15 Best Moments From The 2016 VMAs
The MTV Video Music Awards is one of the biggest nights in music and always offers up a few show-stopping moments that have the social media and pop culture worlds talking. In the past, we've seen Britney, Madonna, and Christina locking lips on stage, Miley twerking with giant teddy bears, and Kanye West stealing Taylor Swift's moment in the spotlight. This year's award show, which took place on August 28th at Madison Square Garden in NYC, didn't have anything quite as scandalous, but there were still plenty of juicy performances, appearances and acceptance speeches to keep us satisfied until next time. Here are the top 15 moments from the 2016 VMAs, including some of the hottest costumes we've seen this year, incredible performances from conquerors of the music industry, speeches that had us on the brink of tears (and sometimes, a bit confused), and amazing red carpet entrances that turned every single head.
15 Rihanna's Opening Performance
What better way to open our list than with the opening of the show? More than anything, the VMAs was Rihanna's night. The singer was honored with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the end of the show, so naturally, she was a huge part of the evening. Rihanna kicked off the night with a melody of her biggest hits from over the years, including "Don't Stop The Music" from her 2007 album Good Girl Gone Bad, "We Found Love" from her 2011 album Talk That Talk, and "Where Have You Been" from 2011 as well. The choreography was pretty awesome, as there are few things we enjoy more than watching Rihanna shake and dance. Riri can pull off baby pink better than most, and we don't know really how to describe her unique costume… except that it was pretty much a t-shirt bodysuit, painful-looking corset and cowboy chaps.
14 Kanye's Speech
Would it really be an awards show without Kanye West ranting on stage about something? Nope, definitely not. Yeezus left wife Kim Kardashian's side mid-show to introduce his new video "Fade" and deliver a few bizarre words, beginning with, “I am Kanye West. That feels really great to say." We'll briefly sum up his speech for you, but really, try to find it somewhere because this was one to see. At first, he talked about how he might lose an award to Beyoncé (which isn't a big deal to him because he likes her winning). Then he talked about his "Famous" cover, Kim's ex, his ex, the political situation going on in Chicago, how he loves everyone (including Taylor Swift), how life can be worthless, the fact that people are poor… and then he finally listed his idols and included himself. Yup, everybody was confused. But, of course, the crowd went wild.
13 Beyoncé And Blue Ivy's Entrance
Since Bey has taken the music industry's throne, she's been appearing on red carpets less and less. So now when she does make an entrance, it's a huge deal! She arrived at the VMAs with her daughter Blue Ivy Carter, and the two wore gowns which kind of matched. They were both adorned in sequins, but of course, Bey went a little further by adding a ton of feathers. The two walked hand in hand down the white carpet, and you could just tell that everyone was totally honored to be in their presence. Blue wasn't her mommy's only companion for the night, though. The super famous singer also brought along four mothers who lost their sons because of tragic events and appeared in Beyoncé's Lemonade video (and she was also accompanied by a couple of other inspiring women). One thing's for sure, Beyonce sure knows how to make an entrance and keep our interest.
12 Alessia Cara And Troye Sivan's Duo
Okay, so this awesome moment happened during the pre-show, but we loved it enough to include it on our list! Both Alessia Cara and Troye Sivan are relatively new names in the music business, but they're quickly proving they've got the talent with their hit songs. Alessia kicked off the performance with her track "Wild Things" from her 2015 record Know-It-All. The anthem for self-confidence quickly got pre-show attendees revved up, and then the Canadian-born singer headed up to the stage where she was later joined by Troye Sivan. Troye delivered a rendition of his song "Wild" off his 2015 album of the same name. The two performed together flawlessly, and we think we might be dealing with some serious future stars here. Instead of eye-catching costumes and special effects, fans were treated to some raw vocal talent. You can catch the performance online, and you should definitely check it out.
11 Britney's Performance
Whoever is not excited for Britney's comeback is def a liar?! Okay, so some people are not really sure if it is one or not, because hey, she has been performing for years and years and years. Whether you liked the performance or not, it definitely was not easy to forget. Brit sang -- or rather mimed -- to her latest song, "Make Me… " feat. G-Eazy (from her new album Glory) before getting into "Me, Myself and I", which is G-Eazy's song with Bebe Rexha. Her choreography was tight and together, and her 34-year-old bod looked amazing in that revealing yellow, sparkly leotard and matching high boots. We have stuck it out with Britney for nearly 20 years now, so we are glad she is not showing any sign of slowing down. The performance was almost like a preview of her Vegas residency show, and we are definitely glad that she is back.
