The MTV Video Music Awards are known for producing some of the greatest moments in music history. Over the years, we’ve seen stars rise, fall, and feud at the awards ceremony, but 2019 proved to be a somewhat watered-down version of the event. Let’s just say there wasn’t any material on the same level as that infamous kiss between Britney, Madonna, and Christina.
Pop music remains a dominant force at the awards show, with both Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift earning the most nominations – 10 a piece. In 2019, the future of pop seems hard to define, but it’s nice to see that MTV still has its back. This year marked the 36th annual ceremony, which was held at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. Ultimately, (most of) music’s biggest stars showed up to celebrate the year’s best music videos. Notably absent artists included Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Ariana Grande, and Billie Eilish. And, boy, aren’t those some big names?
Taylor Swift kicked things off by singing two of her latest songs – “You Need To Calm Down” and “Lover” – from her new album Lover. The star went on to win big this year, snatching the awards for Video of the Year, Video for Good, and Visual Effects, with the singer’s pro-LGBTQ+ number “You Need To Calm Down” behind two of those awards. In her acceptance speech for Video of the Year, Swift got political on us, focusing on the Equality Act petition featured at the end of her star-packed video.
Missy Elliott also made headlines after (finally) taking home the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award and giving us a mash-up performance of some of her biggest hits. “The Rain,” “Get Ur Freak On,” “Work It,” “Pass That Dutch,” and “Lose Control” were all present in her act this year, with her new single “Throw It Back” leading the pack. To make her performance even more outstanding, Elliott recruited Alyson Stoner, who famously danced in the rapper’s “Work It” video at the age of 10. Stoner took the crowd by storm when she recreated her “Work It” moves onstage and had the audience longing for 2003.
All eyes were on Miley Cyrus when she gave her first performance since officially splitting up with Liam Hemsworth. Under a black and white filter, she performed her new ballad “Slide Away” – an instant breakup anthem – which details her decade-long relationship with the actor. Wearing a simple and slinky black dress, Cyrus, backed by an orchestra, gave one of her best performances in years. She’s one of those artists who is so incredibly talented that sometimes her live performances outshine her recorded tracks. It was an emotional event for sure, but she put on a brave face and kept things classy at this year’s VMAs. Job well done indeed.
Rising stars Lizzo, Rosalía, and H.E.R. all gave strong performances, but it was Normani who took the cake. The former Fifth Harmony star performed her catchy new single “Motivation,” showcasing her athleticism and killer dance moves. Still, Lizzo gave a heartfelt speech during her performance that’s well worth mentioning, as she powerfully encouraged everyone to love themselves and “feel good as hell.”
To wrap things up, New Jersey natives Queen Latifah, Naughty by Nature, Redman, Fetty Wap, and Wyclef Jean took the stage in a sensational finale. All in all, 2019 was a good year to be at the VMAs. But without any moments that were truly shocking and/or life-changing, I doubt this round will go down as one for the ages. Only time will tell.
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