It’s easy to be cynical about an event as silly as the MTV VMAs, an award show that typically celebrates tame Top 40 music, and puts more stock in shocking moments than rewarding genuine art.
But, all things considered, the Music Video Awards have always held a special place in my heart, with so many legendary pop culture moments unfolding onstage many of which have remained a part of the cultural conversation around music. Sure, this might not be high art, but it is probably the only award show where Lady Gaga will walk out in a meat dress, Britney Spears will kiss Madonna, and Beyoncé will end a stunning performance by announcing that she’s pregnant. It might be a trashy night, or it might be a genuinely entertaining three hours of television. Regardless, it’s bound to be interesting.
This year, the awards show was somewhere in between – there were certainly fun moments, but the show did seem to drag, especially in the third act.
But, to be totally honest, it’s just not fun to read diatribes about how the music industry has gone downhill, or how today’s most popular artists have no talent. These are clichés that are passed down from generation to generation, and while I will totally admit that a few of the artists mentioned tonight flew right over my head (who is Lil Xan?!?), I don’t think the world needs another cynical take on what is ultimately a harmless concert for millennials and Gen-Z. For as long as I can enjoy the VMAs without feeling too old, I plan on providing genuine critiques of the performances, and some honest impressions of the awards themselves… which, admittedly, feel like an afterthought at this show.
So, without further adieu, let’s talk about this year’s performers…
Shawn Mendes, “In My Blood”
With every live performance, it becomes more and more clear to me that Shawn Mendes is the heir apparent to John Mayer, in that he is incredibly talented but saddled with boring music. His opening performance was undeniably solid, even if it felt like a decidedly somber way to open the festivities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q9t9Yo1fmI
Bazzi, “Beautiful”
I had never heard of Bazzi before tonight, and while I didn’t hate this very short performance, I don’t think I’ll be searching for him on Spotify any time soon. The song felt whiny and generic.
Logic with Ryan Tedder, “One Day”
As we’ve seen with his previous VMA performance, Logic is not a subtle in his politics, but that’s certainly not a bad thing – especially when the song he’s performing is pretty damn catchy. Logic’s energy was infectious, while Ryan Tedder’s passionate vocals helped bring the whole song to another level. While the performance hit its emotional climax too early, this was the first highlight of the night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6IRYQoX7mo
Panic! At the Disco, “High Hopes”
Brendan Urie is an incredibly charismatic performer (who somehow hasn’t aged since I first got into his band in the sixth grade), so it’s no surprise that Panic! delivered a solid performance. “High Hopes” is not the most memorable song from their latest album, but there was still a lot to enjoy here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52Oj1fUCdko
Jessie Reyez, “Apple Juice”
Despite having a truly terrible title, this was a genuinely impressive performance! MTV does not give these new artists enough time to truly shine, but I’ll certainly be looking up Jessie Reyes in the days to come.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxzJfYpPByc
Nicki Minaj, “Majesty/ Barbie Dreams/ Fefe”
Nicki performed from The Oculus, and delivered what was by far the flashiest performance of the night – and one of the best. Minaj is just an incredibly exciting performer, who brings so much energy and charisma to her raps. It also helps that she performed a mash-up of the best songs from her latest album, Queen. That being said, putting this lavish performance right in the middle of the show was an unusual choice, which totally through off the pacing for the show as a whole.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGeb384QCJI
Hayley Kiyoko, “Curious”
Kiyoko is one of my favorite musicians to emerge on the pop scene in recent memory. As one of the few out pop stars working today, it is very exciting to think that today’s LGBTQ+ teens will grow up with catchy music that represents their lives and relationships. While her vocals were not as strong as they sound on her album, the short performance was full of life and energy, and gave audiences a sample of “Curious,” which is easily the best track from her album.
