Disney star Chandler Kinney and her professional dance partner, Brandon Armstrong, had quite the night on Dancing With the Stars yesterday (Nov. 12), earning not one, but two perfect scores during the show’s monumental 500th episode. How impressive is that?
For their first routine — where “each couple paid tribute to past memorable dances while adding their own unique reinterpretation and flair for season 33” — Chandler and Brandon performed an Argentine Tango to “Para Te” by Appart, inspired by Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough’s routine from season 16. Believe it or not, pro-turned-judge Derek said that the Dancing With the Stars duo put on an even better performance than he did back in the day, which naturally resulted in a perfect score for the pair.
To follow, the six remaining couples participated in an “Instant Dance Challenge,” a high-stakes round where where said couples “didn’t know the dance style or the song until approximately five minutes before performing it live.” Fortunately for Chandler and Brandon — who performed a Cha Cha to “Apple” by Charli XCX — their improvisation skills worked in their favor, resulting in another perfect score.
Receiving straight tens was quite the surprise for Brandon, as he claimed to have never heard the song “Apple” before the “Instant Dance Challenge.” Given its popularity this summer — with “Apple” being nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2025 GRAMMY Awards, as well as its accompanying album, Brat, being nominated for Album of the Year and Best Dance/Electronic Album — Brandon’s ignorance resulted in quite a few boos from those in the ballroom last night, but he is ready to clear the air once and for all.
After the episode came to a close, Chandler and Brandon discussed Charli XCX’s “Apple” in an interview with Good Morning America. Despite what he might have said during the show, the Dancing With the Stars pro is actually familiar with the GRAMMY-nominated pop princess, as well as the chart-topping tune…
After the interviewer accused Brandon of “living under a rock” for not knowing Charli XCX’s “Apple,” Chandler swooped in to his defense, telling Entertainment Tonight, “Let me save this man. Actually don’t speak… He actually does know the song, because we did this trend, and he knows the dance. He knows the viral TikTok dance, and I will be posting it tomorrow to save this man from the allegations that he’s uncultured.”
To follow, Brandon chimed into the conversation, arguing that because the trending song seemingly changes every 12 hours, he finds it very hard to keep up with what’s popular on the internet. “Very cute, very demure,” he said to conclude the interview, all in an attempt to prove that he is, in fact, up-to-date on at least some of today’s TikTok trends.
In an interview with TheThings earlier this season, Brandon admitted firsthand that he and Chandler are not nearly as invested in TikTok as some of their fellow competitors, spending their time together rehearsing their Dancing With the Stars routines instead of making some social media content for their followers.
“I don’t know how some of these other couples be cranking out about one TikTok per every square mile of Los Angeles. I have no idea how these folks be doing that, because 95 percent of the time when Chandler and I walk into that studio, we are dancing the dance that we’re about to do on Tuesday night,” the California native explained.
Brandon continued, “For us, that’s as far as we’re concerned… We walk in, we chit-chat for 20 minutes, we put our shoes on, and then we dance. Then, four hours later, it’s over and we’re exhausted. We get in the car and go home and go to sleep, and we criticize it and watch it and analyze it.”
It seems like this hard work has been paying off for the Dancing With the Stars duo, as Chandler and Brandon are the obvious frontrunners of the competition, as well as the favorites to take home the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. For those who are unfamiliar, their scores for the season are as follows:
DWTS Premiere — Tango to “Hot to Go!” by Chappell Roan (23/30)
“Oscars Night” — Rumba to “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie (24/30)
“Soul Train Night” — Cha Cha to “It’s Tricky” by Run-DMC (36/40)
“Hair Metal Night” — Jive to “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister (33/40)
“Dedications Night” — Contemporary to “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack (32/40)
“Disney Night” — Paso Doble to “We Own the Night” from Zombies 2 (27/30)
“Halloween Nightmares Night” — Viennese Waltz to “Secret” by Denmark + Winter (29/30)
DWTS 500th Episode — Argentine Tango to “Para Te” by Appart (30/30)
To see whether or not their victory actually comes to fruition, tune into brand-new episodes of Dancing With the Stars Tuesdays via ABC or Disney Plus for all things Chandler and Brandon. After all, the highly-anticipated semi-final is right around the corner, and we have a feeling that this pair will top the leaderboard once again!