SARATOGA SPRINGS – Cardi B's set Friday night at SPAC wasn't long, lasting only 50 minutes. But the Grammy-winning rap star packed a lot in that time frame, offering up the full spectrum of her charms and showing why she's one of the biggest breakout pop stars and in-demand MCs in recent memory.

She was originally slated to play on Memorial Day weekend, but rescheduled after a prolonged recovery from plastic surgery. At first it seemed like Cardi was still struggling from those procedures. During opening tracks "Get Up 10" and "Backin' it Up" she stood atop a gold staircase and while her rapping was fine, her physical presence was minimal. Her 10-person dance crew was moving, setting a fast pace, but she wasn't doing much at all.

Turns out it was just the white platform boots she had on because once she took them off and moved to the front of the stage, she was active, energetic and a forceful figure and personality. During "Money Bag" she twerked and writhed on the stage, then did a reverse somersault back to her feet. When she performed her feature on the Migos track "Motorsport," she crouched atop a gold ATV while her dancers surrounded her.

The features took up the bulk of her set and showcased just how many other popular artists seek out a Cardi B verse, how inspired those verses are and the amount of energy she brings to them.

Take her turn on the Blueface tune "Thotiana." Cardi went hard on the verse, hyping up the crowd and then whipping them into a frenzy when she began to twerk and had her dancers douse her with bottles of water. This energy carried over into the next song as well, DJ Khaled's "Wish Wish" that had the audience loudly rapping along with Cardi the entire time. During the Maroon 5 song "Girls Like You," she encouraged the audience to do "karaoke" and sing the chorus while she playfully danced like a ballerina.

While the features were solid and she made them fun, Cardi B's talents and personality shone through brightest on her own material. She prefaced "She Bad," with a dedication "for all my bad bitches. Oh, and all my ugly bitches too." This received loud applause and laughter and the ensuing performance was strong.

"Money" was one of the best songs of the night, while "Drip" provided the most impromptu sequence. Cardi B was weaving in and out of plumes of smoke that shot up from the stage. At some point, she snagged a bottle of water from a fan and poured it over herself while she flawlessly rapped the track.

There was no encore, but the concert ended with the one-two punch of "Bartier Cardi" and "Bodak Yellow." On the latter, the fans went bonkers and Cardi B went through the track line-by-line without missing a beat. When it ended, so did the evening. Cardi told the attendees their relentless enthusiasm made this show "one of the best of the tour. Top three, I'm definitely talking about you on Instagram later." Then she slapped hands with fans in the front row, gave a little twerk, laughed and left.

There were two openers preceding Cardi B. First was Nicole Bus. The Amsterdam (Netherlands, not New York) native played a 15-minute set. For a large portion of it she was pitchy, off-key and prone to vocal histrionics. She scaled that excess on her last song, the Lauryn Hill-lite pop-R&B jam "Mr. Big Shot" and sounded fantastic.

Teyana Taylor was up next and she presented a headliner-worthy stage show and performance. Accompanied by a dectet of dancers, her set was heavy on both choreographed moves and overt sexuality. Think Janet Jackson, circa "Velvet Rope" in terms of sound and imagery. Taylor's vocals were partially live, partially pre-recorded, but that was secondary to the on-stage spectacle that culminated in a female fan being brought on-stage to sit opposite her.

Taylor mock-performed a sex act on one of her dancers, then fondled the fan and conducted a bump-and-grind on her lap. It was one of the most wildly over-the-top concert experiences I've seen in quite some time. Theatrics aside, the jam "Gonna Love Me" was brilliant and possibly the finest song of the entire night.

Jim Shahen is a frequent contributor to the Times Union.

Concert details

Cardi B
With Teyana Taylor and Nicole Bus
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Route 50, Saratoga Springs
Length: Cardi B, 50 minutes; Teyana Taylor, 30 minutes; Nicole Bus, 15 minutes
Highlights: Cardi B's "Money," "Thotiana," "Wish Wish," "Bartier Cardi" and "Bodak Yellow;" Taylor's "Gonna Love Me" and Bus' "Mr. Big Shot
The Crowd: Surprisingly small, around 10,000 or so, but vocally enthusiastic and actively engaged the entire time.