Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet Tour begins with a pre-filmed video of her in a bathtub, giggling as the narrator introduces the show. Wait, shit — it’s starting now?! The screen lifts to show an elaborate stage setup rivaling that of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie — there’s a bedroom, a bathroom, a fireplace, and two spiral staircases — and the real Sabrina frantically dashes out one of its many doors, wrapped in what appears to be nothing but a bath towel. She pulls the towel open to reveal that it’s lined entirely with gemstones, and one of her signature itty-bitty strapless getups has been hiding underneath. She flashes a smile through overlined lips as the opening guitar licks to “Taste” resound through Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Joke’s on you — she’s been ready to sing to you the whole time.

I can’t help but liken this cheeky bait-and-switch to Carpenter’s career arc. Her inescapable, addictive single “Espresso” arrived in April, and five weeks later, she was singing it on SNL. But if you weren’t watching Disney Channel between 2014 and 2017, I wouldn’t blame you for thinking this five-foot, curtain-banged bard of dick jokes came out of nowhere. She started uploading covers to YouTube at age 10, but many first knew her as the older blonde girl allegedly referenced in a hit song about someone getting their driver’s license. Then in October 2023, she released a music video for her song “Feather” shot in a Catholic church that got its priest stripped of his administrative duties. “We got approval in advance,” she insisted. “And Jesus was a carpenter.”

Even if celebrity love triangles and sacrilege don’t faze you, you have to admit that those two circumstances don’t necessarily make the best reputation for a pop star in the making. But to Carpenter — who by age 25 had starred in Netflix films, had a COVID-thwarted stint on Broadway, and begun her run opening Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour — those minor controversies were like water off a duck’s back. And on Monday night, Barclays was filled with fans who’d topped off their tiny bedazzled outfits with a red kiss mark, a reference to the cover art of Carpenter’s star-making sixth studio album Short N’ Sweet. Sixth. I told you she’s been around.

The Short N’ Sweet Tour is designed to mimic a mid-century variety show. (I’m sure its pre-show playlist introduced hundreds of tweens to the Beatles.) Between the three acts were faux commercials for ceiling fans and home tools, credits in an art-nouveau font introducing her backing band members, and another chime-in from the narrator: “Sabrina serenaded us by the fire! She sang us a tune on the toilet! Up next, the party continues. But first, get the tissues ready, because we have some heart-breaking ballads in store!”

Right before Carpenter sang “Dumb & Poetic,” in which she ribs a dude who “jacks off to lyrics by Leonard Cohen,” the screen began playing a 1966 TV interview with the poet ​​in which he posits that even well-written copy on a can of shoe polish could be considered literary art. The 10-year-old girls behind me were not impressed. But while songs like “Good Graces” and the aforementioned “Feather” feel distinctly 2020s, Carpenter and her creative team are masters of world-building, and these meticulous vintage details all contribute to a thoroughly joyful experience.

What makes Carpenter’s retro references even more delightful is her ability to seamlessly integrate them with one major throughline in her music that wasn’t so often broadcast in the ’60s: Getting fucked. At one point, she got on her knees to serenade a male backup dancer sitting in a chair in front of her, her microphone placement consciously suggestive. She donned a chiffon night jacket before jumping into bed to sing the slinky Short N’ Sweet highlight “Bed Chem,” a camera providing an overhead view before she gleefully pelted it with a pillow. As the curtain closed in front of her, the audience could see her silhouette kneeling on the bed. Then she whipped out a pair of fluffy handcuffs just as the stage went dark.

While “Bed Chem” might be Carpenter’s sexiest song, another fan favorite, “Juno,” probably takes the (pink, heart-shaped) cake for most explicit. Every good pop arena show has an aerial moment, and this song marked the perfect opportunity for hers. She got into the (pink, heart-shaped) conversation pit placed at the end of her catwalk, before it lifted her into the air to emphatically lead the crowd in chanting the song’s bridge: “Adore me/ Hold me and explore me” — and then, the moment we’ve all been waiting for — “I’m so fucking horny!”

As a showbiz veteran, Carpenter is obviously extremely comfortable on stage. Forget Barclays’ almost-20,000 capacity — with her dry sense of humor, she seems at home in front of a crowd, and does an excellent job at making her guests feel welcome. “Respectfully, no,” she told an audience member holding a sign asking to taste her. “But you’re really pretty!” In lieu of a randomly chosen cover song, which she’d done at every prior show on the tour, she gave the live debut of Short N’ Sweet bonus track “Busy Woman.” You don’t know the words to that one? Don’t worry; she put the lyrics on the screens for you, karaoke style, so you don’t feel left out in singing along.

It feels undeniably special to witness an ascent like that of Carpenter, who evokes both the assuredness of a seasoned performer and the novelty of someone who’s just getting started. The Short N’ Sweet Tour was over a decade in the making, and yet, Carpenter keeps an amped-up energy that’s endearing and infectious. Not to mention, she’s extremely hospitable: “Do you guys need some espresso?” she asked before singing the long-awaited encore song. Yes, it really is that sweet.