Sabrina Carpenter Shares Kiss During VMAs—and Not With Barry Keoghan

Originally appeared on E! Online

Sabrina Carpenter got a taste of a sexy alien during the 2024 MTV VMAs.

While singing a medley of hits off her album Short N’ Sweet at the award show Sept. 11, the “Espresso” singer cheekily paid tribute to iconic Britney Spears moments from the VMAs.

After being introduced by Cyndi Lauper, Sabrina, styled by Jared Ellner in a custom Victoria's Secret bodysuit adorned with over 18,500 crystal beads, kicked things off with “Please Please Please” while being lowered to the stage from a platform dangling in the air.

Before breaking into her song “Taste,” the 25-year-old—who dates Barry Keoghan—strutted to a backtrack of the bridge to Britney’s song “Oops!… I Did It Again” and welcomed two background dancers, an astronaut in a spacesuit and a blue alien in full large-eyed prosthetics and a short, sheer white dress.

During the performance of the song—which references a love triangle—the alien and astronaut began to fight, with Sabrina breaking them up by throwing the astronaut off the stage. After kicking him off, she turned to the alien and planted some steamy kisses on their lips, which may just be a not-so-subtle homage to Britney’s iconic kiss with Madonna at the 2003 VMAs.

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However, after the make out, Sabrina also pushed the alien off the stage, before ending the medley with her breakout hit “Espresso,” for which she later won Song of the Year.

Sabrina Carpenter, 2024 MTV VMAs
MTV

“This is really special,” Sabrina said in her acceptance speech. “The first people I want to thank are the fans. You guys are the reason that I get to do what I love, but also the reason we get to have so much fun and share music with each other and I just feel so grateful to have truly the best fans in the world. I love you.”

Sabrina Carpenter, 2024 MTV VMAs
TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

In addition to Song of the Year, she is nominated for five other awards, including Artist of the Year where she faces off against Ariana Grande, Bad Bunny, Eminem, SZA and Taylor Swift.

Read on to see more moments from the 2024 MTV VMAs.

Addison Rae

<p>Addison Rae</p>
Jeff Kravitz / Contributor / GETTY IMAGES


Katy Perry & Orlando Bloom

<p>Katy Perry & Orlando Bloom</p>
Jamie McCarthy/WireImage


Sabrina Carpenter

<p>Sabrina Carpenter</p>
Christopher Polk / Contributor / GETTY IMAGES


Taylor Swift & Post Malone

<p>Taylor Swift & Post Malone</p>
Christopher Polk / Contributor / GETTY IMAGES


Megan Thee Stallion

<p>Megan Thee Stallion</p>
Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock


Katy Perry

<p>Katy Perry</p>
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for MTV


GloRilla & Camila Cabello

<p>GloRilla & Camila Cabello</p>
Christopher Polk / Contributor / GETTY IMAGES


Chappell Roan & Shaboozey

<p>Chappell Roan & Shaboozey</p>
Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images


Alessandra Ambrosio

<p>Alessandra Ambrosio</p>
Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images


Paris Hilton & Camila Cabello

<p>Paris Hilton & Camila Cabello</p>
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for MTV


Lil Nas X & Coco Jones

<p>Lil Nas X & Coco Jones</p>
Christopher Polk / Contributor / GETTY IMAGES


Eminem

<p>Eminem</p>
Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images


Margaret Qualley & Jack Antonoff

<p>Margaret Qualley & Jack Antonoff</p>

Margaret Qualley & Jack Antonoff


Lenny Kravitz

<p>Lenny Kravitz</p>
Roy Rochlin / Stringer / GETTY IMAGES


Cyndi Lauper

<p>Cyndi Lauper</p>
Roy Rochlin / Stringer / GETTY IMAGES; Jeff Kravitz / Contributor / GETTY IMAGES


Karol G & Taylor Swift

<p>Karol G & Taylor Swift</p>
Christopher Polk / Contributor / GETTY IMAGES


Flavor Flav & Jordan Chiles

<p>Flavor Flav & Jordan Chiles</p>
Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock


French Montana & Sabrina Carpenter

<p>French Montana & Sabrina Carpenter</p>
Christopher Polk / Contributor / GETTY IMAGES


Head to E! Online's 2024 Video Music Awards page for a full recap of the night's jaw-dropping fashions and every must-see moment.