Sabrina Carpenter’s 2025 MTV Video Music Awards performance is a masterclass in advocating through art.
The “Manchild” singer took to the VMAs stage to perform her latest single, “Tears,” off her new album Man’s Best Friend, and I fear she’s set the bar pretty high.
If you remember, the “Tears” music video made waves when Colman Domingo had a surprise cameo in drag, so everyone was excited to see how she translated that groundbreaking performance for a live audience.
First, the Grammy-winner paid homage to another pop star, Britney Spears. It seemingly referenced Britney’s “Baby One More Time” performance during her Dream Within a Dream Tour. But her message didn’t stop there.
Joining Sabrina on stage were several trans women and drag performers, including several recognizable stars from RuPaul’s Drag Race, including Symone, Lexi Love, and Denali.
Throughout the performance, the queens and Sabrina’s dancers held up signs advocating for trans rights, and I need every artist to take notes. Sometimes, you must do more than wrap yourself in a sweaty pride flag somebody tossed on stage, and Sabrina’s got it.
Several signs read, “DOLLS DOLLS DOLLS” and “In Trans We Trust,” and “Protect Trans Rights.”
This year, the MTV VMAs are airing on MTV, Paramount+, and live on CBS, so Sabrina’s advocacy is reaching a whole bunch of eyes. The thought of her LGBTQ+ fans and young trans folks seeing their favorite artist support them is imperative these days.
Lots of people were praising Sabrina for “using her platform to advocate for Trans rights.”
Great job, Sabrina! We appreciate it.
Check out all of our VMAs coverage here.
What did you think about Sabrina’s performance at the 2025 MTV VMAs?