It feels like Sabrina Carpenter has been on tour forever — not that I’m complaining. But truly, between a new album and an extra North American leg, she has definitely been a “busy woman.” I’ve always been more of a quiet listener when it comes to Sabrina, tuning in whenever she dropped a new single and binge-listening to Man’s Best Friend a few days after its release. When I saw that she’d be in New York City for five nights, I knew I wanted to go. I just never thought I’d actually be able to.
As a non-native New Yorker, I had always imagined going to Madison Square Garden and seeing one of my favorite artists there. The only other concert I’d ever been to was Ariana Grande’s Sweetener Tour. I hadn’t been to a show in years, let alone at one of the most famous venues in the United States. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is nothing compared to New York City.
I received the tickets from a loved one as a very sweet surprise and counted down the days until I’d eagerly leave my 3:40 p.m. class to catch an uptown train. The check-in process was actually very easy, but if you’ve never been to MSG, I’d recommend not bringing a huge purse — it slows you down, especially if you’re running a little fashionably late.
The show was great. Sabrina is truly an excellent performer, and I could tell that even people who just accompanied a Carpenter (Sabrina’s nickname for her fans) were having a good time. I was definitely surprised by the range of ages at her concert — a somewhat controversial topic online, considering the innuendos in her songs and the inclusion of the Juno positions at each show. For MSG night two, it was a silly taxi cab–themed position instead of one tied to the context of the song. Admittedly, I was a bit disappointed, but I get it — her parents were there.
Sabrina definitely has a lot on her plate: partnerships, late-night shows, tour dates, and a brand-new album. I’m hoping that once she’s had a chance to rest for a while, she’ll go back on tour for Man’s Best Friend. To be honest, I love basically every song on that album (my No. 1 is “My Man on His Willpower”). But I’m not a big fan of the merch for this era. The puppy paws and the phrase just make me feel odd, even though Sabrina has given a vague explanation for the name and cover. Frankly, I think I have too much going on to engage in that discourse, but I definitely prefer the aesthetic of Short n’ Sweet more.
I started to think about what it is that makes Sabrina so universal. Is it the glitter, the heart cutouts, the big hair? The tongue-in-cheek lyrics about messy lovers? Maybe it’s all of the above. All I know is that the teen girls, the middle-aged dads, and myself all had a great experience at MSG.