Megan Thee Stallion Pays Tribute to Iconic Britney Spears Performance at MTV VMAs

The 2024 MTV Video Music Awards witnessed a nostalgic moment as host Megan Thee Stallion channeled Britney Spears ' memorable 2001 VMAs performance . The rapper's homage to Spears' "I'm a Slave 4 U" act was a hit with viewers and the audience, despite Spears' absence from the event.

Megan's tribute meticulously recreated Spears' iconic ensemble, featuring an embellished green cutout bra, bedazzled shorts with fabric embellishments, and butterfly body stickers. The pi?ce de r?sistance was a giant yellow python draped across her shoulders, mirroring Spears' unforgettable prop.

However, Megan's comfort level with the reptilian accessory appeared to differ from Spears'. During the segment, she exclaimed, "OK, OK! Stop the music, stop the music," visibly uneasy. She continued, "I'm just playing. Come get this snake. I don't know this snake, this snake don't know me." As the snake was removed, Megan let out a relieved, "Oh my god," before introducing presenter Paris Hilton.

The moment of anxiety echoed Spears' own recollection of her 2001 performance. In her 2023 memoir "The Woman in Me," Spears revealed, via E! Online , "All I knew was to look down, because I felt if I looked up and caught its eye, it would kill me." She added, "In my head I was saying, 'Just perform, just use your legs and perform.' But what nobody knows is that as I was singing, the snake brought its head right around to my face, right up to me, and started hissing at me." Spears concluded, "Finally, I got to the part where I handed it back, thank God."

Prior to her Spears tribute, Megan graced the red carpet in a stunning black gown by Nicole + Felicia, featuring a black mesh bodycon skirt with a dramatic trumpet flare detail. In addition to hosting, the rapper was nominated in seven categories, including Best Collaboration, Best Hip Hop, and Song of Summer.

Megan expressed her excitement before the event, telling People , "I'm excited to change clothes 500 times. I'm excited to perform. I'm excited to see all the Hotties. I love New York, I can't wait to be there again and eat all the food, and I'm excited for people to see what I bring to the table while hosting." She added, "This is going to be so iconic, and it's going to be great. I can't wait for everybody to see it."

While this marked Megan's VMAs hosting debut, it wasn't her first time in this role. She previously hosted Saturday Night Live in 2022 and co-hosted an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon .