Britney Spears reacts to Sabrina Carpenter homage at VMAs

Britney Spears did not watch the 2024 MTV VMAs — but when the VMAs peaked with you and a snake 20 years in the past, would you?

However the pop princess did catch some clips on the YouTube, and he or she could not assist however take to Instagram to voice her confusion about — and admiration for — Sabrina Carpenter.

Carpenter paid homage to Spears all through the evening, giving the “Poisonous” singer a shout-out on the purple carpet, and taking part in a snippet of “Oops!… I Did It Once more” — together with adopting the entire outer house theme from the 2000 video — throughout her efficiency of “Please, Please, Please,” “Style,” and “Espresso.”

Carpenter additionally kissed an alien in the midst of her set, maybe one other homage to Spears and her notorious kiss with Madonna — however Spears did not fairly get it.

“Why is she kissing an alien onstage?” Spears requested in an Instagram video. “I like her, I like her to dying. I did not perceive that half. Um, why did not she kiss a lady? Like, that was bizarre.”

Spears, together with fellow then-burgeoning pop diva Christina Aguilera, shared a stage with Madonna on the 2003 VMAs, every locking lips with the legend and inflicting headlines and heads to spin.

Spears went on to explain how she took a shower to essentially mirror on Carpenter’s efficiency, then went on a tangent about how she loves to paint and hint now, earlier than winding again to her authentic level about how “the Sabrina lady stated my identify on the purple carpet and I believed that was kinda cool.”

She continued, “I overlook I’m well-known generally, as a result of I’m a mother, I’m form of previous…however that was form of cool. That’s cool…she made me cool! Nicely, perhaps not.”

Nothing fairly says “I am a mother and form of previous” like referring to a brand new musical act you are vaguely conscious of as “the Sabrina lady.” However for the Sabrina lady, no less than Britney Spears thinks you are cool and bizarre.

Different homages to the pop icon had been scattered all through the evening, the VMAs’ fortieth anniversary, in a veritable Britney lovefest, beginning with Tate McRae, who walked the purple carpet in a recreation of Spears’ memorable Dolce & Gabbana look from the 2001 VMAs.

At one level, host Megan Thee Stallion wore a duplicate of Spears’ iconic 2001 VMAs “I am A Slave 4 U” efficiency costume, together with (briefly) a big albino python. “I am simply playin’, come get the snake,” Megan pleaded. “I do not know the snake, the snake do not know me. I attempted to carry it down for Britney.”

Addison Rae additionally name-checked Spears, saying, “My favourite VMAs appears of all time are in all probability each time Britney Spears got here on and carried out.” Rae additionally shouted out Spears’ rendition of the Rolling Stones track “(I Cannot Get No) Satisfaction,” which she carried out in a medley with “Oops!… I Did It Once more” on the 2000 VMAs.