Tate McRae put the pedal to the metal with a full throttle performance of her hit “Sports Car” at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs).
On Sunday (Sept. 7), live from UBS Arena in New York, the 22-year-old pop princess delivered a memorable two-song performance, showcasing her latest album, So Close To What, after a sweet introduction from comedian and actress Nikki Glaser. This performance marked McRae’s main stage debut at the VMAs.
Wearing a striking white bikini adorned with silver fringe, Tate McRae kicked off her jaw-dropping VMAs performance with a snippet of “Revolving Door,” surrounded by eight male dancers posed as stone-like statues.
The stage was drenched in red light as McRae transitioned into “Sports Car.” Those same eight male dancers later joined her on stage for a powerful rendition of “Sports Car” in black sand. As the performance reached its climax, the camera panned to McRae alongside a crew of female dancers in a flawlessly executed routine, rolling in the sand as bursts of pyro lit up behind them, further cementing her status as a pop icon in the making.
“Sports Car,” co-written by Tate McRae alongside Ryan Tedder, Julia Michaels and Grant Boutin, is the third single from her third studio album, So Close To What. Released on February 21, the 15-track album includes the lead single “It’s OK I’m OK” as well as “2 Hands,” “Revolving Door,” “Miss Possessive,” “I Know Love” featuring ex-boyfriend The Kid LAROI, “Like I Do” and more. So Close To What follows her 2023 project, Think Later, which propelled McRae to superstardom and spawned hits such as “Greedy,” “Run For The Hills” and “Exes.”
“This was such a fun song to write. I wrote it with Julia Michaels, Ryan Tedder, and Grant Boutin, and we wanted to kind of capture the adrenaline of love, sex, and the excitement of it all,” McRae shared of the track in an interview with Vogue. “I felt like a sports car reminded me of that feeling of love, and like you are right in the middle of it. We referenced the Ying Yang twins with the whisper chorus, and it ended up being really fun.”
The star-studded show also featured performances by Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, Alex Warren, Jelly Roll, Sombr, J Balvin, DJ Snake, Post Malone, Doja Cat, Conan Gray, Bailey Zimmerman, The Kid LAROI, Megan Moroney, Lola Young and more.
Additionally, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, YUNGBLUD, and Nuno Bettencourt honored the late Ozzy Osbourne with a once-in-a-lifetime tribute performance, which celebrated the legendary “Prince of Darkness” with a medley of his greatest hits.
Ashlee Simpson Ross, Brittany Snow, Ciara, Drew Barrymore, KPOP Demon Hunter’s EJAE, REI AMI + Audrey Nuna (Huntr/x), Ice Spice, Jessica Simpson, Latto, Livvy Dunne, Malin Åkerman, Megan Stalter, Nikki Glaser, Paris Hilton, Alix Earle, Lenny Kravitz, Luke Grimes and ROSÉ appeared to present during the broadcast.
Mariah Carey, the best-selling female artist of all time, was celebrated with the evening’s top honor, the Video Vanguard Award. Global superstar Ricky Martin accepted the Latin Icon Award, while hip-hop pioneer Busta Rhymes received the inaugural MTV VMA Rock The Bells Visionary Award.
Hosted by LL Cool J, the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) aired on Sunday, September 7 via CBS and MTV as well as streaming live on Paramount+ at 8/7c.
To re-live the 2025 VMAs, visit their official website.
