In case you missed the half-dozen mentions during the broadcast, this is the 40th anniversary of the Video Music Awards. A 40th year is a weird milestone — too close to 50 to really go all out — but that didn’t stop the VMAs from trying to get something out of it. The show featured expected nods to past snakes and kisses, and previous VMA icons Eminem, Lenny Kravitz, LL Cool J, and Cyndi Lauper all showed up. Not bad for a Wednesday night. Here are the spacey, medieval, and occasionally pitchy highs, lows, and whoas of the evening.
WHOA: Eminem brought his Slim Shady clones …
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Eminem’s 2000 VMA opening performance, with an army of Slim Shadys, is one of the most iconic in the show’s history. For his opening set this year, he ran it back, trotting out dozens of Shadys in blond wigs and black outfits for his new hit “Houdini.†It was enough to bring something fun to that humdrum song.
LOW: … and should have left it at that
Unfortunately, Em kept going, transitioning into rapping about being an absent father (yet again) on “Somebody Save Me.†(Side note: How could the VMAs not get Jelly Roll?)
LOW: Where’s Megan Thee Monologue?
Megan Thee Stallion came out bubbly and full of energy, wearing a VMA-bedazzled leotard that she joked she got from fellow Houstonian Simone Biles. Yet that was one of the only jokes Meg got to make; she didn’t get give a full monologue. Instead, she spoke for about a minute before throwing it over to the next presenters.
WHOA: Lisa’s performance is hot
Paris Hilton introducing a K-pop star feels random on paper — but it was actually fitting here, because Lisa’s VMA set was, as Paris promised, hot. The Blackpink singer took the stage in scorching red for an aerobic medley of “New Woman†and “Rockstar,†surrounded by some extremely fit, leather-clad dancers.
HIGH: Sabrina Carpenter performs like a winner
While Sabrina waited to win her first VMA (a well-earned Song of the Year for “Espressoâ€), she brought her own Moon People for her spacey medley of Short n’ Sweet hits. The performance was playful and poised, as she hit all her choreography marks, belted a few notes, and even made out with an alien dancer.
WHOA: Kendrick Lamar just dropped another track?!
And I haven’t even listened to it yet because I was stuck watching the VMAs.
WHOA: Chappell Roan came ready to fight
Chappell Roan’s first VMAs arrival was a production. She wore long nails and an even longer cape, brought her own carpet and viking assistant, and came armed with a crossbow and sword (perhaps a sign of her energy for the night). As she posed for photos, someone in the scrum yelled “Shut the fuck up,†to which Roan replied, “You shut the fuck up!†At least she didn’t have to use the sword.
WHOA: Benson Boone, acrobat
Vocally and physically.
HIGH: Katy Perry gave what she needed to give
After all the drama surrounding her upcoming album 143, Katy Perry needed a win — and not just a lifetime-achievement award from a B-tier awards show. So, she stepped (well, floated) onto the VMA stage, reminding the world that, messy as she is, she’s still a damn fun performer. Perry’s Video Vanguard Award medley was as multifaceted as the star herself: dark, sexy, silly, edgy, emotional, and even a bit cringey. (No, she didn’t play “Woman’s World,†but she did wink at it in the intro.) It didn’t work perfectly, but at least it gave us something else to talk about for a minute.
WHOA: Glorilla’s dancers come in clutch
Not only did they elevate her lively performance of “Yeah Glo!†and “TGIF†dressed like dozens of Janet Jacksons, one of them seamlessly helped Big Glo fix her top when it nearly fell off. The unsung heroes of the night.
WHOA: We’re really doing 9/11 tributes?
Taylor Swift delivered a surprise when she accepted Best Collaboration early in the night — not a new album announcement, but a tribute to 9/11. Yes, the awards are on that day (after moving for the presidential debate) and in New York, but there’s really no way to tonally square honoring those who died during that tragedy and simply existing at the messy, debaucherous VMAs. Presenter Carson Daly tried a more somber tribute later in the night. It looked like he actually pulled it off until he launched into his show-written comments, complete with a “say hi to your mom†joke. Yeah, uh, not it.
HIGH: Hot girl summer went out with a bang
She may have not done as much proper “hosting†as past musician hosts, but Megan still held her own when it was time to perform. The rapper jockeyed through four Megan songs — twerking during “BOA†and “B.A.S.,†spitting during “Hiss,†and giving Yuki Chiba his moment during VMA-winning “Mamushi.â€
LOW: Lenny, what are you doing?
It’s hard for Lenny Kravitz to look uncool; he proved it again when he kicked off his VMA medley with “Are You Gonna Go My Way?â€, be-feathered and shredding on guitar. But things devolved from there. Kravitz immediately killed the energy with his lukewarm new song “Human,†which beat strong competition like Coldplay, U2, and Bon Jovi earlier in the night for Best Rock. Then came his ill-advised “Fly†remix with Quavo. Usually, awards shows have to force artists into such strained collaborations, but in this case, they voluntarily recorded that song. Don’t you want to get away?
WHOA: Shawn and Camila traded barbs
Just five years ago, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello were playing will-they-won’t-they on the VMA stage, teasing us with a near-kiss during “Señorita.†Now, they’re making veiled attacks in their separate performances. Mendes couldn’t hit all the notes during his debut of rock ballad “Nobody Knows,†but he did get in this presumed jab at his ex: “You’re an amateur drunk and everyone knows it / But fuck, you’re the one and I live for those moments / When the bottle is open, anything can happen / Flying too close to the sun.†Just a few hours later, Cabello hit right back during her techno-experimental performance of new song “God Speed†(sponsored by BacardÃ), pointedly switching a lyric to “You’re living in a past life.†Is there burn cream backstage?
HIGH: There’s a reason they keep calling LL Cool J for these tributes
The 50th anniversary of hip-hop was commemorated multiple times by LL Cool J. A 40th anniversary celebration of Def Jam Recordings at the VMAs seems a bit more random and inconsequential (and should we really be honoring all these people?) but LL sold it with just as much poise at the VMAs. He ran through rowdy street rap, sensual sex jams, and a joyously chaotic interlude with Public Enemy. As the signs and song reminded us, he really is the G.O.A.T.
LOW: Jessie Murph
The rising country star held down the “Extended Play†stage throughout the night with “Lose Control†singer Teddy Swims, performing snippets of songs during show transitions. But that side stage wasn’t far enough away for her horrendously pitchy singing (especially compared to the talented Swims).
WHOA: Taylor Swift still has awards-show records to break
Tonight, Swift’s seven wins made her the solo artist with the most VMAs in history. Though she’s currently tied with Beyoncé at 30 apiece, four of Bey’s wins came for her work in a group or duo (two with Destiny’s Child and two with the Carters). On top of that, Swift won the top honor of Video of the Year. As long as she keeps releasing music videos, she’ll probably keep winning.
LOW: Aren’t you out of breath?
How many performances did we watch in the last three hours? Sixteen, including multiple extended medleys, plus six more on the Extended Play stage. There was barely a moment to pause, as the VMAs presented just eight total awards. Most awards shows feel too bloated, but this one really could’ve used some space to stretch out.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated how many VMAs Beyoncé has won.