Sabrina captivated an enchanted audience

IN A busy day for the capital’s social diary with multiple large events including Pride, Wimbledon, Fontaines DC and Kneecap causing a cultural mass migration across the city, it was relatively easy to pick out the Sabrina Carpenter fans.

A mainly younger crowd, accompanied by an older guardian – we spotted a few lost-looking dads – sparkles, bows, mothers and daughters in matching outfits, dresses resembling lingerie on children way too young and not in a rock’n’roll Courtney Love 90s underwear as outerwear way.

Things have moved on in the pop world it seems as while, in previous decades, mainstream female pop stars like Madonna may have gone out of their way to be in your face by flirting with priest statues, wearing cone bras and publishing books about sex, there was rarely a swear word in their choruses, although rappers and rockstars had their own rules.

Now, our little Disney princesses have all growed up and don’t we know it – the weekend before last Olivia Rodrigo was singing about a bloodsucking fame-f***ing ex in Vampire at Hyde Park’s BST Festival while on Saturday the almost too perfect to be real Sabrina Carpenter was putting her imaginative use of expletives to good use throughout her 18-track set.

Take the lyrics of Please, Please, Please, sung so sweetly, you’d almost miss it, but as she sings “Heartbreak is one thing, my ego’s another, I beg you don’t embarrass me motherf*****”, her pitch changes deeper, don’t mess, the wry humour kicks in and Sabrina’s personality shines bright and terrifying to those who dare defy her.

Sabrina Carpenter on stage at Hyde Park BST

Don’t underestimate the wide eyed, blonde ringleted singer, her lyrics are laden with wit, check out Slim Pickins, wisdom and an ability to capture the essence of now, her vocal range is clear, as all those who tried to reach the high notes on Bed Chem and 130,000+ eardrums can attest, and her ability to transcend genres impressive.

Almost a veteran entertainer at 26, the petite singer seems to have taken on superstar status since leaning into her mischievous side and embracing her sexuality, which tends to make things a little uncomfortable for parents haggling with youngsters at the merch stand – “no you can’t have that T-shirt love, it has a bad number on the back” – a very real conversation that took place over a cute cropped football shirt with 69 emblazoned on the back, no doubt a reference to a lyric from Carpenter’s heady hit Bed Chem, sung as she and other dancers gyrated on a round bed, switched to Ginuwine’s Pony (synonymous with Channing Tatum’s Magic Mike male strip sequence), and ended with two male dancers kissing above our Sabs on the bed to cheers from the crowd in a nod to Pride.

Sabrina is naturally comfortable singing country as can be heard in parts of Manchild, can switch it up with ease for some delicious garage / r’n’b vibes and valuable lessons on Good Graces and has incredible vocal clarity, fully exposed by her wistful acoustic rendition of Sharpest Tool.

With minimal sparkly costume changes, the 18-song set flew by, Sabrina captivated an enchanted audience, drawing the set to a close hovering over the crowd in a cherry picker before launching into her big summer hit of last year Espresso while fireworks spread her sparkles across the city’s night sky as the long credits rolled for her team.