Sabrina Carpenter has taken the music world by storm with her Short and Sweet tour, but she credits much of her success to an unexpected source—Taylor Swift.
The 25-year-old singer-songwriter revealed that opening for Swift’s Eras Tour in 2023-2024 was a game-changer, inspiring her own headline shows.
As Carpenter prepares to take her tour to Europe next month, she reflected on how performing alongside the global superstar shaped her approach to performing.
How Taylor Swift’s Stadium Tour Changed Everything
Before launching her own tour, Carpenter had the opportunity to open for Swift on select dates of the Eras Tour, an experience she describes as a turning point in her career.
Speaking with Vogue, she admitted that witnessing Swift’s ability to command massive stadium audiences helped her refine her own stage presence.
“Her stadiums make my shows look like clubs,” Carpenter said. “Watching her keep their attention as if she’s playing in their living room, it was like — and I told her this — ‘Your tour enabled me to do mine.’”
Swift’s ability to engage with fans in such an intimate way, despite performing in massive venues, left a lasting impression on Carpenter. It gave her the confidence and inspiration to craft a tour experience that reflected her own unique style—one that’s bold, provocative, and wildly entertaining.
The Evolution of Carpenter’s Stage Persona
Carpenter’s Short and Sweet tour is known for its risqué performances, playful choreography, and cheeky audience interactions. From suggestive dance moves to theatrical stage antics, she fully embraces a fearless approach to entertaining her fans.
One particularly viral segment involves her “Juno act,” where she humorously demonstrates various suggestive poses and asks the audience, “Have you ever tried this one?”
Initially, she planned to rotate between a couple of poses, but as she told Vogue, her fans always expect more.
“I have this relationship with my fans where I know they want more from me,” she explained. “So sometimes I go, ‘Oh, you know what? F**k it. It’s Thursday. Let me give them a new one.’ And then it turned into: I should look up the 500 positions on the internet.”
However, she quickly realized that her outfit and stage setup put limits on what she could do. “I’m in platform boots. There’s one of me. There’s only so many I can do by myself, with a microphone in my hand, and in two and a half seconds.”
As she prepares for the European leg of her tour, Carpenter remains spontaneous with her performances, adjusting her routines based on the energy of each city.
“I just try to have fun in the moment. That’s where most of those ideas come from,” she said. “It’s really just like: I’m in Chicago. What’s Chicago gonna love?”
From Disney Star to Pop Sensation
Carpenter’s rise to pop stardom has been years in the making. She first gained fame as an actress, starring in Disney Channel’s Girl Meets World from 2014 to 2017.
While she had always pursued music alongside her acting career, her breakthrough came with the release of Emails I Can’t Send in 2022. The album, featuring viral hits like Nonsense, helped establish her as a force in the music industry.
Her latest album, Short n’ Sweet, dropped in August 2024 and includes chart-topping singles like Espresso, Taste, and Please Please Please.
The album solidified her as a major player in the pop world, and she recently celebrated a huge career milestone by winning two Grammy Awards.
A ‘Dream Come True’ Experience with Swift
Reflecting on her time opening for Swift, Carpenter still marvels at the experience.
“I’m not gonna say I peed my pants because that sounds really graphic and maybe not sanitary,” she joked in an interview with Who What Wear. “But I think it really just caught me off guard.”
For Carpenter, performing alongside Swift was more than just a career opportunity—it was the fulfillment of a childhood dream. “It was very much a childhood dream come true,” she said.
Swift vs. Carpenter: Two Very Different Show Styles
While Carpenter acknowledges Swift’s influence on her career, their stage styles couldn’t be more different.
Swift’s Eras Tour has been praised for its theatrical storytelling and family-friendly atmosphere, while Carpenter’s concerts lean into a more playful and provocative energy.
However, even Swift has incorporated some flirtatious dance moves into her performances, such as her now-iconic chair routine from her Eras Tour shows.
Despite their differences in style, both artists share a commitment to putting on unforgettable performances for their fans. Swift’s guidance and mentorship have helped Carpenter find her own voice as a headlining artist, proving that even the biggest pop stars can inspire the next generation.
What’s Next for Carpenter?
As Carpenter prepares to take Short and Sweet to Europe, fans eagerly anticipate what surprises she has in store. With her fearless stage presence and ever-growing success, it’s clear that she’s carving out her own space in the music industry—one bold performance at a time.
And while she may have started in Swift’s shadow, it’s safe to say Sabrina Carpenter is now a headliner in her own right.
