Sabrina Carpenter brought her signature sleek white stage and runway – that wouldn’t be out of place in a New York nightclub – to London on Saturday night for the first of two sell-out shows at BST Hyde Park.
The “Espresso” star donned a glittery red leotard, with her name emblazoned on it, and calf-high white boots as she launched into “Busy Woman. ” An illuminated ‘SC’ dazzled at the top centre of the stage.
The 18-song setlist was complemented by Carpenter’s 12-strong dance crew. At one point, somewhere between “Good Graces” and “Slim Pickins”, she had a crew member deliver her a shot on a tray – which she downed in the blink of an eye.
Throughout the set were 1950s-style advertisements, played out on the big screens. “Coincidence”, “Taste” and “Feather” brought both emotion and party vibes to the performance, with the 26-year-old singer introducing” Sharpest Tool” as a “song that is very important to me”.
Showing appreciation to her robust supporting line-up, Carpenter listed every single artist that played the stages of BST Hyde Park: “Thank you to everyone on the bill… Amber Mark – one of my dearest friends,” she said. “[There are] so many talented people here. Now, I expect you to sing… it’s a concert!”
With an introduction to her new single, “Manchild”, and a sensual rendition of “Because I Liked A Boy”, the singer announced: “When I heard I was going to play Hyde Park… the first thing I did was look at the weather app. Because you guys are shady here.”
It was the perfectly planned intro’ to the only cover of the night – with a sampled clap of thunder, the familiar swooshing intro of “It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls began.
With an introduction to her new single, “Manchild”, and a sensual rendition of “Because I Liked A Boy”, the singer announced: “When I heard I was going to play Hyde Park… the first thing I did was look at the weather app. Because you guys are shady here.” It was the perfectly planned intro’ to the only cover of the night – with a sampled clap of thunder, the familiar swooshing intro of “It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls began.
Leaving her dancers to showcase their talents by embarking on a dance competition that went to an audience vote, Carpenter returned for the second half of her set; this time clad in a slinky black glittery dress. It wasn’t long before “Bed Chem” unfolded on a circular bed draped in white sheets. “Juno”, with a dedication of pink handcuffs to a fan, came next, followed by “Please, Please, Please.”
Sabrina was lifted into the air on a crane-operated platform. “OK, London,” she declared. “Smile! You’re on camera!” She leaned over the rail as her new stage slowly moved over the huge crowd, singing “Don’t Smile” to individual fans below, and blowing kisses. Then, came “Espresso.”
“The louder you scream, the more I drink,” remarked ‘the princess of all things short and sweet’, with an espresso glass in hand. The crowd went wild as she downed the glass and fireworks filled the skies. “My name is Sabrina,” she announced as the show closed. “Thanks for coming.”
Having her own stage party tonight was the enigmatic Clairo, who performed with her terrific band for her BST debut. “Alright, London – are you ready for this?” she asked, as they delved into the likes of “Glasses”, “Softly” and “Flaming Hot.” “[This] is really sexy, [it’s] crazy!”.
Clairo’s 15-song set was met with whoops and cheers from the young audience, with “Amoeba” and “June” getting the loudest cheers. Watching Clairo in the crowd were a string of famous faces including her pal Beabadoobee and Abbey Clancy.
The wonderfully eclectic Beabadoobee unravelled 15 of her most celebrated tracks in her set at BST, showcasing the likes of “Charlie Brown”, “Real Man” and “Perfect Pair.” “I’m very grateful to be here,” she told the audience, drawing attention to her attire that had the word ‘SEX’, in pink, plastered across the front. “[In fact], I wore this top especially for Sabrina.”
Born in the Philippines and living in London, 25-year-old Beabadoobee has supported the likes of 1975 and Taylor Swift, and toured alongside Clairo. Today, she played to almost 65,000 people at Hyde Park in London.
“If y’all have a drink in your hand, this one’s for you,” hollered Amber Mark, as she paved the way for a night of top pop music on the Great Oak Stage. The Grammy-nominated 31-year-old ensured the audience were singing along from the off.
Over on The Rainbow Stage, Luvcat impressed with her smoky vocals and trademark leopard print dress. The artist, from Liverpool via London, managed to ooze her typical jazz club vibes even in a field of several thousand people.
“BST, how are you guys doing today?” called 28-year-old SOFY. “I’m 5’1″ and that’s where my similarities with Sabrina Carpenter end… well, apart from that we both make really good music.”
South London alt-R&B artist Sola kicked off the festivities on The Rainbow Stage. Bolton-born DellaXOZ introduced tracks from recent EPs. Earlier, indie duo The Two Lips and cross-genre sisters IDER opened the festival.
* BST Hyde Park returns with more superstars and unique shows, following recent performers Olivia Rodrigo, Zach Bryan, Noah Kahan and Sabrina. Still to come are Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts (11th July), Stevie Wonder (12th July) and Jeff Lynne’s ELO (13th July).
