Sabrina Carpenter performs onstage during the “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at Foro Sol on August 24, 2023 in Mexico City, Mexico.
Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
Country music history and modern pop royalty collided Tuesday night in Nashville when Sabrina Carpenter made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry.
During her performance, Carpenter sang country renditions of familiar hits and paid tribute to the women who stood on the Opry stage before her. The tastemaking two-hour showcase – which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year – has long been one of the most sought-after stages to play in Nashville.
“My mom raised me on the artists that have stood up here,” Carpenter said during her 20-minute appearance. “Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn and, of course, my favorite, Dolly Parton.”
Sabrina Carpenter At The Opry
Her performance kicked off with “Please Please Please,” a pop hit reimagined into a crooning country tune, complete with touches of fiddle, banjo and pedal steel guitar. Joined by members of the Opry band, Carpenter also delivered the live debut of “Go Go Juice” – a twangy drinking tune off her new album Man’s Best Friend – and a crowd-pleasing rendition of her 2024 song “Slim Pickins.”
Between numbers, Carpenter bantered with the crowd, returning calls of “I love you” that echoed from the balcony. She brought at least one young onlooker to tears with a shout-out.
“It’s so wholesome here in Nashville,” she said after one interaction. “That’s why I’m doing all the clean versions.”
The set closed with “Manchild,” the Billboard Hot 100-topping single released earlier this year. For Tuesday’s rendition, Carpenter and company swapped layers of synth-pop heard on the studio version with touches of string instruments and timely guitar picking.
Before kicking into “Manchild,” Carpenter addressed the audience, “You being fans of this music is what is continuing this legacy and allowing artists to be able to experiment and also just feel inspired. It’s really beautiful.”
The night also included performances from Southern rock showman Marcus King, singer-songwriter and Willie Nelson’s son Lukas Nelson, traditional country upstart Kaitlin Butts and others. Sheryl Crow made a surprise appearance to introduce Carpenter.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 05: Sabrina Carpenter attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Pop Star At The Opry
Popstars don’t often play the Opry, but it isn’t unprecedented. Last year, Post Malone made his debut inside the so-called “Opry circle” during the height of promotion for his country project F-1 Trillion. Past visitors to the show range from Pharrell Williams to the Eagles, John Fogerty, Michael Bublé, James Brown and Ringo Starr. Throughout 2025, the show celebrates a century of broadcasting performances that highlight household country stars and introduce audiences to up-and-coming singers.
And Carpenter’s no stranger to Nashville collaborations. Last year, she released a duet version of “Please Please Please” that featured Dolly Parton. Behind the scenes, she’s worked on multiple projects in Nashville, enlisting local songwriters and producers. Her roster of Music City collaborators includes Julian Bunetta – who co-produced songs on last year’s breakout album Short n’ Sweet, among other past Carpenter projects – and Steph Jones, a co-writer on last year’s megahit “Espresso.”
Carpenter returns to Nashville next month for a two-night show Nov. 4-5 at Bridgestone Arena. The stop comes as part of the latest leg of Carpenter’s expansive Short n’ Sweet tour.
