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

However, the pop princess saw some clips on YouTube and couldn’t resist expressing her confusion about – and admiration for – Sabrina Carpenter on Instagram.

Carpenter paid tribute 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” during her performance of “Please, Please, Please,” “Taste” and “Espresso” — all while adopting the entire space theme from the 2000 video.

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

“Why is she kissing an alien on stage?” 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? That was really weird.”

Spears shared the stage with Madonna at the 2003 VMAs along with then-up-and-coming pop diva Christina Aguilera, with both sharing a kiss with the legend, making headlines and causing a stir.

Spears went on to describe how she took a bath to really reflect on Carpenter’s performance, then talked about her love of painting and tracing before returning to her original point that “the Sabrina girl said my name on the red carpet and I thought that was kind of cool.”

She continued, “Sometimes I forget I’m famous because I’m a mom and I’m pretty old… but that was kind of cool. That’s cool… she made me cool! Well, maybe not.”

Nothing says “I’m a mom and I’m pretty old” better than referring to a new music group you vaguely know as “the Sabrina girl.” But as for the Sabrina girl, at least Britney Spears thinks she’s cool and weird.

More tributes to the pop icon were scattered throughout the night, the 40th anniversary of the VMAs, a veritable Britney lovefest, kicking things off with Tate McRae walking the red carpet in a recreation of Spears’ unforgettable Dolce & Gabbana look from the 2001 VMAs.

At one point, host Megan Thee Stallion wore a replica of Spears’ iconic “I’m A Slave 4 U” costume at the 2001 VMAs, including (briefly) a large albino python. “I’m just playing, come and get the snake,” Megan pleaded. “I don’t know the snake, the snake doesn’t know me. I was trying to hold it for Britney.”

Addison Rae also mentioned Spears by name, saying, “My favorite VMA performances of all time are probably the ones where Britney Spears performed and performed.” Rae also praised Spears’ rendition of the Rolling Stones song “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” which she sang at the 2000 VMAs in a medley with “Oops!… I Did It Again.”