"I forget I’m famous sometimes, because I’m a mom, I’m kind of old. But that was kind of cool"

Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Spears posed a question to her millions of followers: “Did you guys watch the VMAs?” 

She admitted, “I didn’t watch the VMAs, but I did see stuff on my phone from YouTube of Sabrina Carpenter.”

Spears went on to express some curiosity about Sabrina Carpenter's performance. 

“Why is she kissing an alien onstage?” she asked, before adding that she loves and adores the Espresso singer. 

Still, there were aspects she found puzzling. “I didn’t understand that part. Why didn’t you kiss a girl?” she quipped.

Carpenter’s performance on Wednesday night featured a playful moment where she kissed a dancer dressed as a female alien while performing her song Taste.

The on-stage kiss was a nod to her music video for the song, which also features an on-screen kiss with actress Jenna Ortega.

The kiss sparked memories for fans of Spears’ own headline-making moment at the 2003 VMAs, when she shared a kiss with Madonna during their Like A Virgin performance, which also featured Christina Aguilera. 

It turns out Carpenter’s entire performance was an homage to Britney herself.

Carpenter’s act began with her sitting on a swing, a direct callback to Spears’ music video for Lucky, as she sang her hit Please Please Please.

When she transitioned into Taste, the stage transformed into an outer space theme, complete with a snippet from Spears’ 2000 hit “Oops… I Did It Again.”

Although Spears may not have grasped the full extent of Carpenter’s tribute, she did notice Carpenter’s acknowledgment on the red carpet.

“I thought that was kind of cool,” Spears remarked. “I forget I’m famous sometimes, because I’m a mom, I’m kind of old. But that was kind of cool. That’s cool. She’s really cool.”

Carpenter wasn’t the only one who paid tribute to the pop princess during the VMAs. 

Host Megan Thee Stallion channeled Spears’ iconic look from her 2001 Slave 4 U performance, complete with a live yellow snake. 

Meanwhile, singer Tate McRae honoured Spears with a sheer lace-sleeved mini dress reminiscent of her 2001 outfit.

Even though Spears didn’t watch the entire show, her impact was undeniably felt at New York's UBS Arena, where her presence loomed large over the evening’s festivities.

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