Sabrina Carpenter’s rise from Disney alumnus to full-fledged pop powerhouse has been nothing short of remarkable. She’s gone from opening-act charm to commanding headliner with a self-assuredness that feels earned, not manufactured. By the time she brought her 2025 tour to Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints Arena, the hype around her had reached near-fever pitch. “Espresso” had ruled the summer, “Please Please Please” was still all over social media, and her new album had solidified her status as a legitimate pop force rather than just a viral moment.
This show didn’t just confirm her staying power — it showcased her evolution. What’s most striking about Sabrina’s performance is how she’s learned to balance cheeky confidence with real emotional texture. She’s clever, funny, and self-aware, but beneath all the glitter and punchlines is an artist who’s genuinely connecting with her audience. Pittsburgh got all of that and then some — a 90-minute spectacle that fused sass, sincerity, and stadium-ready pop with ease.
Opening Moments and First Impressions
Before Sabrina even hit the stage, the crowd was in full party mode. The pre-show song — Diana Ross’s “I’m Coming Out” — blasted through the arena, an inspired choice that set a tone of liberation and celebration. It wasn’t just campy fun; it was a mission statement. When the screen lights shifted and the bold, cinematic “Intro” visuals rolled, the energy in the building snapped into sharp focus.
Then, she appeared — strutting out under a pink-and-gold light storm, launching straight into “Taste”, one of the more seductive and sonically sharp openers in her catalog. It’s a confident choice, full of slick basslines and playful bravado. You could tell immediately that she’s mastered the art of performing not just to a crowd, but with them. Every lyric, every wink, every hair flip felt choreographed to maximum effect — but never robotic.
By the time she transitioned into “Good Graces,” it was clear this wasn’t going to be one of those overproduced pop shows that hides behind effects. The live band punched hard, her vocals were strong, and she had that mischievous grin that said she knew exactly how good this all looked and sounded.
The Attitude and the Edge
One of the defining features of Sabrina’s 2025 setlist is its tone — witty, self-deprecating, sometimes biting, but always empowering. The brief video interlude “Manchild Spray Away” got a laugh from the crowd before she tore into “Manchild,” which she performed surrounded by dancers wielding comically oversized props. It was pop theater done right — tongue-in-cheek and over-the-top, but carried by her charisma rather than spectacle for spectacle’s sake.
Then came “Slim Pickins” and “Tornado Warnings,” two cuts that showed off her songwriting muscle. “Tornado Warnings” in particular stood out — the kind of melancholy pop anthem that reveals the storyteller behind the sparkle. She stood alone at the mic for most of it, her voice trembling slightly in the verses before soaring in the chorus. It’s one of those moments that separates a good pop show from a memorable one — the shift from polish to vulnerability.
“Lie to Girls” and “decode” followed, keeping the tone moody and atmospheric. For all her reputation as a cheeky flirt in songs like “Nonsense” and “Feather,” these quieter, introspective moments are what give her set its heart. “decode,” with its haunting synth backdrop, felt like a pop confession, equal parts heartbreak and self-realization.
The Mid-Show Sweet Spot
As the lights dimmed and a sultry bassline kicked in, Sabrina re-emerged for “Bed Chem” and the jazzy “Sabrina After Dark.” This was her most playful segment — a tongue-in-cheek reimagining of late-night cabaret, complete with moody lighting and her trademark banter. Between songs, she teased the crowd about their “Pittsburgh accent,” sipped from a martini glass that probably contained something harmless, and cracked jokes that drew genuine laughter.
Then came “Feather,” the song that arguably launched her into pop’s top tier. Hearing it live was electric. The crowd screamed every lyric back at her, the pink feathers floating through the air like confetti, and Sabrina strutted across the catwalk like a pop star who’d finally grown fully into the role. The track’s glossy confidence translated beautifully onstage — she sounded crisp, powerful, and utterly in command.
That energy carried into “Fast Times” and “Busy Woman,” both of which showed off her knack for tight, syncopated phrasing and choreography. “Busy Woman,” especially, hit with a kind of manic humor — a satire of burnout and ambition that she played up with mock exhaustion and over-the-top expressions.
By “Sharpest Tool,” the show hit its emotional midpoint. The crowd swayed to the dreamy bridge, phones glowing like stars. “opposite” and “because i liked a boy” followed — the latter still one of her most emotional performances. She stripped it down vocally, letting the ache in her delivery do most of the work. You could feel the entire room go still.
