Sabrina Carpenter delivered an entertaining concert at the Hard Rock Live! in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Singing the entire “Emails I Can’t Send” album and more of her greatest hits, Carpenter exceeded fan expectations through her enchanting performance. With a perfect balance of singing, personal anecdotes and audience engagement, this concert is a must for fans of her music.
Carpenter expressed her nerves regarding the tour opener being in Florida, as she (understandably) hasn’t had the best luck here in the past. However, this concert was surely memorable for both her and everyone in the crowd.
Carpenter opened with the album’s titular song, “Emails I Can’t Send,” an emotional ballad about the complicated relationship she shares with her father. Her vocals were phenomenal throughout the 90-minute concert and sounded just as good, if not better, than the studio recordings.
In addition to singing the whole album, Carpenter also sang some throwback songs for the day-one fans, including “Honeymoon Fade,” “Paris” and “Sue Me.” Unfortunately, “Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying” didn’t make the setlist, a favorite of mine when I was younger.
During each show, Carpenter performs a different cover and for the opening night of the tour, she beautifully sang “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac. The song was interrupted midway through when Carpenter checked on a fan in the general admission floor and put her audience members’ safety first. Despite the pause, it was still a wonderful cover of the classic song.
The deluxe edition to “Emails I Can’t Send” was released on March 17, the day after the concert. However, Carpenter surprised us with a performance of two unreleased songs from the deluxe edition: “Opposite” and “Feather.”
Carpenter encored her most popular songs from the album, “Nonsense” and “Because I Liked a Boy.” As she closed out “Nonsense,” members of the audience anticipated the song’s surprise outro. At every show, Carpenter finishes the song with new lines that reference the city her tour stops in. The outro for our show did not disappoint.
“Because I Liked a Boy” made for a phenomenal end to the spectacle. She sang the song flawlessly and as the outro played, heart-shaped balloons fell from the roof into the pit, staging a magical moment.
My favorite performances included “Nonsense,” “Already Over,” “Fast Times” and “Because I Liked a Boy.” The fantastic live vocals coupled with the sparkly costume, colorful lighting and cute set made for a very enjoyable concert.
One unexpected highlight of the show was Carpenter’s live rendition of “Decode,” which gave me an increased appreciation for the song.
Another highlight came prior to the show, when Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (Ten Minute Version)” played through the speakers. The entire audience screamed the ten minute song together as we waited for Carpenter to begin her show. It was a wholesome moment and a good precursor to Swift’s upcoming tour.
If you enjoyed “Emails I Can’t Send” or like Carpenter, the tour is well worth attending!
Rating: 4/5