Knight Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter’s alien dance made the VMAs freaky, in the best way

MTV hosted its 2024 Music Video Awards on Wednesday and the performances brought viewers some of the weirdest and most stunning sights in the show’s history. Chappell Roan went full Dungeons & Dragons to belt out her hit songs “Good Luck, Babe!,” taking a flaming stage in chainmail lined armor.

Then there was Sabrina Carpenter, who charmed audiences with a space-themed medley from her album Short ‘n’ Sweet that saw aliens humping each other.

Host Megan Thee Stallion brought out Yuki Chiba live on stage to perform “Mamushi.” All and all, it made for a memorable show that incorporated some incredible concepts from sci-fi and fantasy.

I would say there wasn’t a “best” moment of the night, because each performance really knocked it out of the park in their own way. Chappell Roan, whose work is inspired by the hair and makeup of drag queens, performed a summoned the energy of Joan of Arc. Dancing around a burning castle, looking like she sieged the VMAs — it was nothing short of jaw-dropping. One person posted a photo of Chappell during the performance with the added comment that she would be, “every gay dnd bitches new paladin face claim for the next 3-5 years” and another person did a full stat breakdown of what her class build would be in the popular tabletop game.

Sabrina Carpenter got a bit more ethereal — and freaky. The singer, who has typically drawn a lot of influence from classic American looks from stars like Marilyn Monroe, still dolled up in a glamorous sparkly bodice that had a more timeless look, but the concept of the performance was pure sci-fi. She performed alongside dancers in puffy space suits and at one point, she kissed an alien with a big bulbous head on stage. The Mass Effect memes, like the one below, were immediate.

Honestly, I think this one tweet captures the vibe best by comparing the two performances to, the “Mass effect-Baldurs gate gay girl spectrum.”

Megan Thee Stallion served as the host for the night, and had a bit where she recreated Britney Spears’ iconic 2001 look with a python. She performed as well and while her set didn’t have any anime references— sad! — she did surprise fans by bringing out Yuki Chiba live on stage. The two performed their hit song, “Mamushi,” in a giant number and they both did the viral TikTok dance on stage.

All and all, the performances were really out there and weren’t afraid to get weird with it. (Even Katy Perry pulled out all the stops with some acrobatic stunts even if her show wasn’t as nerdy as the others.) We got aliens, knights, and more — and I for one, am glad we got so many memorable moments.