Jennifer Lopez, who performed a career-spanning medley
Lopez took home the prestigious Video Vanguard award, which celebrated her 20+ year long career. While, more recently, she’s known as a TV host and B-list procedural star, this performance was a welcome reminder of how talented a performer Lopez is – and how many catchy songs she had, especially in the late 90s/early 00s. While I always preferred her film career (Out of Sight is a classic, and The Cell is an underrated gem), this lifetime achievement award certainly seemed well deserved.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tPIq1SB4Dk
Arianna Grande, “God is a Woman”
This was certainly the night’s most visually stunning performance, with some gorgeous staging and choreography. While I’m not a huge fan of the song as a whole, this was certainly one of the better performances of the evening, and Grande’s vocals were exceptional.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivwciGSLC-M
PrettyMuch, “Summer On You”
I don’t think I’m their target audience for this boy band, and their choreography was over-the-top in the worst way, but the song was pleasant enough.
Travis Scott with James Blake, “Stop Trying to Be God”
With disorienting lighting and strange visuals, this was one of the night’s most creative performances. While I personally didn’t care much for the song, it was certainly captivating.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0SiSR-vSoY
Juice World, “Lucid Dreams”
It’s tough to judge a new artist based on maybe 60 seconds of performance time, but this was definitely one of the night’s weakest moments. Juice World’s vocals felt off, and the song fell flat. Maybe there was a reason that MTV randomly cut from the performance feed to show Jennifer Lopez wordlessly taking photos with her just-earned award: there was nothing to see there.
Maluma, “Mala Mia”
This was a somewhat silly performance, with overzealous backup dancers fighting for a chance to kiss this Latin American artist that MTV chose to spotlight. While the song itself was catchy, the whole thing felt a little tone-deaf and over-produced.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzxjDokvcr0
Lauv, “I Like Me Better”
I like this song! It’s the sort of bland-but-catchy, inoffensive pop music that gets stuck in your heard long after the song ends. While the performance was nothing to write home about, I enjoyed it.
Post Malone with 21 Savage and Aerosmith, “rockstar/Dream On”
I’ll go on the record and say that I think Post Malone is one of the worst major performers working today, so take this opinion with a grain of salt. This was a pretty weak performance all around– Post Malone’s song calls to mind the cheesy mid-2000s pop song “Let It Rock,” while Aerosmith’s presence felt like a random addition meant to win over non-fans. Combining dad rock with subpar rap just doesn’t work, making this a disappointing, tonally confusing way to end the show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0oQCmnvvl0
Other stray thoughts:
- Award show banter is always terrible, but it’s particularly cringe inducing at the VMAs. With the exception of Tiffany Haddish’s jokes early in the ceremony, which felt natural and off-the-cuff, most of the jokes were dead on arrival.
- Watching the Backstreet Boys embrace their status as embarrassing dads is nowhere near as funny as they seem to think it is.
- Both the Backstreet Boys and Liam Payne of One Direction struggled with opening the envelopes… is it a boy band thing? Or should MTV invest in better materials to house their winners?
- No shade intended towards Shawn Mendes, but why was he chosen to present the Video Vanguard award to Jennifer Lopez? Was literally no one else free? And also, couldn’t they have waited for the crowd to quiet down? It felt so disrespectful to have Jennifer Lopez walk out to a chattering audience.
- It was very cool of Childish Gambino to send the choreographer of his “This Is America” video onstage to accept their award of Best Video with a Message – her speech felt genuine, and it was great to see her get time in the spotlight for some exemplary work.
- Madonna’s alleged tribute to Aretha Franklin was tone deaf, awkward, and genuinely painful to watch. I’m not sure if MTV knew what Madonna was going to say when she went onstage, but this speech was a truly sour note that ruined the rest of the evening. The Queen of Soul deserved better, and Madonna should apologize for making this tribute about herself.
- And, not that the awards really matter at this show, but I was rooting for Cardi B (“Invasion of Privacy” is one hell of an album) and Bruno Mars (his videos are consistently great). Additionally, while I don’t always love his music, “Nice for What” is a phenomenal video, so I wouldn’t have been too upset about a Drake win.
