Sabrina Carpenter Makes Out with an Alien and Pays Tribute to Britney Spears During 2024 MTV VMAs Performance Debut

Sabrina Carpenter paid homage to the "Princess of Pop" at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards.

On Wednesday, Sept. 11, Carpenter, 26, performed a thrilling medley of her hits from her most recent album Short n' Sweet, playing "Please Please Please," "Espresso" and "Taste," the latter of which she debuted live for the first time at the awards show.

At the start of the performance, Carpenter descended from the ceiling, seated on a diamond-shaped seat in a bedazzled white bodysuit singing "Please Please Please" with a giant astronaut grasping her in their hand. Before arriving on the stage and pivoting to "Taste," the spoken interlude from Britney Spears' classic "Oops!…I Did It Again" played in the background.

As Spears did in the music video for "Oops! I Did It Again," Carpenter discovered an astronaut onstage — but this performance also featured an alien, who the "Nonsense" artist made out with during her set. And during "Espresso," Carpenter performed alongside several dancing astronauts.

Check out all of PEOPLE's full MTV VMAs coverage here.

The "Nonsense" singer shared the music video for "Taste" on Aug. 23 — the same day she released her sixth studio album.

Directed by Dave Meyers, the music video features Carpenter and Jenna Ortega attempting to murder each other repeatedly — and they even share a kiss.

The visual features several campy horror references. The duo sports similar vampy black dresses and bouncy hairstyles similar to Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep in 1992's Death Becomes Her. The Wednesday star, 21, dons a nurse costume that parallels Daryl Hannah's in Kill Bill, while the "Feather" artist is impaled by a fence like a scene in the 2000's Ginger Snaps. There's also a shower scene that alludes to the 1960 classic Psycho.

Last month, Carpenter was announced alongside Chappell Roan, Camila Cabello, GloRilla and Rauw Alejandro as performers at the VMAs.

All of the artists on the initial list — with the exception of Cabello — are making their main stage debuts at the event. Cabello returns to the VMAs for a third time for a performance from her latest studio album, C,XOXO. Roan, who is fresh off of her record-breaking turnouts at Lollapalooza and Governor’s Ball earlier this summer, will make her first-ever award show stage appearance at the VMAs.

Check out all of PEOPLE's full MTV VMAs coverage here.

Last week, it was announced that Anitta, Karol G, LL Cool J, Halsey, Lenny Kravitz, Lisa, Benson Boone and Shawn Mendes would be performing at the VMAs.

Big Sean, Busta Rhymes, Carson Daly, Cyndi Lauper, TikTok star Addison Rae, Chicken Shop Date host Amelia Dimoldenberg and model Alessandra Ambrosio will be presenting at the event.

Additional presenters will include Damiano David of Måneskin, DANNA, DJ Khaled, Lil Nas X, Miranda Lambert, Fat Joe, Flavor Flav and French Montana, plus Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey, Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, Naomi Scott, Paris Hilton, Suki Waterhouse, Thalía and Tinashe.

The 2024 MTV VMAs air on Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. ET/ PT live from the UBS Arena in New York.