Zoya: Welcome to the Short n’ Sweet Tour Review!
Sanvi: I’m so excited to talk about this tour! However, there’s a lot to cover so let’s keep this short and sweet.
Zoya: Let’s get into it.
OPENER: Griff
Zoya: Two words: Her. Vocals. I have to admit, I was not a huge Griff fan before the Short n’ Sweet Tour (we tried to binge-listen to her setlist in the car ride on the way to the show) but after hearing her live I had no choice but to add her songs to all of my playlists. You could just tell she was so passionate about what she was singing and that she was having so much fun up there.
Sanvi: I agree! She really knew how to perform! One thing that stood out to me was her composing her background music on stage for her unreleased song “Last Night’s Mascara” using her own voice! That was a great way to set up her performance and show off her talent to the crowd.
Zoya: I also love how she got the audience involved by singing a throwback like “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”. People who weren’t familiar with her still knew that classic and it was a great way to unite the crowd.
Sanvi: Even though she isn’t that well known, she knew how to appeal to the fans in the stands. Her charismatic nature allowed her to connect with her audience, especially when she got everyone to clap to the beat and sing along with her. I hope to see her releasing more music soon and maybe one day, sell out arenas
ACT I: “Taste,” Good Graces,” “Slim Pickins,” “Tornado Warnings,” “Lie To Girls,” “Decode” and “Bed Chem.”
Zoya: The opening of the concert was so funny. Sabrina coming out in a bathrobe, looking shocked to see us all there, and then immediately jumping into “Taste” was such a quick and hilarious turnaround.
Sanvi: I loved how she started the tour! We also have to appreciate the mini-animated film that introduced her. It was an adorable and unique way to kick off the show. Presenting the whole tour with an old Hollywood aesthetic fit her personality and showed off her acting skills.
Zoya: Even though it’s the Short n’ Sweet Tour, I love the nod she gave to her last album, Emails I Can’t Send, in this Act. ‘Tornado Warnings” and “Decode” are some of my favorites from the 2022 album, and it was surreal to hear them live after having listened to them on repeat during sophomore year.
Sanvi: I couldn’t agree more. She showed off her well-rounded talent, switching between upbeat and catchy “Good Graces” to bittersweet “Lie to Girls” and then finishing up with energetic “Bed Chem.” Her dance moves coupled with her iconic outfits made her performance even more memorable to the fans. All in all, we can tell Sabrina has really good “Taste.”
ACT II: “Feather,” “Fast Times,” “Read your Mind,” “Sharpest Tool,” “Opposite,” “Because I Liked A Boy,” “Coincidence,” “Material Girl” (surprise song) and “Nonsense.”
Sanvi: The style switch up in the second Act was unexpected but more than welcome. Unlike Act I’s bubbly and bright nature, Act II surprised us by introducing itself as “Sabrina After Dark,” giving it a late-night talk show feel with its New York penthouse aesthetic. The Act began with “Feather,” which featured Sabrina dressed in all black singing it in a slower, jazzy style.
Zoya: Readers, you might not know this, but Sanvi and I STRONGLY associate “Feather,” “Fast Times” and “Nonsense” with our drives to crew practice in freshman and sophomore year, so this act was pretty sentimental. Of course, she more than surpassed our expectations with her performances of these songs.
Sanvi: Yes! And not only did we get treated with those classic throwbacks, but we got to witness Sabrina playing Spin the Bottle in order to choose her surprise song! I think this was an amazing way to get the audience excited, and it keeps each show unique and special. Lucky for us, we got to hear Sabrina’s cover of “Material Girl” by Madonna, the song all girls know and love.
Zoya: I also think the way that she addressed the “Nonsense” outros that were so iconic from her Emails I Can’t Send Tour without actually making up a new outro for every city was so clever. Right before the song, she made a pun that could’ve fit in one of her witty outros, asking us if we call our significant others “Tampa Baes.” Then, after she performed “Nonsense,” there appeared to be a technical malfunction, and her microphone cut out right before the outro. Her voice came in from offstage, berating her stage manager for cutting out her mic and then firing him. Iconic.
ACT III: “Dumb & Poetic,” “Juno,” “Please Please Please” and “Don’t Smile.”
Zoya: As a “Dumb & Poetic” stan, I feel obligated to say that her performance of the song was absolutely perfect in my opinion. The starry night background, the spotlight illuminating her sparkling silver outfit and her isolated vocals were just stunning.
Sanvi: I’m pretty sure I did see some tears from you there, Zoya (or was it just a coincidence?). Act III gave us amazing hit after hit, with each performance inciting either tears or laughter as the audience belted along. We definitely got to see Sabrina’s funny side as she picked someone from the audience to “arrest” for being too pretty, right before jumping into the fan-favorite “Juno.” This performance was so much fun to watch, with Sabrina hitting her iconic “position” (If you know, you know) and singing her heart out as the stage lifted up! It only got better from there as Sabrina delivered “Please Please Please.” While it was such a great performance, I became increasingly aware that the concert was almost over! C’mon Sabrina, why’re you bringing us to tears when we did our makeup so nice?
Zoya: I think in another world where “Espresso” didn’t exist, “Don’t Smile” would have been Sabrina’s last song to end the concert. The lyrics “Don’t smile because it happened, baby, cry because it’s over” are a fitting way to close the show, and I’ve seen enough basic Instagram posts of the tour with just that as the caption. Thankfully, there was still an encore to come.
Sanvi: This was such a cute moment, especially when Sabrina asked to see our lights in the air, making each person in the audience turn on their cell phone flashlights and make the arena look like a sparkling night sky. Listening to the sweet song while surrounded by thousands of twinkling lights made us realize that these special moments are what made the tour a night to remember!
ENCORE: Espresso
Sanvi: Of course, Sabrina knew she couldn’t leave without ending with a bang! Just as we had begun to wind down from “Don’t Smile,” she was back on stage waking everyone up to enjoy one last song together: “Espresso!” What can we say? She’s working late ‘cause she’s a singerrr.
Zoya: It’s catchy, it’s funny, it was stuck in my head 24/7 this summer. What’s not to love?
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Zoya: The combination of Griff and Sabrina in one night was almost too much for me to handle. Thankfully, we all made it out with our wits intact and our vocal chords very much not. Overall, I give the show a 10/10. Sabrina had me laughing, screaming, crying etc. She is a star, but also one who has a sense of humor and knows how to interact with her fans. What can I say? That’s just that her espresso.
Sanvi: Now that this show’s over, there’s a big black hole where my heart used to be! However, I’m so grateful to have had the chance to witness two talented artists sharing their incredible music while being surrounded by friends. This tour brought back great memories and created some new ones to look back on. Let’s just say, we know we’re already thinking: Please, Please, Please, let us relive this night!
