The pop singer is currently on the road for her Short n’ Sweet tour
Sabrina Carpenter stopped by The Tonight Show to perform her hit single, “Espresso.” Appearing with a live band and a group of back-up singers, Carpenter gave the performance a sultry, vintage club vibe, making her way from the stage over to host Jimmy Fallon‘s desk.
Carpenter is currently out on her Short n’ Sweet tour, which hit Madison Square Garden in New York City, where The Tonight Show tapes, earlier this week. The performance marked her debut in the iconic venue.
“I’m so mesmerized by New York City,” she told the audience. “This is like home to me. The first time I ever played in New York City, I believe I was 16 and it was the Highline Ballroom. Y’all were not there. My whole life I’ve always wanted to play Madison Square Garden, but I wasn’t sure if the first time I’d ever played, it would be to a sold-out crowd.”
“Espresso,” which dropped in April, comes off Carpenter’s most recent LP, Short n’ Sweet. It became a pop culture phenomenon and arguably the song of the summer. Last month, the singer took home the VMA for Song of the Year for the single.
Carpenter recently appeared on the cover of TIME and spoke about the perception of female pop stars in the interview. She also responded to fans who were scandalized to learn that her family witnessed her flaunting her sexuality while on stage at Madison Square Garden this past weekend. “My fans online are like, I can’t believe she’s bending over in front of her grandparents!” Carpenter said. “I’m like, girl, they are not paying attention to that. They’re just like, I can’t believe all these people are here.”
She added, “You’ll still get the occasional mother that has a strong opinion on how you should be dressing. And to that I just say, don’t come to the show and that’s OK. It’s unfortunate that it’s ever been something to criticize, because truthfully, the scariest thing in the world is getting up on a stage in front of that many people and having to perform as if it’s nothing. If the one thing that helps you do that is the way you feel comfortable dressing, then that’s what you’ve got to do.”