Britney Spears has expressed her admiration for Sabrina Carpenter following a memorable tribute during Carpenter’s performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. In an Instagram video, Spears reflected on her fame, saying, “I forget I’m famous sometimes because I’m a mom, I’m kind of old, blah blah blah. But I thought it was kind of cool. She made me cool.”
Carpenter, well-known for her summer hit “Espresso,” excitedly performed a medley at the awards show, which also featured her songs “Taste” and “Please Please Please.” The 25-year-old entertainer started her eye-catching performance by hanging from a giant diamond before making a dramatic entrance alongside astronauts, including a playful moment where she kissed a performer dressed as an alien.
During her set, Carpenter included a special nod to Spears when a snippet of the pop icon’s voice from her 2000 track “Oops!… I Did it Again” played in the background. The excerpt features a scene where a character in an astronaut suit attempts to impress Spears with the Heart of the Ocean diamond from “Titanic.” Although Spears admitted she found the alien aspect of Carpenter’s performance confusing, she still praised the singer, declaring, “I adore her. I love her to death.”
The 2024 VMAs also marked a significant milestone for Carpenter, as she took home her first Moon Person award for song of the year for “Espresso,” which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and amassed over 160 million views for its music video. During her acceptance speech, Carpenter shared her excitement, saying, “I’ve literally never won one of these,” while thanking her fans and humorously acknowledging her pets at home, adding, “And thank you to that me espresso.”