How MTV’s VMAs kinda got its groove back
By Chris Nguyen
Features Editor
NEW YORK, NY- SEPTEMBER 13: Taylor Swift and Beyonce on stage during the MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on September 13, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Brad Barket/PictureGroup)
After several years of pain in Miami and Los Angeles with a listless ceremony in New York in between, last night’s VMAs on MTV rebooted itself back in New York City. MTV kept the stage big, the celebrities camptastic and the performances coming. It’s far from the glory of, say Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” performance, but it did keep my celebrity-hungry brain with a lot of nourishment to keep watching. Here’s a recap of the amazingly awesome, the bad and the excruciatingly painful (I’m looking at you, Kanye!):
The Good
Michael Jackson tribute
Madonna opened up the show with a simple and fitting remembrance of pop icon Michael Jackson. She recounted a date with Jackson and kept the focus on his impact as a human, not a pop star. It was nice and all, but for a man who made others speechless with his voice and moves, words were superfluous to the actual performance that cam after. Dancers reenacted some of Jackson’s best dances, from “Thriller” to “Smooth Criminal.” And then, Janet Jackson made her entrance, performing her only duet with Michael, “Scream.” Fierce and strong, all she had to do was hit those moves for us to know she will always remember him and his memory will live on forever.
Taylor Swift’s subway ride
Minutes after Kanye West’s slap in the face (see below), Taylor Swift took to the streets. Seriously, she began performing “You Belong to Me” in the New York subway station before jumping into the subway. She ran through to a crowd of people and cars, before jumping on top of a cab. It was a nice moment of defiance for Swift that playfully played to Swift’s fantasy world. In the end, she got the last laugh when she spoke near the end of the ceremony.
Lady Gaga’s “death”
Oh, Lady Gaga. How empty the pop world would be without you! Taking the stage from her “Paparazzi” video, she hit those notes with sass and owned that crutch. But, of course, that’s all in the video already. What she needed to make her mark was to first, pound the piano for a minute and then, have blood splashed all over here before she was taken into heaven. This, my friends, is a performance for the books.
P!nk gets real high
P!nk was brought into the air and did crazy acrobatics in one awkward costume. What it had to do with her song “Sober” I don’t know, but it was cool to look at. Isn’t that what really matters on MTV?
Jay-Z
Arriving with swagger as he does just minutes before his performance, Jay-Z ended the night with his pop masterpiece from his new album The Blueprint 3 “Empire State of Mind.” Alicia Keys hit all the right notes while Jay-Z proved he is in the king of the city. Finally back in New York, it was a fitting ending to a largely enjoyable awards show.
Beyonce
The baddest diva made “Single Ladies” sound as fresh and cool as it did nearly a year ago with a performance that brought in a lot of single ladies. Beyonce owned and copyrighted those now-infamous moves and kepy the audience engaged. It was plain talent, with not extras needed. What made her really stand out that night was her graciousness after winning Video of the Year. She said a few words before handing the mike back to Taylor Swift to let her finally say her acceptance speech. All the more for me to love Beyonce.
The Bad
Eminem’s Win
I’ve got nothing against Eminem, but for him to win Best Hip-Hop Video for “We Made You” is just in bad taste. The song was atrocious enough if not for the terrible, tired pop culture-laced video. It’s not 1999 anymore, Em.
Muse’s performance
Maybe I’m just a Muse hater, which I fully am, but the band’s performance felt flat, surprising given the theatrics Muse brought to their new song “The Resistance.”
Lil Mama’s invades the “Empire”
All was well for Jay-Z’s performance until the end when Lil Mama came out of nowhere to jump onto the stage. Jay-Z tried to play it off and act cool, but his look of annoyance was front and center. Maybe Lil Mama doesn’t know the rules of the game, so let me recount them for her. Number one: you do not join Jay-Z and Alicia Keys on stage unless you’re the awesome Beyonce. Number two: you don’t that especially if you’re name is Lil Mama.
The lack of bad
This year’s ceremony flew by pretty breezily in a scant two and a half hours, which is a great accomplishment. But the VMAs are notorious for the awkward, embarrassing and the just plain bad. Host Russell Brand had some naughty jokes, but nothing really that would incite a Parents Television Council protest. Only Kanye West was brave enough-or stupid enough, really- to bring it to the show. Now that the VMAs have some momentum going, here’s hoping for some scandal for next year’s.
The Ugly
Kanye West’s interruption
Kanye West is no stranger to speaking his mind. At times, it can even be endearing-although, it’s usually not. But to take the mike from newly minted “Best Female Video” winner Taylor Swift to announce that Beyonce had the better video. Now, that’s just wrong on so many ways. After West jumped off stage, Swift was left to stand there looking like Bambi witnessing her mother die. Whenever West’s name was ever announced later in the show, a parade of boos was soon followed. Also, rumor has it that he and his date were escorted out shortly after.
What did you think of the VMAs this year? Will you boycott Kanye’s music? How crazy do you think Lady Gaga is?
Correction: Muse played “Uprising” not “The Resistance.”
I never thought Kayne West was any good. I don’t know why he has such a God-complex. I say we boycott the man’s music and let him suffer!
Also, I am disappointed to hear that you are not a fan of Muse, even if their performance was off. It hurts me inside. Ouch.
I consider Taylor Swift to be the Twilight of music, so it does make me a little happy that someone gave her an ego-check. I just wish it hadn’t been someone who needed one themselves.
how does taylor have an ego whatsoever? she’s the most humble celebrity out there right now, ellen. i think you try to hate popular things sometimes: twilight and t-swift for example.
