For years I’ve been watching the VMA’s and it’s been one of my musical highlights but lately the video music awards weren’t the same anymore. A big part of that problem is MTV. They’re programme changed from music videos to reality TV shows which is a pity. So even though it is called music TV it’s not showing any music unless you wait until 1 pm and watch all night – but who has time for that?
Enough moaning let’s have a look at this years line-up. Katy Perry is hosting the show again – what a treat! She is funny and has experience and does always a good job. P!nk is awarded the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award 2017 – her 7th Moonman. Past winners are Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake and Madonna. So let’s see what she has in store!
The guest list looks pretty average if you ask me. It used to be the hottest stars but now there’s a lot of newcomers with only a few top acts. But you never know, it might be the best show ever – doubt it! 🙂 So let’s watch it now:
The pre-show was super boring and filled with long commercial breaks so I was tempted to turn off the TV and go to bed. But luckily I didn’t and saw P!nk, Carey Hart and Willow in matching outfits and it was just the cutest! They seem like a normal family and throughout the evening we got to see lovely family moments. During P!nk’s red carpet interview she said:
I used to get grounded for watching MTV and now I’m on it. It’s full circle.
Finally after a long hour the show started! Katy Perry came back from outer space just to host the VMA’s 2017! Kendrick Lamar opened and did a good job. His rhymes were dope and surprisingly without swearing so the performance wasn’t muted. He had a burning man and a back ground. P!nk wouldn’t have liked that! 🙂 (Click here to read the review of her Berlin concerts)
Ed Sheeran was next and his “Shape of you” got everyone dancing. He brought out a US rapper Lil Uzi Vert to remix his song and to co-perform Lil Uzi’s Song of the Summer “XO Tour Llif3”. I really loved this combo! Paris Jackson held a political speech when instead she was there to present Best Pop Video. It went to “Down” by Fifth Harmony ft. Gucci Mane. Fifth Harmony lost their fifth member and they didn’t take it lightly which we saw in their performance later on.
Julia Michaels was nominated for Best Newcomer and performed half of her song “Issues” the rest was cut off for commercials. Maybe that’s why she lost Best Newcomer to Khalid who sang the full song during the Red Carpet show. After the commercial break we got to witness Taylor Swift’s video premiere to “Look what you made me do” and apparently the old Taylor is dead. I really don’t understand why she would give Kanye West so much limelight. She should have been the bigger person and just let it go but we all know that she isn’t that kind of person… see Bad Blood. No I’m not sharing the link here because I do not support this at all.
Shawn Mendes stole Coldplay’s Xylobands and lit up the studio during his performance of “There’s nothing holding me back”. I just love that song and he’s legal now, girls! (His words :-)) Lorde’s performance was quite unexpected. She put a cassette into a recorder and her song “Dynamite” started. She didn’t start to sing but she danced throughout the whole song. It was kind of weird but also funny and I did like what she did with the performance.
The Award for Best Dance went to Zedd and Alessia Cara. Pete Wentz (All One Tree Hill Fans have a little crush on him) presented it and yes Fall Out Boy has got new music coming! Katy Perry came on stage with a fake baby and I am not sure if DJ Khalid really crashed the stage with his real baby and fought her about who has the best baby.. WEIRD! Anyways they announced the next performers. It looked like Fifth Harmony were back together but then the fifth person got pulled back and so they were only four to perform the winner song. Bam take that Camila! Gucci Mane had a guest appearance too and the girls finished in pouring rain!
Best Collabo won Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift but both had no time to pick up their award. Goes to show how much a moonman means in this business – Not a lot anymore.. This guy from a band called bleachers picked up the awards. But behold you don’t need to google him. He performed during the pre-show and it was awful. The instruments and the his voice were out of tune!
