Sabrina Carpenterhas made it aShort n' SweetTour tradition to do surprise cover songs at her shows. The segment comes in the middle of the show when Carpenter and her dancers sit at the edge of her stage in a set meant to look like a heart-shaped living room.
Carpenter plays Spin the Bottle, and when the bottle lands on a number, Carpenter’s band starts playing whatever song is listed as that number. Occasionally,she’s done one of her own songs that isn’t on the official setlist,likeShort n' Sweet’s “Busy Woman"prior to its addition after the release ofShort n' Sweet(Deluxe Edition). However, it’s the most fun when she covers an iconic song from previous decades.
10Super Freak
Rick James (1981)
At a Kia Forum show in Inglewood, California, Sabrina Carpenter covered Rick James' 1981 hit “Super Freak.” It was a great fit, as Carpenter is known for having some ’80s-inspired production on her own music.The song’s message also fits Carpenter’s aesthetic; the opening lyric, “She’s a very kinky girl,” goes hand in hand with aspects of theShort n' SweetTour, like the “Bed Chem” outro and “Juno” positions. Carpenter and her dancers brought great energy to the song and the crowd seemed to enjoy her take on the funk hit.
9Lady Marmalade
Christina Aguilera, Mýa, & Pink (2001)
In Paris, Carpenter turned the Accor Arenainto the Moulin Rouge with a cover of “Lady Marmalade.” While there have been several recordings of the song throughout history, modern audiences are most familiar with Christina Aguilera, Mýa, and Pink’s 2001 cover of theMoulin Rouge!soundtrack. This seems to be the one the singer channeled for her cover.Carpenter shares similarities with many blonde singers who precede her, but in her “Lady Marmalade” cover, she effortlessly channeled a young Aguilera.
Carpenter turned the Accor Arena into the Moulin Rouge with a cover of “Lady Marmalade.”
Like “Super Freak,” the song’s lyrics fit Carpenter’s sensuality, as “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?” translates to “Do you want to sleep with me, tonight?” However, the song felt like an even better fit for the “Espresso” singer than “Super Freak,” and the audience seemed more enthusiastic too.
8That Don’t Impress Me Much
Shania Twain (1997)
Carpenter has included some country-inspired songs on her albums, like “Already Over” onEmails I Can’t Sendand “Slim Pickins” onShort n' Sweet. She’s also included some country covers on herShort n' SweetTour cover song list, one of them being Shania Twain’s “That Don’t Impress Me Much.“Carpenter sang with Twain in her Netflix special,A Nonsense Christmas,and their voices worked well together. Carpenter’s appreciation for the country genre shines through in her cover of Twain’s 1997 single, as does her sassy attitude.
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The song has become a female empowerment anthem, as it expresses indifference to men who think their jobs or social status makes them superior. Carpenter expresses similar feelings in some of her songs, like when she mocks a former lover for being “dumb and poetic.“Carpenter is at her best when she’s honoring the female artists who have come before her, and she does Twain so much justice with this cover.
7Kiss Me
Sixpence None The Richer (1997)
One of the sweetest love songs to come out of the ’90s is Sixpence None The Richer’s “Kiss Me.” Not only did it give pop culture one of the most iconic ’90s movie scenes inShe’s All That, but it’s also a timeless classic. While Carpenter may have a lot of young fans who weren’t alive when the song came out - the singer herself wasn’t even alive - covering it at her concertallows it to live on with a younger audience.
Kiss me
Beneath the milky twilight
Lead me
Out on the moonlit floor.
However, the crowd always seems excited to hear Carpenter serenade them with the ’90s classic. Another reason it’s such a great cover is that it fits with Carpenter’s spin-the-bottle setup.The whole set feels like something out of a ’80s or ’90s film, like the kind of house party Laney Boggs and Zack Siler ended up at inShe’s All That. It also emphasizes how well Carpenter’s voice and style fit into the ’90s era of music.
6Material Girl
Madonna (1984)
For the March 2025 issue of Vogue, Carpenter channeled another iconic blonde diva, Madonna. However, before dressing up as the ’80s legend, the singer honored her at herShort n' SweetTour by covering “Material Girl.” With all the comparisons Carpenter has drawn to other blonde celebrities,she’s often seen as a modern-day Marilyn Monroe. In the “Material Girl” music video, Madonna dresses up as Monroe from the classic 1953 filmGentlemen Prefer Blondes,making it a perfect cover song for Carpenter.
The pop star is quite the material girl herself, as she dazzles the stage every night in sparkly outfits and glamorous, Old Hollywood-inspired sets.Carpenter is also quite quirky in her music, sometimes writing off men as playthings. The way Madonna frames men as useless unless they can provide her with money and luxuries parallels how Carpenter often sings of men in her music. Of course, the song is pretty satirical. Carpenter’s current era has been built on satire, which is why “Material Girl” was such a clever choice for aShort n' Sweetcover song.
5Come On Eileen
Dexys Midnight Runners (1982)
Like she did in Paris, Carpenter chose a special surprise song to perform in London. Honoring the UK-based pop rock band Dexys Midnight Runners, Carpenter covered their 1982 hit “Come On Eileen.” What made the cover so great isit’s an outlier among her typical cover songs.Most of the songs she’s covered are by female artists and fit her blonde bombshell persona.
“Come On Eileen” felt like it came out of left field, but simultaneously worked so well as a surprise cover. Carpenter and her dancers brought so much energy to the song, and the London crowd sounded thrilled to hear Carpenter honoring a UK artist. Despite “Come On Eileen” being different from her usual covers, there are a few lyrics like “you in that dress my thoughts I confess verge on dirty” that are so Carpenter-esqueshe could’ve written them herself.
