With most of music industry害羞草研究所檚 top acts absent 害羞草研究所� from Beyonce to Bruno Mars 害羞草研究所� the MTV Video Music Awards lacked star power and felt flat, and some of the winners turned heads 害羞草研究所� for the wrong reasons.
Exhibit A: Camila Cabello beat out Drake, Mars, Cardi B, Ariana Grande and Post Malone for artist of the year.
害羞草研究所淚 can害羞草研究所檛 believe this is for me,害羞草研究所� Cabello said Monday onstage.
Neither can we.
Cabello achieved the unthinkable later in the show when she took home the top prize 害羞草研究所� video of the year 害羞草研究所� for 害羞草研究所淗avana.害羞草研究所� Cabello害羞草研究所檚 song was a No. 1 hit and of the video of the year nominees, 害羞草研究所淗avana害羞草研究所� was the second-most viewed clip behind Drake害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淕od害羞草研究所檚 Plan.害羞草研究所� But that害羞草研究所檚 partly since 害羞草研究所淗avana害羞草研究所� was released last year while the other videos came out this year.
It was the night害羞草研究所檚 most shocking moment, and MTV seemed to send a message: You害羞草研究所檙e punished for not showing up and rewarded for attending.
Grande won best pop and Post Malone took home song of the year. Drake, the most successful musician of the last year, didn害羞草研究所檛 win a single award. Beyonce, Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar were restricted to technical honours like editing, art direction, cinematography and visual effects. And Gambino picked up best direction, choreography and video with a message for his heralded video 害羞草研究所淭his Is America.害羞草研究所�
The show hit another low when Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B and DJ Khaled won best collaboration for 害羞草研究所淒inero害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� a song that has peaked at No. 80 on Billboard害羞草研究所檚 Hot 100 chart 害羞草研究所� besting the record-setting hit 害羞草研究所淢eant to Be,害羞草研究所� by Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line, and Mars and Cardi B害羞草研究所檚 anthemic 害羞草研究所淔inesse害羞草研究所� remix.
Then there was the Aretha Franklin tribute, a moment Madonna made, well, all about Madonna.
The pop icon rambled and rambled about the early struggles in her career, finally informing the crowd that she sang Franklin害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所�(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman害羞草研究所� at an audition that became a breakthrough for her.
害羞草研究所淣one of this would have happened without our lady of soul,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淪he led me where I am today. 害羞草研究所 want to thank you Aretha for empowering all of us. 害羞草研究所� Love live the queen.害羞草研究所� It wasn害羞草研究所檛 clear if Madonna meant Franklin, or herself.
At least MTV did played a clip of Franklin, who died last week, singing 害羞草研究所淚 Say A Little Prayer.害羞草研究所�
The VMAs, at Radio City Music Hall in New York, also lacked oomph with its performances throughout the night: Grande was a bore during 害羞草研究所淕od Is a Woman,害羞草研究所� but added some excitement when she was joined by her mother, grandmother and cousin onstage at the end of the performance. Travis Scott, whose album is No. 1 for a second week, had strong energy while onstage, but the performance felt like it belonged more to singer James Blake, who is featured on Scott害羞草研究所檚 album and performed just as long as Scott during the segment.
There were a few highlights. Maluma, the Colombian singer who was nominated twice in the best Latin category, did have an exciting performance as he danced onstage with gyrating dancers. And Lopez started off slow 害羞草研究所� Kylie Jenner and Scott害羞草研究所檚 unamused faces perfectly captured the vibe 害羞草研究所� but she hit a strong stride when she sang old smashes like 害羞草研究所淛enny from the Block,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所滻害羞草研究所檓 Real害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� where Ja Rule joined her onstage 害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淎ll I Have,害羞草研究所� which showed the skilled dancer害羞草研究所檚 vocal range.
But Lopez害羞草研究所檚 speech was more stirring than her performance: She was emotional as she thanked her children and beau Alex Rodriguez onstage when she earned the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award for lifetime achievement.
She was teary-eyed and looked at her 害羞草研究所渢wo little angels,害羞草研究所� as she called them, and said, 害羞草研究所淚 stand here stronger and better than ever 害羞草研究所� so thank you Max and Emme.害羞草研究所� She called Rodriguez, who filmed her performance with his phone, 害羞草研究所渕y twin soul.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淢y life is sweeter and better with you in it,害羞草研究所� she said.
Cardi B, who gave birth last month, won three awards and said people told her she was 害羞草研究所済ambling your career害羞草研究所� when she decided to become a mother.
害羞草研究所淚 had the baby, I carried the baby and now I害羞草研究所檓 still winning awards,害羞草研究所� she said.
She also seemed to take aim at Nicki Minaj, who while promoting her new album last week said other musicians have hired fans to listen to their music.
Cardi said she害羞草研究所檚 been blessed with fans 害羞草研究所渢hat you can害羞草研究所檛 buy,害羞草研究所� looking into the camera and shouting an expletive.
Minaj won the first televised award 害羞草研究所� best hip hop 害羞草研究所� and checked comedian Tiffany Haddish for dissing girl group Fifth Harmony, now on hiatus.
After congratulating ex-Fifth Harmony member Cabello on her five nominations, Haddish said sarcastically, 害羞草研究所淗i Fifth Harmony.害羞草研究所� When Minaj accepted an award moments later, she looked to Haddish and said, 害羞草研究所淒on害羞草研究所檛 be coming for Fifth Harmony because Normani is that (chick).害羞草研究所� Normani currently has her first hit apart from the group with the Khalid-assisted 害羞草研究所淟ove Lies.害羞草研究所�
Minaj, who has been a trending topic this week after she madly tweeted about why her new album debuted at No. 2 behind Travis Scott, also provided the first bleeped moment of the night when she told the audience to listen to her Apple Music radio show this week to hear 害羞草研究所渨ho the (expletive) of the day award is going to.害羞草研究所�
There was just one political moment, orchestrated when Logic was joined onstage by young immigrants wearing T-shirts that read, 害羞草研究所淲e are all human beings害羞草研究所� to protest the Trump administration害羞草研究所檚 separation of migrant children from their parents after they illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. The rapper, best known for the suicide prevention anthem 害羞草研究所�1-800-273-8255,害羞草研究所� wore a T-shirt that read, 害羞草研究所�(Expletive) the wall.害羞草研究所�
There was one posthumous winner: Avicii, who died in April, won for best dance for 害羞草研究所淟onely Together害羞草研究所� alongside Rita Ora.
Mesfin Fekadu, The Associated Press