Jared Leto took the stage to remember Chester Bennington and his friend Chris Cornell. He did an amazing job and it was a memorable moment worthy of those two amazing musicians. After the 100th commercial break we saw Miley Cyrus’ VMA comeback. It was okay and very different to her last show with Robin Thicke and the infamous foam finger. Instead of naked people she had old people and babies dancing in rockabilly 50’s style on stage.
Best Hip Hop went to Kendrick Lamar who quickly accepted the moonman and off we went to a pink birdie who nearly showed her nipple if she had one.. Let me tell you it looked like Barbie! She announced our next performer in VEGAS, BABY! Demi Lovato was “Sorry not so sorry” and had a strong voice and did a brill job with entertaining the people in the pool!
Finally my highlight of the evening! P!nk flew in a pink Cadillac and rode a lawn mower and performed all of her hits at one point she even mashed up three songs (“Don’t let me get me”, “Just give me a reason” and “Fucking Perfect”) into one! And then she went on to sing her new single “What about Us”
P!nk’s speech was breathtaking and I had to make sure I didn’t start to cry. She said this to everyone but especially to her 6 year old daughter:
She said to me out of the blue, ‘Mama, I’m the ugliest girl I know,’ And I said, ‘Huh?’ And she said, ‘Yeah, I look like a boy with long hair.’ And my brain went to, ‘Oh my God, you’re six. Where is this coming from? Can I kick a six-year-old’s ass?’
P!nk then went on and said that she went home and made a powerpoint presentation of androgynous rockstars like Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Prince, Freddie Mercury, Elton John, Janis Joplin, George Michael and they are all artists who live their truth, are probably made fun of every day of their life and carry on and wave their flag and inspire the rest of us. So she said:
I asked her what do you think of me. ‘I think you’re beautiful’. Well, thanks! 🙂 So when people make fun of me, that’s what they use: They say I look like a boy or I’m too masculine or I have too many opinions or that my body is too strong. And I said, ‘Do you see me growing my hair?’ And she said, ‘No, mama.’ ‘Do you see me changing my body?’ ‘No, mama.’ ‘Do you see me changing the way I present myself to the world?’ ‘No, mama.’ ‘Do you see me selling out arenas all over the world?’ ‘Yes, mama.’
“So, baby girl, we don’t change. We take the gravel in the shell and we make a pearl. And we help other people to change so that they can see more kinds of beauty. …And you, my darling girl, are beautiful. I love you.”
Isn’t this the best speech you’ve ever heard?! Made my night and my day after. Thank you P!nk for being you <3
Kyle had the hard task to perform right after P!nk and well yeah it was nice… So the 2nd biggest award of the night was Artist of the Year and everybody’s darling Ed Sheeran won. With a super cute but quick thank you he left the stage again. Alessia Cara sang her wonderful song “scars to your beautiful” and while she got undressed and got her make-up taken off she was able to maintain a steady voice. I like her! 🙂
Ke$ha presented Alessia Cara, Khalid and Logic who all tried to raise awareness with a song against suicide attempts- “1-800-273-8255” is a powerful song especially if the three artists were joined by survivors who had a white t-shirt on where it was written You Are Not Alone! Very meaningful moment especially in light of the deaths of Chris and Chester.
30 Seconds to Mars are back!! I loved their performance of “Walk on Water” for which they used a thermal imaging camera. It looked absolutely incredible! WOW you have to see this. Travis Scott quickly jumped into the picture too.
Back to Vegas DNCE performed together with Legend Rod Stewart his song “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?!” Just a little note on the mustache of Joe Jonas – that’s a no no. Can we appreciate now how a 72 year old totally out rocked a 28 year old! Video of the year was awarded to Kendrick Lamar for his song “Humble”.
Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj closed the show with “Swish Swish” and absolutely slayed it. A basket ball court was put on stage and with that I’d like to appreciate the huge production this show is – even if it isn’t like it used to be.
So what did you think of tonight’s VMA’s? Are you happy with the winners and who was your favourite performer? Let me know in the comments below.
