9 of the Most Controversial Pop Performances of All Time

When viewers complain about a musical performance, it's often a clear indication that the pop stars are pushing some boundary and, maybe, doing their job right. Pop has made a cultural comeback lately, thanks to an all-star class of singers, including Sabrina Carpenter who gave a controversial opening performance at the 2025 Brit Awards. She performed a medley of her hit songs "Espresso" and "Bed Chem," and didn't shy away from a very sultry production.

During "Espresso", she paid tribute to the UK by wearing Royal Guard regalia as she sang her way up to the main stage, disappearing backstage to transition into her playfully naughty single, "Bed Chem." She emerged on a bed wearing a sensual red lingerie set. Her backup dancers joined her on stage for a steamy routine. The response? Her raunchy number caused over 800 complaints called in at Ofcom, a British government office that regulates broadcasting, telecommunications, and postal services in the UK, to voice their concerns about the shocking content they had witnessed at the Brit Awards.

While some were shocked at her performance, others celebrated the return of boundary-pushing pop performances. For the average pop culture enthusiast, the moment may have felt nostalgic to other controversial pop performances over the years from artists like Madonna, Britney Spears, Prince, and Lady Gaga, who have delivered legendary, culture-defining productions. All art is about expression and refusal to conform to the suppressive ideologies, and as commercial as pop may be, its artists can still embody this philosophy. 

Keep scrolling to see nine of the most controversial pop performances of all time. These boundary-pushing artists helped shift music and the culture with their showcases.

Madonna: 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour

Pop music wouldn't be what it is now without the Queen of Pop, Madonna, who is renowned for her deliciously mischievous songs and performances. Her live performance of "Like A Virgin" during her Canadian stop on the Blond Ambition Tour in 1990 sums up who she is as an artist. The performance garnered global attention because of her masturbation simulation, and Canadian police threatened to arrest the pop star. The Queen of Pop remained unbothered, and the show went on without any changes to the production. 

Prince: "Gett Off" at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards 

The legendary Prince caused a bit of chaos at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards while he performed his hit song, "Gett Off." The performance, as the title of the song suggests, was an orgiastic production with semi-naked dancers engaging in an orgy session. The nearly seven-minute-long performance featured pyrotechnics as Prince dominated the stage while wearing a butt-baring yellow suit. The musician left nothing to the imagination during that performance and demonstrated his sensual ways.

Madonna, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilar: the Kiss at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards

Madonna, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera performing together on one stage—what a time to be alive. The trio came together for a scandalous medley performance of Madonna's greatest hits at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. The production paid homage to Madonna's 1984 VMA performance, with Madonna dressed as a groom and Spears and Aguilera wearing bridal attire. The controversial part? When Madonna mouth-on-mouth kissed both Spears and Aguilera, at which point MTV decided to be messy and panned the camera to Justin Timberlake, Spears' ex. The kiss remained a topic of interest weeks after the performance aired and remains one of the most controversial performances in VMA history. 

Britney Spears: "Gimme More" at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards

From child star to the Princess of Pop, Britney Spears is a pioneer in the music industry and is no stranger to provocative performances. However, there's one performance that gained attention for its lacking production. Her "Gimme More" performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards amassed national criticism for her less than enthusiastic attitude. During this time, lip-syncing accusations followed Spears, and her VMA performance had people questioning whether she had reached her limit.

Lady Gaga: "Paparazzi" at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards

Lady Gaga's performances are known for their boundary-pushing theatrics, and their avant-garde nature never fails to shock audiences. However, it was her 2009 MTV Video Music Awards performance that caused upheaval among viewers. Singing her hit "Paparazzi," she took a macabre approach to her stage production with blood beginning to pour over her white ensemble and ending with her suspended in the air, simulating her own death as her dancers take on the role of the paparazzi and take pictures of her demise. At one point during the performance, the audience audibly gasps when the blood begins to pour. The singer received several negative reviews from critics who all agreed with the sentiment that she had taken it too far.

Adam Lambert: "For Your Entertainment" at the 2009 American Music Awards

Adam Lambert went all out for his debut American Music Awards performance in 2009 and made quite the impression. The former American Idol contestant performed his 2009 single "For Your Entertainment," which many critics believed to be too frisky for an award show. The performance's production featured Lambert pulling a back-up dancer wearing a leash across the stage, bringing another dancer's face near his groin, and kissing his male keyboard player. Despite it being tame compared to other pop performances by women with men, the sexual innuendos between men appeared to be too much to handle. Like Carpenter, Lambert had members of the Parents Television Council calling ABC to complain about his freedom of expression. 

Nicki Minaj: "Roman Holiday" at the 2012 Grammy Awards

Is a performance truly controversial if it doesn't anger a Catholic congregation? Nicki Minaj's performance at the 2012 Grammy Awards did just that, as the Queen of the Barbz underwent a fake exorcism during her song "Roman Holiday." During the performance, Minaj recreated the confessional process and, at one point, was hoisted into the air with cables. This outraged a religious organization called the American Catholic League, which called it sacrilegious and criticized the Recording Academy for approving this performance.

Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke: "We Can't Stop" and "Blurred Lines" at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards

When Miley Cyrus' career was transitioning from a Disney child star to a fully-fledged pop star, she was doing everything she could to distance herself from her career-defining role as Hannah Montana. To achieve this, she leaned a lot on an image change that involved a lot of... twerking. This was on full display in her 2013 performance with Robin Thicke at the MTV Video Music Awards, where they did "We Can't Stop" and "Blurred Lines." There were teddy bears and many sexual innuendos involving foam fingers that made this performance controversial. She succeeded in generating upset and buzz, including from the Parents Television Council that voiced concern over the ceremony's inability to keep the performances clean.

Sam Smith and Kim Petras: "Unholy" at the 2023 Grammy Awards

Everything about Sam Smith and Kim Petras' 2023 Grammy Awards performance was "Unholy," which is why it is so iconic. The duo sang their 2022 hit song in a devil-themed stage production that featured a red leather-clad Smith wearing devil horns while Petras was in a cage with the drag stars Gottmik and Violet Chachki. The performance ruffled some right-wing feathers and got criticism from conservatives, but pop culture enthusiasts recognize the symbolism: Smith and Petras were calling attention to those who religion outcasts and deems unholy. The pair won the award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and Petras became the first transgender person to win in this category.