5 things you missed at the VMAs
NEW YORK — Is it just us, or were those the tamest VMAs ever?
At Sunday's meandering MTV Video Music Awards, there were no onstage feuds. No wardrobe malfunctions. No indecorous performances or lofty proclamations. Instead, what we got was a whole lot of Rihanna, a few MIA pop stars (Adele and Justin Bieber, what's good?), and the simple reassurance that in these dark times, we are all united in our undying love for Beyoncé.
But with the exceptions of the aforementioned Bey and RiRi, performances from Ariana Grande, Britney Spears, The Chainsmokers, and Future lacked the off-the-wall antics and spectacle that have long been trademarks of the VMAs. And with no one host to move the night along — the closest we got were Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele, playing irksome "social-media influencers" — the show lacked any discernible structure, unless you count the Rihanna medleys that bookended its nearly three-hour runtime.
All that said, there were still some moments that had us buzzing from inside Madison Square Garden and behind our laptop screens. Among them:
Beyoncé douses the VMAs in Lemonade
Somewhere between Bey smashing a camera with a baseball bat in Hold Up and draping herself in a fur coat for Don't Hurt Yourself, you probably hoped that the rest of the show would just be a live rendition of Lemonade in its entirety. While we weren't quite that lucky, the Queen still delivered an epic, instantly iconic performance that is the very epitome of why we tune into the VMAs year after year. Factor in her bold statement about Black Lives Matter on the red carpet, as well as her record-setting eight wins (including video of the year for Formation), and they might as well be renamed the BMAs.
Kanye West gives rambling, but mild, speech
With all of the advanced hype of 'Ye being given free reign to do whatever he wanted with his allotted time, we were admittedly disappointed that he used it to premiere a video for Fade, a bonus track off The Life of Pablo. After all, this is the guy who last year announced his plans to run for president on the VMAs stage and delivered one of the show's most memorable performances ever in 2010 with Runaway. And with Chance the Rapper, Rihanna and future album-mate Drake all in attendance, we were crossing our fingers for a Pablo team-up or new music debut. Regardless, he still managed to name-drop Taylor Swift, Amber Rose and Ray J during his four-minute "rant," which elicited mild gasps from those in attendance.
5 key points from Kanye West's VMAs speech; read transcript
Rihanna denies Drake's onstage smooch
And the winner for most cringe-worthy moment goes to ... Drake. After four career-spanning medleys which showcased her early hits (Don't Stop the Music), party anthems (Rude Boy), recent chart-toppers (Needed Me), and powerhouse vocals (Love on the Brain), RiRi was honored with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the end of the show. The Moonman was presented to her by frequent collaborator and rumored boyfriend Drake, who all but confirmed their romance by professing his love for the woman he's adored "since [he] was 22 years old." Sounds like the perfect, swoon-worthy opportunity to go in for a kiss, right?
Yeah, no.
G-Eazy also gets shut down by Britney Spears
Seriously, guys, don't try and make the moves on ladies who are clearly running the show, especially when you're both on live TV. Exhibit B: rapper G-Eazy awkwardly cozying up to Britney during their Make Me performance, only to get a very clear "nope" when he leaned in for a kiss.
Calvin Harris shows no love for "Nils Sjoberg"
With her lack of nods and recent overexposure, Taylor Swift wisely sat out this year's VMAs. But the 1989 singer's absence was widely pronounced when ex-boyfriend Calvin Harris accepted the award for best male video for This is What You Came For, thanking everyone but Swift, who co-wrote the hit single under the pseudonym Nils Sjoberg. Still, with her considerable cut of the profits, we highly doubt she shed many teardrops on her guitar.
