Sabrina Carpenter Soaks the VMAs Stage in Tears
If you ask Sabrina Carpenter, a little initiative goes a long way.
At the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, the 26-year-old singer proved it by taking bold initiative in her stand-out performance. The Grammy-winning artist has topped charts and become a pop icon since the release of her Short N Sweet album back in 2024 and has recently returned to the spotlight with her latest album, Man’s Best Friend. Her Tears performance capitivated the VMA audience and transformed the stage into a protest that stole the show.
The VMA stage becomes the streets of New York City as Carpenter emerges from a sewer cover, grabs her bedazzled microphone, and begins her performance, her silver fringe dress sparkling and her black stilettos blending in with her tights. Throughout her performance, she twirls and gestures with her dancers, eventually rallying the whole crew for a dance break as rain fell over the stage, the performance paying homage to the cult-classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which inspired the song’s music video. The drenched, sexy dance almost immediately went viral on TikTok, which considering her previous internet virality and the meaningful message of her performance, comes as no surprise.
Carpenter’s dancers consisted of mostly drag queens, many of whom are contestants from RuPaul’s Drag Race, such as Lexi Love, Estranja, and William Belli. As the dancers strutted across the stage, they proudly held protest signs that signs read, “If You Hate, You’ll Never Get Laid”, “Dolls, Dolls, Dolls”, and “Protect Trans Rights”. The stage transformed from a neighborhood gathering to a full-on protest for transgender rights, amplifying Carpenter’s unmistakable stance on the current administration’s efforts to limit gender affirming care and support. Carpenter’s pro-trans performance is the first bold mention or inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ community on a scale as large as the VMA stage. Her decision to use her platform to advocate for marginalized folks has everyone singing her praises — if they weren’t already.
Fans and drag queens alike shared their gratitude for Carpenter’s supportive performance, and the singer herself felt honored for the opportunity.
“This world, as we all know, can be so full of criticism and discrimination and negativity,” she says. “[T]o get to be part of something […] that can bring you light, make you smile, make you dance, and make you feel like the world is [yours]—I am so grateful.”
Carpenter was among the most nominated artists of the night and took home three awards, including Best Pop Artist and Best Album, her success proving that her voice — and the things she cares about — is here to stay.