Tonight the best of the best in the music industry all collided in Brooklyn for the MTV Video Music Awards!! After it was revealed that Justin Timberlake would be receiving the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, rumors that the almighty boy band NSYNC was going to be reuniting for a performance began to swirl! The twelve-year-old inside me burst with joy upon hearing these rumors and I so wished that they were true. At around 8:30 I headed over to my friend’s house to watch the festivities. After cracking open an ice cold Corona I settled onto the couch for the show. I had no idea what I was in for.
Lady Gaga opened the show with her song, “Applause,” and I, surprisingly, enjoyed it. The first time I heard the song I wasn’t really into it; I couldn’t understand what she was saying except for when she said, “applause.” But this performance was true to form, and very entertaining. Once Gaga put that wig on, it was over. “There she is,” we said.
Selena Gomez won the first award of the night. Don’t ask me what it was, I don’t remember. All I know is the boys from One Direction were there to give her the award and they looked good doing it.
And then there was Miley. Oh, Miley. I love her song, “We Can’t Stop.” I’ve played it on my iPod approximately 4 million times since I downloaded it off of iTunes. But…having a fun, catchy song does not excuse the performance we were forced to watch. Miley had her ever present problem of keeping her tongue in her mouth, she was sans pants, and had a hair-do like Crazy Eyes from Orange is the New Black. But that wasn’t even the worst part. After her solo performance Robin Thicke joined her onstage for a duet of his hit song, “Blurred Lines.” This is where it started to get weird. Miley ripped off her teddy-bear-chuck-e-cheese-looking onesie to reveal a nude two piece and a large foam finger. While I’m sure this was a nod to Thicke’s music video (which I’m also not very fond of) it was an odd, kind of creepy performance. Miley used her giant foam finger to touch Thicke, all over, as well as simulate some very interesting “dance moves”.
Now before I go any further I want to point out something. The problem I had with Miley’s performance had nothing to do with her risque clothing/dance moves. Get it girl, shake what your mama gave you. I’m just questioning why…Miley is a beautiful, free, young woman who can do whatever she wants to do, but why is she trying so hard? We get it, you’re sexy..or at least you’re trying to be. Sometimes less is more, though. Sometimes, the harder you try the more stupid you look. Google some of the reaction shots from the crowd during her performance. You’ll see I’m not alone in my opinion.
Anyways, on to more positive things. While awards are given during the VMAs, lets be real: it’s all about the performances. While some stand out more than others, it was clear that one stood WAY above the rest. Justin Timberlake took the stage about an hour into the show to perform a medley of his greatest hits, solo and *squeal* with NSYNC!! This medley of hits rounded out at about 20 minutes, which is a testament to JT in itself! The fact that you have that many number one hits that you can sing for twenty minutes straight?? Go on with your bad self, Justin. And, honestly, if that performance didn’t convince everyone that he deserved that Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, I don’t know what will. He is simply amazing, and I am still in awe three hours later.
A lot of people were upset that NSYNC only sang as a group for a total of maybe two minutes, but I feel that we all need to remember a few things: this performance was not an NSYNC reunion. NSYNC reunited for Justin Timberlake’s medley of his greatest hits. This performance was purely to celebrate JT in all his gloriousness, not to promote NSYNC, the band. So all y’all simmer down over there. I was an NSYNC fangirl through and through, but you gotta give justice where justice is due. Justin Timberlake is the President of Pop.
To be frank, the rest of the show was a bit of a blur to me. I remember Taylor Swift inevitably won an award for her video for “I Knew You Were Trouble,” and inevitably threw shade at the person who inspired the song. I remember Kanye had a slightly dark, but pretty entertaining performance…couldn’t tell you what song it was though.
Finally, the last performance of the night was upon us. And it was interesting, all through the show we were given little snippets and teasers of Katy Perry preparing for her performance of her new song, “Roar,” to close the show. So after seeing all these little teaser trailers I was really ready to watch this performance. Katy was set up in a boxing ring under the Brooklyn Bridge (pretty cool) and had a Million Dollar Baby vibe going on…you know aside from her tiger sports bra and flaming shorts. The performance was decent; Katy was beautiful and she sounded great, but I think Gaga’s performance was better.
All in all, this was a very memorable VMAs, and I think there were a few historic moments we will not soon forget.
Famous moments or infamous moments? You all can be the judge of that.
superfluous 