MTV Video Music Awards causes a stir
The award show was last Sunday night.
Published Sept. 18, 2009
After a few stints on the West Coast, the annual MTV Video Music Awards returned home to its roots of Radio City Music Hall in New York on Sunday night, and what a homecoming it was.
Amid tributes, trailers and a bevy of celebrities dressed in eyebrow-raising attire (Lady GaGa?), this year's show left viewers with a moment that sent Facebook statuses and tweets into overdrive. While in the middle of accepting her Best Female Video VMA for "You Belong With Me," country starlet Taylor Swift was cut short as an eager Kanye West snatched the microphone to proclaim Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" deserved the win instead.
"Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'mma let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time," West said as cameras focused from him to an embarrassed and puzzled Beyonce to a awe-shocked Swift.
A series of boos and "Taylor" chants tried to fill the void as Swift stood speechless on stage, thus prompting cameras to immediately cue a "Best New Artist" promo featuring stars Tracy Morgan and Eminem.
Swift was able to savor her win at the end of the night, when Beyoncé, during her Video of the Year acceptance for "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)," graciously invited her to step up onstage and "have her moment." A glowing Swift, in a similar fiery-red colored dress as Beyoncé's, thanked her fans, director and even her brother's high school in what appeared to be the most endearing moment of the night.
The show opened with Madonna, who provided candid and poignant speech about the late Michael Jackson, one of the most influential artists to put MTV on the map. The tribute continued as a troupe of dancers kicked into a medley of Jackson's songs including "Bad," "Smooth Criminal" and the iconic "Thriller," rounding out the show with sister Janet performing their duet "Scream."
A fascinating yet equally jaw-dropping performance by Lady GaGa came midway through the show. Amid a twisted Victorian ballroom-like backdrop, GaGa plunged into an interesting rendition of her hit "Paparazzi." Clad in a white midriff-exposing leotard and sky-high boots, GaGa left the piano only to stagger to the stage with "blood" trickling down her stomach. As if that weren't an attention-grabber, she ended the performance blood-smeared, dangling mid-air.
Other highlights throughout the show, which was hosted by British comedian Russell Brand, included performances by British rockers Muse, who debuted their single "Uprising," Green Day, who rocked their way through "East Jesus Nowhere," Beyoncé, performing her smash ode to woman empowerment "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" and Taylor Swift, who, live from the 42nd Street subway, played her smash "You Belong With Me."
Pink, no stranger to taking risks, literally reached new heights while singing her hit "Sober." Attached to a harness, the singer performed various stunts throughout the set, ending onstage and taking a bow.
In true MTV fashion, Jay-Z was selected as the show's final performance. Accompanied by Alicia Keys, Jay shined on his New York-infused track, "Empire State of Mind" off of his top-selling new release The Blueprint 3.
Newcomer rapper Wale provided the intermission music that featured guests including 3OH!3, Pitbull, Solange Knowles, Kid Cudi, who paid tribute to DJ AM, and All-American Rejects.
Winners included Britney Spears' "Womanizer" for Best Pop Video, who accepted her award long distance, as she is on tour, Green Day's "21 Guns" for Best Rock Video, Eminem's "We Made You" for Best Hip-Hop Video and T.I.'s "Live Your Life" for Best Male Video. Beating out Drake, 3OH!3, Asher Roth and Kid Cudi, Lady GaGa received the Best New Artist award, thanking "God and the gays."
To add even more to the night, an extended trailer for "New Moon" and a trailer for the Michael Jackson documentary "This Is It" debuted at the awards.