK retailers.
You will likely be harassed until you buy them merch
Lastly, be prepared to fork out even more the minute your kid locks eyes on the merch tent – because they will want a poster, a keychain, a T-shirt in every colour and peach-scented lip gloss that they'll never use.
Read more about parenting
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