Sabrina Carpenter performed her brand new song “Tears” for the first time at the VMAs with Queens from the cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race on Sunday, September 7.
Eye-catching lights, an efficient fog machine, colorful backup dancers, and artificial rain enhance her performance. She even has a quick change moment, where she took off her silver mini dress to reveal a glittery top and tights. By the end of her performance, she’s down to a bra and leggings, and her signature curly blowout is completely drenched in rain.
As for the backup dancers, we see old cast members from Rupaul’s Drag Race. During her performance, they all hold up signs advocating for trans rights. Some of the signs read messages such as “In Trans we Trust” and “Protect Trans Rights.”
Sabrina Carpenter won three awards at the VMAs: Best Pop Artist, Best Album, and Best Visual Effects.
Carpenter rose to the stage by climbing out of a manhole cover with “Sabrina” plastered over the top. She’s immediately surrounded by a colorful group of Drag Queens as she starts singing her new song, “Tears.” This is one of her more explicit songs from her new album, Man’s Best Friend, which came out at the end of last month.
When Carpenter initially teased the album cover, she received backlash for the message she was supposedly promoting. The album cover features Sabrina on her hands and knees in a mini dress, wearing a collar, and being pulled by the hair by a faceless man. Her audience accused her of misogyny and pandering to the male gaze. But she has since explained that the album’s message is purely satirical, denying allegations that her messaging is regressive and harmful. She and her team say that the album is empowering, not degrading.
Despite the controversy, Carpenter’s album has already racked up more than 500 million streams on Spotify, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200.
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