“Come On Eileen” felt like it came out of left field, but simultaneously worked so well as a surprise cover.
The highlight of the performance was the bridge when the singer and her dancers started a kickline before breaking into freestyle dancing for the song’s final chorus.It was also impressive how well Carpenter’s band playedthe production of the song. It’s certainly one of the most upbeat, danceable covers she’s done.
4Ain’t No Other Man/What A Girl Wants
Christina Aguilera (2006/1999)
For a very special cover Sabrina Carpenter did in LA, she invited Christina Aguilera out on stage with her. The 25-year-old singer has a way of fitting into nearly every genre of music she covers, from the ’70s to the early 2000s, and with Aguilera, she looked right in place as a 2000s icon. As always, Carpenter spun the bottle to see which surprise song it would land on, but instead of her band kicking off the intro,Aguilera held her iconic high note, introducing “Ain’t No Other Man.”
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The crowd recognized her voice immediately, and it was a brilliant way to surprise audiences with a special guest. Aguilera made the stage her own as she strutted her way down the runway by Carpenter’s side. However,when the song came to an end, the two weren’t done collaborating.They slowed things down with “What A Girl Wants,” which Carpenter called one of her favorite songs in the world. It showed as she passionately sang the lyrics with her musical idol.
The two looked like twins singing the love song for the audience, transporting Los Angeles to the 2000s for just a few minutes. While Carpenter has been open about how much certain singers have inspired her, seeing her on stage with Aguilera was a true display ofhow much Carpenter has learned from her female idols.
3Hopelessly Devoted To You
Olivia Newton-John (1978)
Carpenter previously covered “Hopelessly Devoted To You” on herEmails I Can’t SendTour and as anopener for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. However, theShort n' SweetTour cover beats the other two for her best rendition of the song. Carpenter sang the Olivia Newton-John classic, best known fromGrease, whiledressed as Newton-John’s character, Sandy Olsson.The cover was during her Dallas, Texas Halloween show, where she also dressed as a Playboy bunny and Tinkerbell.
Of all Carpenter’s songs and covers, “Hopelessly Devoted To You” best showcases her vocal range. It is not an easy song to sing, but Carpenter breezed through it effortlessly. It also showcases a more vulnerable side of Carpenter that comes out in her own songs, like “Lie To Girls.“Carpenter plays it off like she’s a playgirlwhen she sings songs like “That Don’t Impress Me Much” and “Material Girl.” However, in “Hopelessly Devoted To You,” Carpenter displays raw human emotions.
But now there’s nowhere to hide
Since you pushed my love aside
I’m out of my head
Hopelessly devoted to you
I’m hopelessly devoted to you
At the end of the day, she has experienced a lot of pain from lost love, just like anyone else has. TheGreasesong also seemingly inspired one of herShort n' Sweetdeluxe tracks, “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder.” The song is undeniably similar in its production and melody. Since Carpenter openly admires Newton-John’s hit, it feels intentional.Carpenter clearly has a deep love for theGreaseactressas so many around the world do, and her cover was a beautiful way to honor the late star.
29 to 5
Dolly Parton (1980)
If there’s one starSabrina Carpenter has been compared to the most, it’s Dolly Parton. With the popularity of the Oscar-winning filmThe Substance, fans have compared Parton and Carpenter to the film’s stars Elisa Sparkles and Sue. The two even collaborated on a new version of “Please Please Please” for theShort n' Sweetdeluxe edition. However, before stepping into the studio with Parton, Carpenter stepped on stage to sing “9 to 5.”
It’s one of the songs she’s sung several times on her tour, but each time, it’s as exciting to hear as the last. While it’s a pretty obvious choice for Carpenter, it’s also one of the most iconic.Dolly Parton is a universally beloved artist, so when Carpenter pulls out “9 to 5,” the crowd goes wild. She knows people see her as a modern-day Dolly Parton, and she feeds right into it by doing the cover.
She doesn’t mind the comparisons, but sees them as a compliment instead.The crowd’s enthusiasm when they hear the intro to Parton’s 1980 song is likely why Carpenter keeps singing it.While the song’s catchiness adds to its appeal, its timeless message also gets audiences singing along, making it one of Carpenter’s best covers.
1Mamma Mia
ABBA (1975)
ABBA is one of the most iconic pop groups to come out of the ’70s. They got a second wind whenMamma Mia!premiered in 1999, and another when the film took over the world in 2008. However, their popularity with younger generations, like Carpenter’s fans, can also be attributed to their songs going viral on TikTok during the pandemic. When Carpenter took over pop music, it was clearABBA was another one of her influences.
At Swift’s Eras Tour, Carpenter often covered “Dancing Queen,” but for her own tour, she switched it out for another one of their most well-known hits, “Mamma Mia.” WhenCarpenter puts on her go-go boots for the final section of her tour, she looks like she could transport to the ’70s and step in for Agnetha Fältskog. She even poses with her dancers before “Please Please Please” in a manner that looks just like Donna and the Dynamos inMamma Mia!
As much as Carpenter seems like a modern-day Dolly Parton, she also seems like a fifth member of ABBA. Once the recognizable intro begins, the crowd releases one of the loudest cheers they’ve done for any of her covers. “Mamma Mia” seems to produce the most exhilaration, andthe singer seems to be having the most fun when she’s singing it. It’s a truly electric song and has become one that transcends generations, which is why audiences of all ages get excited to hearSabrina Carpentercover “Mamma Mia.”
