Sabrina Carpenter kisses alien and pays tribute to Britney Spears at the 2024 VMAs

Sabrina Carpenter honored the “Princess of Pop” at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards.

On Wednesday, September 11, 26-year-old Carpenter presented an exciting medley of her hits from her latest album Short and sweetand performed “Please Please Please”, “Espresso” and “Taste”, the latter of which she performed live for the first time at the awards ceremony.

At the start of the performance, Carpenter descended from the ceiling, sat on a diamond-shaped seat in a rhinestone-encrusted white body suit, and sang “Please Please Please” while a giant astronaut held her in his hand. Before she came onstage and began “Taste,” the spoken interlude from Britney Spears’ classic “Oops!…I Did It Again” played in the background.

Like Spears in the music video for “Oops! I Did It Again,” Carpenter spotted an astronaut on stage – but this performance also featured an alien, with whom the “Nonsense” artist made out during her performance. And during “Espresso,” Carpenter performed alongside several dancing astronauts.

Find PEOPLE’s complete coverage of the MTV VMAs here.

The “Nonsense” singer shared the music video for “Taste” on August 23 – the same day she released her sixth studio album.

In the music video for the Dave Meyers-directed video, Carpenter and Jenna Ortega repeatedly try to kill each other – and even kiss.

The image contains several cheesy horror references. The duo wear similar vampy black dresses and bouncy hairstyles as Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep in 1992’s “The Last Man.” Death suits her well. The Wednesday The 21-year-old star wears a nurse costume similar to that of Daryl Hannah in Kill Billwhile the “Feather” artist is impaled on a fence like in a scene from the 2000s Ginger cookies. There is also a shower scene that alludes to the 1960 classic Psycho.

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

All artists on the original roster – except Cabello – will make their main stage debut at the event. Cabello returns to the VMAs for the third time to promote her latest studio album. C,XOXO. Roan, who just celebrated their record participation in The VMAs will mark her first awards performance, and she will appear at Lollapalooza and Governor’s Ball earlier this summer.

Find PEOPLE’s complete coverage of the MTV VMAs here.

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

Big Sean, Busta Rhymes, Carson Daly, Cyndi Lauper, TikTok star Addison Rae, Chicken purchase date Presenter Amelia Dimoldenberg and model Alessandra Ambrosio will host the event.

Other presenters include Damiano David from Måneskin, DANNA, DJ Khaled, Lil Nas X, Miranda Lambert, Fat Joe, Flavor Flav and French Montana as well as Little Mermaid Star Halle Bailey, Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, Naomi Scott, Paris Hilton, Suki Waterhouse, Thalía and Tinashe.

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