Back in 2001, Britney Spears was making headlines during the MTV Video Music Awards. Even though she is finally free of her 13-year controversial conservatorship, the “Toxic” singer still has not returned to the VMA stage. Some were hopeful that she would make an appearance at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, but sadly, Britney decided not to attend. Although she seems to have taken a step back from music, some fans still insist that there will never be another moment more iconic than her “I’m A Slave 4 U” performance, featuring a giant yellow snake named Banana.

In early September, a fan shared a look at a much younger Britney Spears, when she appeared at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards wearing a black bikini underneath a sheer black dress decorated with a floral print. The fan shared a view of both sides of her outfit, showing off Britney’s golden blonde hair and lean legs.

“Britney looked fabulous and still looks great,” one fan commented. “She’s an absolutely beautiful girl with a perfect body,” another follower gushed. A third speechless follower just dropped three sweating emojis into the comments in order to show their appreciation for Britney’s red carpet look.

Over on YouTube, fans still can’t get enough of her iconic performance of “I’m A Slave 4 U,” featuring a giant snake named Banana. Although the animal rights group PETA strongly objected to the use of the albino snake, it still remains a fixture in pop culture history.

The fan uploaded video got over two thousand likes and hundreds of comments that continued to praise the pop star and her legendary performance. “THIS was the most iconic VMA performance. You cannot say otherwise,” one fan commented. Close to two hundred fans liked the comment to show their agreement.

Another fan pointed out that, although so many things could have gone wrong, Britney did everything right. “From the tiger in the beginning to hitting her mark at the top of the stairs exactly at the end of the song, there are so many things that could’ve gone wrong, and yet this was 100 percent pure perfection,” another follower gushed.

“She was absolutely at the top of her game here. This performance is flawless,” a third fan agreed. “This is such an iconic performance that 24 years later, I have to find/make a school-friendly version of this outfit for my 13-year-old’s Halloween costume,” another follower shared, proving that the performance truly left a mark on pop culture history.

In 2025, Sabrina Carpenter performed at the VMAs in order to promote her new album, Man’s Best Friend. However, many fans couldn’t help but compare the performances of the two singers, right down to their outfits.

Although one fan declared, “they’re both geniuses,” another follower declared, “I prefer the original.” Another Britney fan doubled down, adding, “She’ll never be Britney.” It’s hard to disagree, as there will ever only be one Britney Spears!

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