Britney Spears has reacted to Sabrina Carpenter’s super tribute-filled display during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. And let’s just say the “Toxic” singer was left a little confused.
This young pop star brought a theatrical set full of hits and eye-catching visuals, yet one moment saw many scratching their heads: a kiss with an alien. But this eccentric act was not just for the buzz-fan way but it surely captured the attention of no one less than pop sensation Britney Spears.
Carpenter hit the VMA stage on September 11th and sang through a medley of her biggest hits. More importantly, her little nudge was apparently noticed by the 42-year-olds pop superstar herself.
By doing this, the redhead integrated the now-iconic spoken-word bridge made famous in Britney’s classic “Oops!. Did It Again” to the background while she performed, paying heavy homage to the pop icon. The stage design with astronauts and aliens also obviously referred to intergalactic vibes of the “Oops!” music video from Spears.
Following the performance, Britney Spears reacted to what she did and shared it with her fans in a hilarious video on Instagram. In the video, she said, “Why is she kissing an alien on stage? I adore her. I love her to death. I didn’t understand that part. Why didn’t she kiss a girl?” and shared her serious confusion about Carpenter’s weird choice.
Despite her shock, Spears had nothing but nice things to say about Carpenter’s performance in general. She even remarked that the up-and-comer mentioning her on the red carpet was “kind of cool.” Spears pointed out Carpenter’s nod to the pop princess’ iconic “Oops!.I Did It Again” music video during the performance
Carpenter‘s turn on the 2024 VMAs was definitely something to have been pecked at not only for the alien kissing but for the way she had surreptitiously weaved in Britney’s legacy. The performance was a medley of Carpenter’s hits: “Please, Please, Please,” “Taste,” and “Espresso.” It also very smoothly included a snippet of Spears’ classic video “Oops!.I Did It Again.”
Spears, who confessed to not really watching the VMAs, got wind of Carpenter’s performance through her assistant, and it seems the tribute was a pleasant surprise.
“This Sabrina girl, she said my name on the red carpet, and I thought that was kind of cool, because I forget I’m famous sometimes,” Spears shared.
All of the astronauts are in space, from what seems to be a space-themed stage design to the dancers appropriately garbed as astronauts, further homaging Britney‘s iconic music video. By Carpenter’s choice to really lock lips with an alien on stage, it all played toward making the performance insanely weird and memorable.
The alien kiss left some fans puzzled but others praise her bravery and creativity. It became a widely discussed moment, and hence a viral topic that served to confirm Carpenter’s new star status in the music industry.
For Carpenter, that might have been a hysterical twist–a way also to keep things on edge and interestingly memorable, but for long-time Britney followers who relied on fresh memories other than her 2003 presentation with a legendary kiss with Madonna for the VMA’s, the alien switch seemed to be uncanny to the fantasy every fan in holding on to. In fact, even Britney asked Carpenter out loud if he couldn’t kiss some other entertainer.
Although Carpenter’s performance was a bit misleading, Britney took the tribute in stride. Over the years, many artists have paid homages to her VMA classics, and Sabrina was not the solo act at this year’s show. Megan Thee Stallion did a recreation of Britney’s iconic “I’m a Slave 4 U” performance, down to the live python, and Addison Rae and Tate McRae had some Britney-feeling outfits of their own.
There is no denying Britney’s impact on the VMAs. Since her debut performance of “.Baby One More Time” up through performance with a python that had everybody talking back in 2001, those were the moments she was making history on that stage. These tributes to the space-themed performances, including that of Sabrina, continue to pay homage to the impact she has made on the music industry.
