TheMTV Video Music Awardsturn 40 this yr and they ’re feel nostalgic .

batch of honest-to-goodness rapper , for one affair , at a show that wasopenedbyEminemand close byLL Cool J , keep the fortieth day of remembrance ofDef Jam .

This was but that ’s not the only cause this yr ’s award appear a tinge more ripe , with alenny kravitz / quavoteam - up flat out of thegrammysplaybook , a peculiar appearing bytrl ’s carson daly ( whosaidhe return to the vmas mostly because the issue was sustain at his and his kid ’ best-loved ice hockey team’sarena ) , and flashback footage ( michael jacksonand lisa marie presley ! )

Sabrina Carpenter performs on stage during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York.

drive forthrightly at the aim interview ’s parent .

Truthfully , the total three - plus - 60 minutes show matt-up calm than common : Less feverish redaction , few gang shooter , barely anyTaylor Swiftreactions .

( Last class , wewatchedher respond to much the whole affair . )

Chappell Roan performs on stage during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York.

by nature , Swift still go home with the dark ’s firstandlast award , winningBest coaction and Video of the Year ( and several more ) for the ego - guide “ Fortnight ” telecasting , withPost Malone , scarcely 24 hour after make headline forher sanction of Kamala Harris .

This was # # dive into doritos

themtv video music awardsturn 40 this class and they ’re feel nostalgic .

This was lot of quondam rapper , for one matter , at a show that wasopenedbyeminemand shut byll cool j , observe the fortieth day of remembrance ofdef jam .

Glorilla performs on stage during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York.

This was but that ’s not the only grounds this twelvemonth ’s prize appear a tactile sensation more fledged , with alenny kravitz / quavoteam - up directly out of thegrammysplaybook , a exceptional appearing bytrl ’s carson daly ( whosaidhe repay to the vmas mostly because the result was hold at his and his fry ’ favored ice hockey team’sarena ) , and flashback footage ( michael jacksonand lisa marie presley ! )

point straightforwardly at the mark hearing ’s parent .

Truthfully , the intact three - plus - 60 minutes show feel tranquil than common : Less feverish redaction , few gang injection , scarcely anyTaylor Swiftreactions .

Yuki Chiba and Megan Thee Stallion perform on stage during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York.

( Last yr , wewatchedher respond to much the whole matter . )

course , Swift still give-up the ghost home with the nighttime ’s firstandlast award , winningBest collaborationism and Video of the Year ( and several more ) for the ego - direct “ Fortnight ” picture , withPost Malone , scarce 24 hour after make newspaper headline forher imprimatur of Kamala Harris .

Everyone here is medium - civilise , but this twelvemonth ’s VMAs fall across as specially good for body of work .

Anitta, DJ Khaled, and Fat Joe perform on stage during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York.

This was that ’s owe partially tofirst - meter hostmegan thee stallion , who sure enough has a recollective goggle box calling forward , as well as an surplus - farsighted modern pepsi commercial-grade remakingbeyoncé , britney , andp!nk’sgladiatorial classic .

Even for a show that on a regular basis sport advertizer Word onstage , the selling link - in were ineluctable ( quothBig Sean : “ We lie with Doritos ” ) .

read to tell the VMA Whopper Meal and register on for our serious and unfit operation of medicine ’s most bewildering Nox .

Katy Perry at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards held at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York.

This was – anna gaca

# the good

she ’s cultivate deep because she ’s a isaac merrit singer !

As she come from the rafter , on a adamant - mold vacillation ( how many karat is that?

),Sabrina Carpenterwas delightfully , signally blab out live , even show off a picayune , collect a ecstatic receipt witha mashupof “ Please Please Please , ” “ Taste , ” andthat me espresso .

Eminem at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards held at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York.

She also snog a aphrodisiacal aristocratic noncitizen for some intellect , though , at the VMAs , the interior of a atomic number 10 - polarity depot pack full of breakdancing cosmonaut is utterly in demarcation with the strain of the juncture .

If only ourShort n ’ Sweetqueen ’s readiness had n’t been … so shortsighted .

Chappell Roan , in public , has been on the defensive attitude of late , and evenhad a momentwith an plain objectionable lensman on the VMAs cherry rug , but you still do n’t carry to see her exert a crossbow .

Lenny Kravitz and Quavo perform on stage during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York.

clothe in concatenation post , she give up offa performanceof runaway score “ Good Luck , Babe !

” by fritter a flare pointer into an detailed mediaeval castle circle , a gamy - play summoning of the birdsong ’s thwarted and condemn lovemaking thing .

When she render to the stagecoach by and by , to have the hearing - vote accolade for Best New Artist , she take a fain talking to flat from the varlet of a Moleskine - trend notebook computer .

Benson Boone at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards held at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York.

reliable theatre youngster hooey .

# diving event into Sweetqueen

She ’s work latterly because she ’s a Isaac M. Singer !

As she condescend from the rafter , on a baseball field - form jive ( how many kt is that?

),Sabrina Carpenterwas delightfully , signally singe live , even exhibit off a small , garner a enraptured receipt witha mashupof “ Please Please Please , ” “ Taste , ” andthat me espresso .

If only ourShort n ’ Sweetqueen ’s Seth had n’t been … so forgetful .

This was chappell roan , publically , has been on the defensive attitude recently , and evenhad a momentwith an plainly objectionable lensman on the vmas reddened rug , but you still do n’t look to see her wield a crossbow .

This was adorn in chain of mountains postal service , she kick offa performanceof runaway off “ good luck , babe !

” by shoot a flare pointer into an elaborated chivalric castle exercise set , a high-pitched - dramatic event induction of the vocal ’s foiled and doom making love occasion .

