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What other awards show wouldbring Nicki Minaj back for a second yearto do the bare minimum of hosting?
But the show also knows where it excels, and thats as a wide-screen, high-definition spectacle.
(Additional props to the intrepid cameraperson who turned to Selena Gomez at just the right time.)
Here are the highs, lows, and whoas of the 2023 VMAs.
It was Kelsea Ballerinis actual birthday, and its her boyfriend Chase Stokess birthday in a few days.
And in case you somehow havent heard, this year is hip-hops 50th birthday.
The pink carpet needed some balloons.
The crowd went from chanting Weezy!
to dancing on their feet in no time.
An uproar, all right.
Dont mind me, Im stillll bopping to@LilTunechis#VMAperformance!
Luckily, she got the crowd back with a sing-along of her newGutsanthem, Get Him Back.
LOW: Demi and Olivia dont have the range.Ah, the perils of live vocals.
The whole thing climaxed with Doja spitting Demons while being circled by dancers still the center of attention.
HIGH: Shakira, Shakira.What else is there to say?
@SHAKIRA DID THAT She lit the#VMAsstage on with her Vanguard performance!
!pic.twitter.com/RgaXbHkmId
WHOA: Nicki Minaj is everywhere and nowhere.Shes hosting.
(Sorry,emceeing.)
When Nicki Minaj is your host, youre on her schedule.
HIGH: Selena Gomez wins Best Reaction.And Taylor Swift is a runner-upfor, well, the whole night.
WHOA: Latin America shows up.Latin Grammys aside, have you ever heard more Spanish at an awards show?
Anitta and Karol G burned up the stage with poised, sexy performances.
Anitta did double time with Tomorrow X Together.
And, fittingly, it was the night that Shakira got her flowers as Video Vanguard Award winner.
Simply cannot get enough of@_PesoPlumas first-ever#VMAperformance!!
(Really, this whole show couldve used some union writers.
Give them a contract!)
Yeah, theyre in their own class.
Thats the opposite of how to light things up as the show pushes its fourth hour.
If you werent already sweating from watching those moves, that is.
The collaboration we all needed!!!
You shouldve tuned in to the VMAs.
Pop acts like Rodrigo and Lovato took the stage with live bands that genuinely rocked.
Shakira picked up a guitar in the middle of her Video Vanguard medley for Objection (Tango).
Yeah, theres much more to rock than this, but its always great to see a guitar.
And not even a mention ofYo!
Even for MTV, this was messy.
