Shakira takes home the Video Vanguard Award and makes history
Shakira is taking home the MTV Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award after she performed a career-spanning medley of her greatest hits — a tradition for the award's recipients.
The award is presented "in recognition of an artist's overall achievements in music and film but is sometimes handed out as a lifetime achievement award," according to MTV.
"Thank you, MTV, for being part of my career since I was 18 years old," Shakira said in her acceptance speech. She also thanked her creative partners who helped bring her music videos to life and her kids, whom she brought to the show.
Shakira, who performed at the VMAs for the first time in 14 years, is the first South American and the second Latina to win the award.
The Colombian pop star sold 95 million records worldwide, making her the best-selling artist of all time. She also won numerous awards, including four Moon Persons, three Grammys, 12 Latin Grammys and 41 Billboard Latin Music Awards.
Shakira brings down the house. But is she lip-syncing?
Shakira is putting on a 10-minute show-stopping performance featuring a medley of her greatest hits.
But viewers of the VMAs on social media began to wonder whether she is lip syncing. It's not uncommon for artists who have extreme dance routines to sing to a track.
Regardless, Shakira is a musical queen. Her hips don't lie, and we love her for it.
Commence Shakira dance party
Can you type and dance at the same time? Asking for a friend.
The VMAs has struggled to find its footing in recent years, and it's becoming very apparent as the night goes on that it is relying very heavily on our collective nostalgia for the show.
However, an overreliance of nostalgia lends to a dearth of original culture. It's no wonder the VMAs lacks those iconic cultural moments these days — it is looking s much into the past that it is unable to drive culture into the future!
We're pumped about Doja Cat's new music
If one thing can be taken away from Doja Cat's music, it's that the star is unapologetic about doing whatever she wants.
She performed the single "Attention" off her forthcoming album with lyrics alluding to the pressures of being in the public eye ("Look at me/ Look at me / You lookin'?") Her dancers were covered in red paint, a nod to the title of her album, "Scarlet."
Plus Ice Spice gave a cute shoutout to Doja Cat before she went onstage, plugging that she will be joining the pop star on her latest tour!
Nostalgic or cheugy?
The 2000s icons presenting awards is starting to feel a little forced and dare I say — a little cheugy.
(Sorry to Ashanti.)
SZA wins best R&B
SZA's "Shirt" snagged the award for best R&B, but the singer wasn't present to accept the moon statue.
French Montana announces fund for Morocco
French Montana, a Moroccan American, announced he'll be creating an emergency fund for victims of the earthquake in Morocco.
"Before we get to the nominees, I want to spread some love and light to Morocco. They’ve been hit with a big earthquake," he said. "I’m setting up our emergency fund with globalcitizen.org/morocco, and I will be donating myself."
More than 2,900 people were killed in the earthquake that hit the North African country this weekend.
Taylor Swift wins song of the year for 'Anti-Hero'
Taylor Swift wins her second VMA of the night for "Anti-Hero." For those counting, that’s 2/11.
She gave a shoutout to her producer, Jack Antonoff, and their first collaboration together, "1989," in her acceptance speech.
"We'll be making music together until 2089," she said.
Slow down, VMAs!
About 45 minutes into the show and most of the NBC team live blogging agrees: How can there be any memorable moments if the show is going so fast?
As Uwa said on Slack, "it seems like its scheduled by the second." Added Kaetlyn, "This pace is for the TikTok generation."