The Spin-the-Bottle Surprise
No Sabrina Carpenter show in 2025 was complete without her “spin the bottle” surprise song, and in Pittsburgh, that turned out to be “15 Minutes.” The crowd lost it — a fan favorite, sharp-tongued breakup anthem delivered with just the right mix of venom and humor. “You got fifteen minutes of fame,” she sang, with an exaggerated shrug, then smirked, “and I gave you five of them tonight.”
It was perfectly timed — a reminder that she’s not afraid to throw a little shade, but she always keeps it entertaining. That playfulness has become a key part of her live identity.
The Final Act: Pure Pop Euphoria
The home stretch of the setlist was pure energy. The “House Tour” interlude gave fans a glimpse into her tongue-in-cheek humor before she dove into “Nonsense.” The crowd erupted. Every city gets its own “dirty outro” — a few improvised lines where she jokes about the local scene — and for Pittsburgh, she delivered:
“It’s steel city, baby, built like my career / Still standing strong after all these years.”
Corny? Maybe. But the audience ate it up.
From there, she rocketed into “Don’t Touch That Dial!” and “Dumb & Poetic,” the production swelling to full pop grandeur. “Dumb & Poetic” was one of the night’s vocal highlights — a soaring anthem that showed just how strong her range has become.
“Juno” and “Please Please Please” brought the crowd to full volume again, the latter earning one of the loudest singalongs of the night. It’s a song that hits harder live — a blend of vulnerability and exasperation that’s easy to shout along with, and she sold it with raw conviction.
Then came “Tears” and “Don’t Smile,” two deep cuts that closed out the main set on a cinematic note. The lighting went soft, her voice floated through the chorus, and for a few minutes, the show felt like a confessional. The balance between spectacle and sincerity was perfect.
Encore: “Espresso” and the Victory Lap
After a brief break — long enough for the chants of “SAB-RI-NA!” to echo through the arena — the stage lights flickered to neon pink, and the unmistakable beat of “Espresso” hit. The place exploded.
If there’s one song that captures her ascent, it’s that one. “That’s that me espresso,” she sang, flipping her hair, winking at the crowd, and turning the arena into a euphoric, caffeinated blur. Confetti rained, the band kicked into overdrive, and it was clear everyone knew they were witnessing a pop star at her absolute peak moment.
The final note wasn’t just a victory lap — it was a statement. Sabrina Carpenter, once an underestimated performer with a cult following, now commands arenas with ease. She’s still playful, still slightly mischievous, but the artistry and control on display prove she’s built for longevity.
Performance Analysis
What stands out most about this show wasn’t the production — though it was sleek and stunning — but her control over tone and pacing. Sabrina knows when to flirt, when to joke, when to pause for breath, and when to belt her heart out. The setlist was expertly structured, moving from empowerment to introspection to sheer joy without ever losing its flow.
The live arrangements had teeth. The guitars hit harder than on the records, the drums punched with pop-rock precision, and the vocal mix gave her room to shine. She danced, she joked, she delivered powerhouse vocals, and she never once seemed overwhelmed by the scale of it all.
There’s a theatricality to Sabrina’s performance that feels almost Broadway-like — not in an artificial way, but in her sense of timing, humor, and storytelling. Each act felt like a new scene in her own musical evolution.
Crowd and Atmosphere
Pittsburgh’s crowd was electric from the start, an almost even mix of young fans and older pop lovers who’ve followed her rise. The call-and-response moments hit hard, the singalongs were loud but mostly on key, and the overall vibe was euphoric rather than chaotic.
She fed off it perfectly — cracking jokes about the city, teasing the front row, even mock-pouting when fans were louder than her during “Please Please Please.” There’s something refreshing about how unpretentious she is on stage. For all her glam and polish, she’s still the kind of performer who feels approachable, like the coolest person in your friend group who just happens to be selling out arenas.
Final Thoughts
By the end of the night, Sabrina Carpenter proved that her meteoric 2025 wasn’t a fluke — it was the start of a full-blown pop reign. Her mix of humor, talent, and confidence makes her one of the few new stars who can balance irony and sincerity without losing the audience.
The Espresso encore was the perfect closer: fun, confident, infectious, and just a bit cocky — exactly like the artist herself. From clever interludes to powerhouse vocals, from flirty banter to emotional depth, she delivered a show that was as smart as it was spectacular.
For a performer still ascending, this felt like a moment of arrival. Sabrina Carpenter didn’t just play a concert in Pittsburgh; she claimed her place in the upper tier of modern pop.
Grade: A