On Wednesday night, the VMAs, one of music’s biggest nights since 1984, was hosted by rapper Megan thee Stallion. The night was filled with performances galore by huge artists and breakout artists alike that have taken over the charts this past year.
Eminem opened the VMAs with a performance of “Houdini” and “Somebody Save Me” from his album The Death of Slim Shady that released in July. He was surrounded by many Slim Shady lookalikes. However, unlike his 2000 VMA performance of “The Real Slim Shady,” these Slim Shadys paired blond hair with a black beard as he rapped “Houdini.” He had a recording of Jelly Roll playing to accompany his emotional performance of “Somebody Save Me.” Eminem went on to win Best Hip Hop for “Houdini” and Best Visual Effects for the music video of the song.
Megan thee Stallion came out wearing a bodysuit similar to the style of USA Olympic gymnast Simone Biles’s leotard before announcing US Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles’ appearance on the show. The rapper wasn’t only there to host, though. Later that night, she went on to dance and rap her songs on stage. She even brought out Japanese rapper Yuki Chiba to perform their hit “Mamushi” which won them Best Trending Video.
Latin artists showed out at the VMAs. Karol G, who wrapped up her Manana Sera Bonita world tour this past summer, performed “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” with flags from various Latin countries behind her and the Colombian flag attached to her pants. She moved throughout the venue as she danced to the stage with a beach and bar set. Eventually, Karol G went into the audience to dance with pop stars Taylor Swift and Camila Cabello.
Brazilian artist Anitta performed three songs with DJ Khaled, Fat Joe, and Tiago PZK while wearing a white mesh top and silver joggers. She went on to win Best Latin for the third year in a row for “Mil Veces” despite being up against artists like Myke Towers, Bad Bunny, and Shakira. Rauw Alejandro also graced the VMA stage with an energetic performance featuring conga drummers and dancers with flowy white dresses. The stage was designed to look like New York City as he sang “Dejame Entrar.”
LISA from Blackpink performed solo on the VMAs for the first time. With backup dancers wearing black bodysuits, LISA stood out in red, leather attire. The rapper performed “Rockstar” which won Best K-Pop and “New Woman.” Korean group SEVENTEEN were also successful as they won Best Group.
Sabrina Carpenter, who performed at the pre-show last year, won her first VMA: Song of the Year for “Espresso” from Short n’ Sweet. That same song was the one she performed at Coachella this year, leading to her soar to fame. Sabrina Carpenter wore a stunning silver outfit as she sat on a diamond in the air singing her iconic lines from “Please Please Please.” On stage, she had a space-themed set behind her when she sang “Taste” with an alien and astronaut. Sabrina Carpenter ended her performance with “Espresso” while neon graphic visuals of palm trees and coffee mugs filled the screen.
The Video Vanguard winner Katy Perry performed hits like “Dark Horse,” “California Gurls,” and “Firework”. The pop star effortlessly moved across the stage while suspended in the air. After the performance, she admitted she was on the first day of her period. However, that didn’t stop her from flawlessly belting out songs fans know and love. She also won Most Inconic Performance for her performance of “Roar” back in 2013. Katy Perry will release new album 143 on Sept. 20.
Lil Nas X and Halle Bailey presented the award for Best Afrobeats to Tyla for “Water.” In her speech, she proudly said, “African music is pop music” while wearing a stringy neon dress and showing off beautiful, tight curls.
Benson Boone, a nominee for Best New Artist, began performing his viral hit “Beautiful Things” on the piano. Eventually, he got up while wearing a glittery royal blue jumpsuit to sing the rest of the song. The artist smoothly hit his first high note after a backflip. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, he stood on top of the piano for part of the performance and did another backflip off it before successfully hitting another high note. Fittingly, “Beautiful Things” won Best Alternative.
Chappell Roan, another breakout artist, performed her hit “Good Luck, Babe” while dressed as a knight. The Midwest Princess sang in front of a burning castle with other dancers dressed as knights to accompany her. Later that night, she won Best New Artist. In her speech, she thanked the drag artists who inspire her and her queer fans.
Finally, the night ended by announcing the winner of the prestigious Video of the Year award. This year, it went to Taylor Swift and Post Malone for the lead single of The Tortured Poets Department, “Fortnight.” The song also won “Best Collaboration” and “Song of the Summer.” Swift also snagged awards for Artist of the Year, Best Pop, and Best Direction. She is now tied with Beyonce for most VMAs won.
Other performers included Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, Halsey, GloRilla, Lenny Kravitz who won Best Rock for “Human,” and LL Cool J who closed out the show. Teddy Swims and Jessie Murph were featured on the Extended Play stage.
Overall, the VMAs hosted an amazing night full of talented artists bringing their hit songs to life. Unfortunately, few awards were presented live so fans missed out on hearing speeches by many artists. Other than that, it was still a great night for music lovers and pop culture enthusiasts.
