Sabrina Carpenter Electrifies 2025 MTV VMAs With 'Tears' Performance and Record-Breaking Album Success

By: Shawn
‎Sabrina Carpenter brought a high-octane burst of energy to the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night with a performance that mirrored the cinematic flair of her latest single “Tears.”
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‎Emerging dramatically from a manhole, Carpenter recreated the glittering aesthetic of the track’s Colman Domingo–featuring music video. Contestants from RuPaul’s Drag Race, including Symone, Denali, and Lexi Love, joined her on stage, amplifying the spectacle with choreography and charisma.
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‎Sabrina Carpenter delivers a dazzling “Tears” performance at the 2025 MTV VMAs, joins Drag Race queens, and celebrates nine nominations.
‎Getty Images for MTV 
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‎The set design transformed the stage into glowing city streets straight from the video, while Carpenter commanded attention in a diamond-encrusted bustier. The jeweled look echoed her own music video styling and drew comparisons to Britney Spears’ iconic 2001 tour outfit for “Baby One More Time.” Adding to the spectacle, Carpenter performed under cascading rain before closing the number alongside dancers and drag queens holding bold signs reading “Protect Trans Rights” and “Dolls Dolls Dolls!”
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‎Carpenter entered the night with nine nominations, including Video of the Year for her desert-themed “Manchild” visual. Other nods highlighted her versatility, with recognition in categories such as Best Pop Artist, Best Pop, Best Album for Short n’ Sweet, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Editing, and Song of the Summer for “Manchild.”
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‎“Tears” features on Carpenter’s seventh studio album Man’s Best Friend, released at the end of August. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 just hours before the VMAs, solidifying its impact. Recorded across London, New York, and Los Angeles with collaborators Jack Antonoff, John Ryan, and Amy Allen, the 12-track project quickly broke the record for the most-streamed album by a female artist in a single day on Spotify this year.
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‎The lead single “Manchild” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Carpenter’s first chart-topper debut and her second overall U.S. No. 1 following “Please Please Please.” With both critical recognition and record-breaking success, Carpenter’s momentum carried seamlessly into her VMAs showcase.

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