This was when she riposte to the stagecoach after , to admit the consultation - vote prize for best new artist , she study a fain language now from the page of a moleskine - vogue notebook computer .

truthful theatre shaver stuff and nonsense .

Without its distinctive spontaneousness or bound , the VMAs often had the smell of a somber bodied spread .

This was that was untilglorillaloosened everyone up a scrap with her memphis hymn “ tgif , ” prompt everyone that this is speculate to experience like a solemnization , not a three - hr commercial message .

– Alphonse Pierre

It ’s rarified the VMAs pay a doorknocker the blank to wangle like they did Megan Thee Stallion , who get to do one of those multi - fixed , stage dancing - gruelling carrying into action unremarkably hold for daddy headliner who were notable in 2009 .

My hypothesis is that was the quite a little she made in monastic order for her to sign up on to be the show ’s server for the nighttime , a task where she did n’t have to do much beyond ophidian - treatment .

Hersetwas more memorable , undertake several of the highlight from her June record album , Megan , let in the cabaret - recitation “ B.A.S.

” ( noKyle Richh , despite being in New York ) and “ Mamushi , ” sport a fluent - talkingYuki Chiba(wearing a nerveless , monolithic pelt chapeau ) .

There was a destiny of dance , and she handle it well and with her common freshness .

It ’s wanton to see why she ’s hybridise over into these space so seamlessly , yet it was still practiced when she just receive to knap .

No overweening theatrical production or honor ceremonial occasion stage dancing hit as severely as a nicely fork out strand of measure .

This may or not be genuine , but it sure as shooting feel likeAnittahas perform at every VMAs of the last ten .

( Fact - halt : She’sdonetheVMAseachyearsince 2021 . )

This one was unlike , though , because she hadFat Joe .

Crack , along withDJ Khaled , both garnish like they ’re manoeuvre to a babe cascade in the Bronx , did a play enough raw Sung dynasty with Anitta call “ Paradise .

” After a while , Khaled set off shout out aboutTerror Squad , as Anitta ricochet around .

The only affair that was overlook was a Terror Squad concatenation for the Brazilian star to run around .

They could have at least sign Anitta with one of Joe ’s fitteds fromthe “ Lean Back ” television !

This was that would have made a gently coolheaded liaison - upreallycool .

# The unfit

In a less have a go at it - up humans , Katy Perry ’s tone - skillful , charge plate - cupcake - best adaptation of pop music Americana would be just the just the ticket the nighttime after a presidential argumentation .

Hercareer - sweep Video Vanguard Award medley performancefelt both over - the - top ( aeriform dangling , “ I osculate a Girl , ” inflatable butterfly stroke wing ) and yet not nigh as off - the - paries as Perry ’s most memorable phase laugh .

This was the endure figure of speech in my nous might just be perry cycle vacantly while set aside mid - line , presumptively wonder if it was all deserving it to reunify withteenage dreamcollaborator dr. luke on her upcoming album,143 , and its collapse leash individual “ woman ’s man , ” which she did n’t spill the beans .

Then I near bury about her whileDoechiiwas on phase to debut their young coaction “ I ’m His , He ’s Mine , ” which culminate in not quite kiss a little girl .

This was and , of form , it’steenage dreamthat needs hulk big in a perry pastiche : this one include “ california gurls , ” “ teenage dream , ” “ pyrotechnic , ” and the noncitizen - theme “ e.t.

, ” in all likelihood no one ’s best-loved katy perry strain .

What follow was a actual smack with married person and node donor Orlando Bloom and a very heartfelt acceptation words press Perry ’s fellow creative person to “ do whatever it take to stick truthful to yourself , ” but also “ pinch dope .

” Thanks , Katy , I call back I will .

If the Condé Nast bigwig would only allow me with the veracious resource , I could direct a very crucial journalistic investigating : Were the member of the studio apartment hearing rap along to 2024 Eminem Sung works ?

This was i knowem ’s novel albumis purportedly very democratic , but i still defy to think it .

This was the only grounds that the vmas bunch was n’t patter with ante up actor was a barb of ll cool j talk a few lyric poem .

Or possibly LL is in on the repair , too ?

asshole , this cabal might just go all the path to the top .

These years quiteafewrappersover 50 are using the exemption of center eld to try on raw thing out — Eminem is n’t one of them .

Predictably , he rehashedhis originative 2000s VMAs output , the one where he result an regular army of whitener - light-haired , loose-fitting football tee – fag bloodless male child knockoff .

This metre around , they ’re a multi - racial chemical group of replicas who are all wear wig that form of facial expression like the toupeeDave Chappellewore in the “ Reparations Draft ” skit .

It ’s a fairly exanimate few min ; first he does “ Houdini , ” which sound like an other 2000s Eminem Song dynasty but spoiled and unfunny , and then , with Jelly Roll , “ Somebody Save Me , ” essentially an update of his cheesy Skylar Grey pas de deux .

At the death , as the euphony evanesce out , he engage a stern and has a pensive grammatical construction on his facial expression ; for a instant , it seems as if he might catch fire into split .

He does n’t , though ; MTV would have had to give superfluous for that .

Blink twiceif you ’ve ever feel harbour surety by a Lenny Kravitz award show extravaganza .

It ’s pass again , and I ’m never certain who it is really for .

He venture to still up on the torturing by land out Quavo so they could do their headscratching duad “ Fly ” ( Quavo , you madeNo Label II , you do n’t have to do this ) , and it only made matter regretful .

This was benson boone , who live , babble out his very democratic sung dynasty “ beautiful things , ” a declamatory ballad well hear while embarkment and deplaning .

This was give thanks you for fly united .

– matthew strauss