I was so utterly shocked when I saw what Kanye West did. I dont know if anyone knows much about Taylor Swift, but she’s basically the nicest, most down-to-earth 19 year old girl. I don’t care who you are, to treat someone with that degree of disrespect is just plain wrong. I definately won’t be able to look at Kanye in the same light anymore.
You are just a muse hater. The performance wasn’t the best, but at least they sang the whole thing (unlike Beyonce, though I know she did do some dancing, but she needs to man up). Plus weird venue (they’re a lot more used to playing in sell out stadiums of 100,000+), and the guitar wasn’t turned up enough in my opinion.
best part: Gerard Butler introducing muse, and gets the crowd to do a war chant from 300.
What?! Ashleigh, Kanye West is my favorite! Mostly BECAUSE he is such a jerk — which is obviously not logical, but… have you ever seen anybody more unapologetically vain? THIS MAN IS SPECIAL.
Plus, his music’s not bad.
My two favorite quotes, and I can’t decide which is better:
- “After West jumped off stage, Swift was left to stand there looking like Bambi witnessing her mother die.”
- “Number one: you do not join Jay-Z and Alicia Keys on stage unless you’re the awesome Beyonce. Number two: you don’t that especially if you’re name is Lil Mama.”
OH GOD. SO GOOD.
I guess I should take the subway late at night more often.
it was a paid/planned stunt
it got publicity and ratings for the next VMA’s will go up
I agree with Gavin. Apparently I should be roaming NY late at night more often.
Yo! MTV’s Wack!
Garbage music, garbage television.
It was the government who set it up, just like 9/11, the Pentagon, Cthulhu, religion, Hitler, and my blind date with Janet Jackson.
i’ve thought the same thing, zoda. then i watched it. i’m not sure now. the reaction, though, seems like kanye’s career maaaaay tank. i hope it does. doesn’t seem like something he’d do just to get the VMA ratings up.
kanye west thinks that if they made a more modern version of the Bible, Mr. Kanye West should have his own section. You know, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Kanye, Acts, etc. etc. plus he wears the worst style of sunglasses in the world.
not zoda, but an. sorry. got confused.
Here’s how this article should have gone:
The Good:
NOTHING
The Bad:
EVERYTHING
but kanye IS jesus.
I’m sexy.
omigosh…LOVE lady gaga!!!she is insanee!! oh, and chris my beyonce love has increased as well
I agree with most of this except for the Muse. I thought the performance was really good, and I mean, Matthew Bellamy ran out and played for the people outside for a second before running back in. His voice sounded great, Dominics drums sounded great, and Chris was doing a good job on the bass and all of that combined made for a killer performance.
And by the way, the song Muse played is called “Uprising”, not “The Resistance”. “The Resistance” is their new CD that comes out on the 15th. WHICH IS TOMORROW.
I definitely do not think this was a staged stunt. Maybe Kayne was planning on doing that, but I do not think that Beyonce or Taylor Swift would want that kind of bad publicity. Not to mention the fact that Taylor Swift undeniably looked like she was mortified and about to cry.
Kanye West has always been a jerk, so I don’t know why everyone is so surprised. I also heard from numerous sources that he was drinking beforehand. So that always helps. He still makes good music, otherwise, despite what a jerk he is.
Oh, and Lady Gaga’s outfits were amazing. It made my day.
Beyonce= fierce. Lady Gaga > other white women.
Does anyone know who is dressed up like the Reject Seasame Street character/eskimo behind Beyonce? It’s creeping me out.
That Ashleigh would be the awesome Lady Gaga. She had three different outfits throughout the night.
WHAT THE HECK?! I love her music, but that’s a bit too weird for me.
Ashleigh, I’m gonna let you finish and all but lemme just say that Lady Gaga has the best outfits ever!
That had to be the best cut-in comment. Of all time.
Did anybody catch Kanye West’s apology to Taylor Swift on the Jay Leno show tonight? I’m not completely sure if im buying it yet or not…
Kanye west sucks!!
if you aren’t even going to post your name while bashing an artist, you obviously are cowardly.
There’s no amount of apologizing Kanye could do here that would be effective. There’s nothing to excuse acting like he did. No matter if he had been drinking or not. No amount of good music (which I would content that Kanye hasn’t put out a decent record since College Dropout, especially the crap that he’s be cranking out recently) can pardon behavior like that. An angelic Freddie Mercury could have descended from heaven and interrupted Taylor Swift, and it still would have been a jerk move.
i wish this wasn’t such a big deal.. :/ there are so many other more important things to worry about.
yeah i dont understand why it is made such a big deal of.. having said that i did feel bad for taylkor swift
gaga’s simply amazing. why? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxhyoOX_um8
that whole video, especially 2:12. she’s frickin hilarious. and who cares if she’s a bothie? not her fault!
great recap, chris!
PS: lyrics to p!nk’s “sober:” “i’m safe up high, nothing can touch me.” i think the swing and whatnot alluded to that line.
I agree with alot but I felt that Muse playing their first ever broadcasted show in the United States was pretty amazing. They had a great energy and to me it was the highlight of the night
This.
team kanye.
anyone that says that kanye’s career is over after this is ignorant. he has done crazier things, like say he would be in the modern version of the Bible, but people have forgotten about that. people are acting like this is the worst thing one could possibly do, interrupt a little white girl’s speech. kanye is allowed to do that, if only for the fact that HE IS KANYE. he’s sold millions of albums. he is known for being cocky. people have been forgiven for far worse (i.e. Michael Vick)
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