Britney Spears confused by Sabrina Carpenter's VMA performance: 'Love her to death... why didn't she kiss a girl?'

Britney Spears didn't watch the 2024 MTV VMAs — but if the VMAs peaked with you and a snake 20 years ago, would you?

But the pop princess did catch some clips on the YouTube, and she couldn't help but take to Instagram to voice her confusion about — and admiration for — Sabrina Carpenter.

Carpenter paid homage to Spears throughout the night, giving the "Toxic" singer a shout-out on the red carpet, and playing a snippet of "Oops!... I Did It Again" — along with adopting the whole outer space theme from the 2000 video — during her performance of "Please, Please, Please," "Taste," and "Espresso."

Carpenter also kissed an alien in the middle of her set, perhaps another homage to Spears and her infamous kiss with Madonna — but Spears didn't quite get it.

"Why is she kissing an alien onstage?" Spears asked in an Instagram video. "I adore her, I love her to death. I didn't understand that part. Um, why didn't she kiss a girl? Like, that was weird."

Spears, along with fellow then-burgeoning pop diva Christina Aguilera, shared a stage with Madonna at the 2003 VMAs, each locking lips with the legend and causing headlines and heads to spin.

Spears went on to describe how she took a bath to really reflect on Carpenter's performance, then went on a tangent about how she loves to color and trace now, before winding back to her original point about how "the Sabrina girl said my name on the red carpet and I thought that was kinda cool."

She continued, "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 made me cool! Well, maybe not."

Nothing quite says "I'm a mom and kind of old" like referring to a new musical act you're vaguely aware of as "the Sabrina girl." But for the Sabrina girl, at least Britney Spears thinks you're cool and weird.

Other homages to the pop icon were scattered throughout the night, the VMAs' 40th anniversary, in a veritable Britney lovefest, starting with Tate McRae, who walked the red carpet in a recreation of Spears' memorable Dolce & Gabbana look from the 2001 VMAs.

At one point, host Megan Thee Stallion wore a replica of Spears' iconic 2001 VMAs "I'm A Slave 4 U" performance costume, including (briefly) a large albino python. "I'm just playin', come get the snake," Megan pleaded. "I don't know the snake, the snake don't know me. I tried to hold it down for Britney."

Addison Rae also name-checked Spears, saying, "My favorite VMAs looks of all time are probably every time Britney Spears came on and performed." Rae also shouted out Spears' rendition of the Rolling Stones song "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," which she performed in a medley with "Oops!... I Did It Again" at the 2000 VMAs.