Sabrina Timmerman the settings MTV VMAs 2024 was ablaze on Tuesday night, performing a powerful medley of her hits “Please Please Please,” “Taste” and “Espresso” — but fans were not impressed.

After floating in on a sparkling swing, Sabrina Carpenter hit the VMAs runway and seamlessly segued into her latest hit, “Taste.” But things got spicy when she recreated the infamous kissing scene from the song’s music video.

This time, however, instead of Jenna Ortega and Rohan Campbell, Sabrina Carpenter kissed an alien, something many found “inappropriate” and “tasteless”.

Sabrina Carpenter Kisses an Alien During Her VMA Performance

Introducing the former Disney Channel star, iconic Cyndi Lauper called Sabrina an “amazing songwriter” before delivering a line worth putting into the mic, urging the audience to “get ready to hear the whole room go ‘motherf-cker!'”

And she wasn’t kidding: Sabrina opened her VMA debut with a sparkling silver swing, flying over the crowd with a performance that radiated pure pop magic, although viewers at home thought otherwise.

“Inappropriate, cringy and they really want to keep anything sexual under wraps plus kids are watching,” one social media user commented on a video of Sabrina’s performance, specifically when she locked lips with the alien. “Long gone when the VMAs were all about appreciating great music.”

“Straight away no. So incredibly inappropriate,” said another.

“Artists who get less and less attention,” wrote a third.

Fans criticize Sabrina Carpenter for her VMAs performance

The comments continued to roll in, with one Instagram user saying: “Absolutely disgraceful. Performing fake oral sex on stage is NOT something to show off. Two women kissing is not something to applaud. This is not art, it’s p-rn. She and everyone else associated with the show should be ashamed of themselves.”

Another called her performance “tasteless,” and another described it as “highly inappropriate.”

“Disturbing on all levels!! What happened to a simple, fun, normal live performance??” said one social media user. “No wonder our youth are struggling with so many issues. Just look at the content that is consistently being shoved down their throats.”

Sabrina Carpenter criticized for ‘inappropriate’ performance emphasizing ‘oral sex’

Many others criticized the former Disney Channel star for her kiss with the alien.

“No! So many little girls are in love with this stupid song and it’s not okay to show them that inappropriate, sexual content is not okay,” said one user. “Parents have the power to allow it or not; for me it’s no.”

“I hate this world right now,” wrote another.

“She really tried hard to get on people’s nerves. But from a performance standpoint… there was zero stage presence,” said a third. “At least Miley (Cyrus) brings energy when she’s doing cringy stuff!”

Another said the performance “feels a bit desperate,” while another called it “So inappropriate. Everything is demonic and oversexualized, it’s horrible. This world is literally going to hell.”

“So this is her vision? The point is lost,” asked another. “The artistry is lost. Everyone has lost their minds.”

Sabrina Carpenter had a Marilyn Monroe moment

With the help of her stylist Jared Ellner, Sabrina teamed up with celebrity-loved vintage store Tab Vintage for a show-stopping look that had fans talking.

“Her stylist Jared Ellner and his team came up with a really incredible mood board,” Tab’s owner Alexis Novak told Vogue. “We sent them a deck of pieces that we had along those lines and we’re so happy with what she decided on!”

With its intricate beadwork and timeless elegance, the vintage Bob Mackie piece turned heads. “It was originally designed for Madonna to wear during her Academy Awards performance. It was inspired by Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and made headlines when she wore it,” Novak said.

Sabrina Carpenter Wins Big at the VMAs

In addition to her controversial performance at the VMAs, Sabrina Carpenter also won the Song of the Year award for “Espresso.”

The pop sensation took a moment during her acceptance speech to thank her fans, calling them the “best fans in the world” and also giving sincere shoutouts to her managers, her family, her furry friends and of course, her collaborators on her hit song “Espresso.”