The best and worst moments of the VMAs

The 2018 MTV Video Music Awards came back to where it all began — New York’s Radio City Music Hall — Monday night. But it was missing some of the star power that the show has pulled in over the years: Big-name nominees Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Drake and Bruno Mars, as well as Childish Gambino, were nowhere in the building. Still, the night ended with one of the artists who helped build MTV, Madonna, bringing it all full circle.

The VMAs pre-show got off to a lackluster start with a performance by newcomer Bazzi. Although the 20-year-old is about to open for Justin Timberlake on the European leg of his “Man of the Woods” tour, Bazzi’s pale blue-eyed soul on his single “Mine” demonstrated that he’s nowhere near where JT was at the same age. But at least he got to perform in a pretty spectacular setting atop the famous Radio City Music Hall marquee.

Before presenting the first award of the night — Best Hip-Hop Video — with Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish butchered the pronunciation of Camila Cabello’s name and then threw shade at the singer’s former group, Fifth Harmony. But when Nicki Minaj accepted the Moon Person for her “Chun Li” video, she clapped back at Haddish, telling her, “Don’t be coming for Fifth Harmony because Normani is that bitch.” It was the kind of unscripted, unpredictable moment that separates the VMAs from other awards shows.

After her Haddish takedown, Minaj later delivered the first truly epic performance of the night — at downtown New York’s Oculus transportation hub, no less — with a medley of songs from her new album, “Queen.” It sure felt like Minaj was running her own monarchy with her army of dancers decked out in gold. Fabulously over-the-top, the whole thing looked like something out of “Coming to America.” The only drawback was that it was pre-recorded.

Getty Images

Compared to some unforgettable VMAs openers of years past — even Britney Spears’ 2007 “Gimme More” performance was memorable in its own train-wreck way — Shawn Mendes’ “In My Blood” kicked off the night on a “meh” note. Although the 20-year-old singer-songwriter poured on some fake rain for a wet T-shirt finish, his baby John Mayer act would have worked better somewhere in the middle of the show.

Twenty-two years after their debut US album, they may be more like Backstreet Middle-Aged Men now — all of them but Nick Carter are in their 40s — but the boy band showed that they are aging well, performing new single “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” Although there barely seemed to be enough room for all five of them atop the Radio City Music Hall marquee, they kept it tight with their still-slick harmonies.

Is there anyone more annoying in music right now than DJ Khaled? As a hype man, he’s just all look-at-me bluster. But somehow he keeps showing up everywhere, like the guy whom no one wanted to invite to the party — but who comes anyway. Not only did he crash Jennifer Lopez’s Video Vanguard moment, but he popped up again to introduce Travis Scott. Somebody get the hook for this dude, please.

Jennifer LopezWireImage

Appearing as if she hadn’t aged a day since dropping her first video in 1999, J.Lo arrived onstage for her Video Vanguard award performance looking like a bronzed Bronx goddess. She proceeded to run through her laundry list of career highlights — from “Waiting for Tonight” and “On the Floor” to “Love Don’t Cost a Thing,” “Jenny from the Block” and “I’m Real” (with special guest Ja Rule). The former Fly Girl is still one of the fiercest dancers in the business at almost 50, and when she was done, she soaked in all the hometown love, including some from beau Alex Rodriguez. A real New York moment.

The mini performances by Bazzi (back again, after his pre-show lameness), Jessie Reyez, Hayley Kiyoko, PrettyMuch, Juice Wrld and others just didn’t work. We get that MTV wanted to expose some young artists, but they really all should have been relegated to the pre-show. Better to use the time and space in the main event for the people whom viewers really care about seeing, not those who are still paying their dues. As it was, the Backstreet Boys would have gotten more love.

Although it felt like there should have been a live musical tribute to Aretha Franklin rather than a video remembrance, having the Queen of Pop, Madonna, pay heartfelt homage to the late Queen of Soul was an emotional highlight of the night even if Twitter disagreed. Thirty-four years after she performed “Like a Virgin” at the first VMAs at Radio City, Madonna was still helping to put the “M” in MTV this year.

Performing his song “One Day” with OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, rapper Logic brought out hundreds of immigrant parents and children — wearing T-shirts with the message “We are all human beings” — in a powerful protest of President Trump’s separation and detention policy. It was the kind of moment that was bigger than the music.

Source link