Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” VMAs Performance Twist Had Selena Gomez Shocked

Olivia Rodrigo‘s electric MTV VMAs performance turned heads on Sept. 12. The “Guts” singer hit the stage at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, starting out with her “Vampire” single before her set design fell apart mid-song in a twist that may have caught some viewers off guard, including the stars in attendance – like Selena Gomez, who looked around in confusion as Rodrigo was ushered off stage. But was Rodrigo’s VMAs stage malfunction planned?

The answer is yes. Anyone who’s a Rodrigo fan immediately realized the performance twist was a re-creation of the onstage disaster in “Vampire”‘s music video. Rodrigo quickly appeared again in another part of the venue, where she finished out her performance with “Get Him Back!” (which also earned its music video earlier in the day) off her newly released sophomore album.

After much anticipation this year, Rodrigo finally dropped her “Guts” album on Sept. 8 after releasing singles like “Bad Idea Right?” earlier this summer. It arrived two years after she made her VMAs debut in 2021, where she performed her “Good 4 U” single off her debut album, “Sour,” and took home three wins for best new artist, push performance, and song of the year. This year, the 20-year-old singer was up for five awards, including video of the year, best cinematography, and best editing.

Lil Wayne opened up the award show this evening, followed by performances from Demi Lovato and Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. Others hitting the VMAs stage this year include Doja Cat, Karol G, Anitta, and Video Vanguard honoree Shakira.

Check out video and photos of Rodrigo’s 2023 VMAs performance ahead.

Related: Olivia Rodrigo Shuts Down Taylor Swift Feud Rumors: “I Don’t Have Beef With Anyone”