Spotlight Moment
Sabrina Carpenter turned the 2025 MTV VMAs into a statement with a fearless “Tears” debut. The Sabrina Carpenter Tears VMAs performance fused theatrical spectacle, pop pedigree, and advocacy, underlining her ascent from teen talent to pop standard-bearer.
Stagecraft And Reference
Carpenter emerged from a smoky sewer into a neon-streaked alley, flanked by drag performers including Honey Balenciaga and RuPaul’s Drag Race queens like Lexi Love. The tableau nodded to club culture grit and late-’90s TV-pop staging, then sharpened into a clear homage. In a sparkling top and black tights, she invoked Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time,” letting rain pour as she stalked the set with precise, camera-aware choreography.
Sabrina Carpenter Tears VMAs
Beyond polish, the message was unmistakable. Dancers hoisted signs reading “Protect Trans Rights,” “Support Local Drag,” “Good Bi,” and “Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!” At a show built on mass spectacle, Carpenter used prime airtime to center queer and trans communities powering modern pop. The move lands amid escalating pressure on drag and trans rights, aligning Carpenter with peers who turn arena platforms into civic stages without sacrificing pop immediacy.
Chart Context
“Tears” arrives off Man’s Best Friend, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 366,000 equivalent units. Traditional sales accounted for 224,000, both career highs for the Pennsylvania singer. It marks her second Billboard 200 summit and stands as 2025’s biggest opening week by a woman to date. Only Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem and The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow posted larger first-week units this year, underscoring how Carpenter now competes in the top commercial tier.
Awards Stakes
The performance capped a high-stakes night. Carpenter is up for eight VMAs, including video of the year for “Manchild,” plus best pop artist, best pop, best album, best direction, best visual effects, song of the summer, best editing, and best cinematography. That spread reflects the scope of her campaign: strong singles, world-building visuals, and meticulous craft across departments.
Pop In Motion
Live, “Tears” felt like a thesis for this era. It blended nostalgia with contemporary identity politics, rain-soaked pop theater with ballroom kinetics. The Sabrina Carpenter Tears VMAs moment adds weight to an album already winning on the charts, and it signals how big-tent pop can still surprise. Watch the “Tears” performance below and see a star consolidating power in real time.
