Selena Gomez Embraced the Cutout Trend at the VMAs—But Not in the Way You Think

We simply can’t calm down. Selena Gomez came to slay at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, walking the pink carpet in a red-hot beaded halter gown with a swishy fringed hem by Oscar de la Renta that has me feeling like the dancing-woman emoji.

The 31-year-old paired the look with strappy red sandals and diamond-encrusted silver flower earrings and a matching flower double ring and bracelet. She wore her hair center-parted and sleek and finished the look with a smoky eye.

Clearly, Gomez is embracing the cutout trend—but not in the way that you think. Rather than symmetrical cutouts like Bebe Rexha’s or abs-baring ones like Shakira’s, Gomez showed some skin under the floral appliqués on the bodice.

Gomez, currently enjoying an end-of-summer win streak with the third season of Only Murders in the Building wrapping up on Hulu and her song “Single Soon” in the Top 20 on the Billboard charts, is nominated for song of the year, best collaboration, and best Afrobeats for a remix of the song “Calm Down” by the artist Rema on which Gomez is featured.

On July 1, Gomez reflected on being part of the song on Instagram, writing, “This man has changed my life forever. Rema, thank you for choosing me to be apart of one of the biggest songs in the world. Love you forever. @heisrema.”

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Rema returned the sentiment in his own post, uploading a TikTok Gomez made of herself lip-synching to their song and writing, “Love you 🥰❤️ @selenagomez.”

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If Rema and Gomez win, it’ll be the first Moon Man for Rema and the first time Gomez has won at the event in a decade. Though she’s been nominated in the years since, her only MTV Video Music Award was for “Come & Get It,” which took home best pop video in 2013. And if that doesn’t change tonight, it might next year! Selena Gomez hinted that her third album is in the works when she released “Single Soon,” writing that she’s “not quite done” with “SG3.”