The 2025 BRIT Awards turned up the heat on March 1st when Sabrina Carpenter‘s opening performance left more than just fans buzzing.
The 25-year-old pop star, who kicked off the night with a sultry medley of her hits “Espresso” and “Bed Chem,” delivered a performance that had moms rushing to cover their children’s eyes.
“It used to be a family event,” one mother tweeted after the performance, which saw both Carpenter and her backup dancers dressed up in lingerie while performing suggestive dance moves.
Fans, on the other hand, have grown to love the singer’s boundary-pushing shows and praised her act online.
“She’s so freaky and beautiful, I love it,” one wrote.
Sabrina Carpenter kicked off the 2025 BRIT Awards with a suggestive performance that caused outrage among parents
Carpenter’s set took place atop a heart-shaped bed, in which both she and her dancers performed a routine that revolved around them opening their legs and arching their backs.
The dance number capped-off with the introduction of dancers dressed up as Britain’s King’s Guard, who are renowned for their stoic and immovable demeanor.
The routine sees Carpenter trying to elicit a reaction from the guard, and seeing no other way to make him emote, she proceeds to get on her knees in suggestive fashion, causing the dancer to finally look at the camera and blink.
SABRINA ANNLYNN CARPENTER . pic.twitter.com/JnnUoIgCFy
— ju ౨ৎ (@decodejake) March 1, 2025
The risqué performance drew the ire of parents who questioned how such an act was allowed at a time when children could still be watching. “I had to explain to my 9-year-old why this is inappropriate,” one user wrote.
Carpenter’s act was criticized by parents who felt it shouldn’t have kicked off the show, arguing that children could still be watching
Carpenter took home the Global Success Award later in the evening, presented by actress Millie Bobby Brown; the 25-year-old pop star continued to captivate the audience with her charm and humor, making light of her performance and thanking fans for their continued support.
Sabrina Carpenter performing ‘Bed Chem’ at the 2025 #BRITs pic.twitter.com/EakXjyBpz8
— Pop Base (@PopBase) March 1, 2025
Song of the Year went towards Charli XCX for her song Guess. The singer also earned the Artist of the Year and Mastercard Album of the Year awards.
Despite Carpenter’s fans expressing their support both online and at the event, her detractors continued to express their distaste for the singer’s trademark seductive persona and apparel.
“What’s wrong with people nowadays!” one user wrote. “Why have they got to sing in their underwear?”
“Is her voice so bad that she has to strip down to barely anything to get attention?”
“Shocked at the time.” Netizens condemned the timeslot, deeming it inappropriate for family viewing hours