10 Rihanna's Dancehall Performance
Rihanna changed up her look and vibe more in one night than most other artists do in years, but hey, that's why we love her. In her second performance of the night, the singer took to the stage (which really seemed more like a club) to sing and twerk (but mostly twerk) to a few more of the hits she's had since her humble island beginnings. She began with "Rude Boy" off her 2009 record Rated R and brought back memories of the era in which she rocked that blonde mohawk. She moved on to "What's My Name" from 2010's Loud, keeping with that reggae-inspired tone, before finishing with her current smash hit "Work", which, let's be honest, none of us can get out of our head (even if we don't know every single word in it). Riri didn't appear to be lip-synching in her fur-trimmed bra, but this performance was all about the hot dancing, and she was awesome.
9 Beyoncé's Wins
Queen Bey took home seven awards from VMAs… not that she really needed them to prove her worth to the other contenders. In doing so, she actually overtook Madonna who previously held the title for most VMA wins (20, to be totally exact). Now, Beyoncé has 24 in total and has established a new record all at the young age of 34. Not all her wins were aired, but we did get to see her accepting the awards for Best Female Video, which she won for "Hold Up", and Video of the Year for "Formation." Her acceptance speech for Best Female was short and sharp, though she did take the time to hug all four presenters (who happened to make up four-fifths of the US women's gymnastics team). We love the mutual respect flowing between all the ladies because it taught the world a little more about the power of sisterhood!
8 Ariana Grande And Nicki Minaj's Performance
Pop diva Ariana Grande and rap queen Nicki Minaj have proven that together, they are a real dynamic duo! The two joined their talents on stage to perform their new song "Side by Side", which is from Ariana's 2016 album Dangerous Woman. Ariana appeared on stage riding a stationary bike in a line with her dancers, and though she was pumping those legs, she barely missed a note! As usual, her tone was Celine-ish, and she may have sounded a bit puffed out by the end, but still managed to deliver the impeccable vocal runs she always does. If that wasn't enough, the girl also gets credit for not falling over in those massive platformed heels. Nicki wasn't on stage very long, but her standing there in a pink leotard was good enough for us! And in this performance, the male dancers were the ones being objectified for a change…
7 Rihanna's Middle Performance
Rihanna returned to the stage for the third time just after Bey won Best Female Video with a new, bad-a$$ look and aura, and we loved it even more than her first two performances! Wearing a jet-black mullet-styled wig that was reminiscent of her 2013 Diamonds World Tour days, Rihanna began the medley with "Needed Me", a favorite off her long-awaited record, Anti, before moving into 2012's "Pour It Up" from the sultry Unapologetic. She finished the set off with "B*tch Better Have My Money", which since its 2015 release has proven to us that Rihanna is a total boss. Well, not that we had any doubt! Her thigh-high Manolo Blahnik x Vetements boots were the focus, and saved the outfit from being a little bit forgettable! As usual, Riri looked like she was having the time of her life while sticking to her choreography, and that impulsive energy definitely sets the girl apart from everybody else in the game.
6 The Chainsmokers And Halsey
Even though the vocals started off a little shaky, "Closer" is our 2016 summer jam, so seeing it performed live was definitely one of the best moments of the night. We loved watching Drew from the Chainsmokers (who is also a DJ), which may or not have something to do with the fact that he is gorgeous. Hey, just being honest here, and you know you were thinking this, too! Halsey joined him on stage to sing her verse of the song, and it was hard to notice how strong her vocals were at first because we were focused on the serious underboob situation she had going on. Good on her for having the confidence to wear an outfit like that in front of millions of people, we say! Once the two started singing together, their vocals seemed to blend magically, and we wanted to see a repeat performance.
5 Rihanna's Acceptance Speech
The night was definitely all about Rihanna, so everyone was definitely looking forward to her acceptance speech after being presented with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award since the beginning of the show. The fact that she was even able to hold it together and confidently address millions of people without blubbering because of Drake's words is amazing in itself. Rihanna selflessly paid tribute to her home country of Barbados and made it clear that she shares her success with her family, her home, her fans and all women. She was totally humble and thanked everybody who's helped her out over her 11-year career, and took us back to the very beginning of it all, retelling how she was plucked from an island and swept away to Jay-Z's office. It was all pretty inspiring, and Rihanna's made it clear that the fame hasn't gone to her head as much as it may seem!
4 Rihanna's Last Performance
Rihanna's last performance was different from the rest, mostly because of the lack of twerking, but also because her singing was on point! Everybody knows that Riri is gorgeous, everybody knows that she has stage presence and everybody knows she can work fashion that nobody else would dare, but her abilities as a vocalist are somewhat less renowned. She proved to all the critics how far she's come as a singer when she belted out "Stay", "Diamonds" and the utterly soulful and powerful, "Love on the Brain", which we think showcases Rihanna's chops like no other. The song was made for her! It wasn't just her vocal technique that made us fall in love with her final performance, but she delivered it with so much feeling and energy that we were shivering with every single note. Few artists can do that, and it can't be taught, so hats off to her!
3 Beyoncé's Medley
We knew this performance was going to be epic simply because it is Bey, but when her gal pal Serena Williams introduced her, we could not contain our excitement! Let us be clear: Bey's performance was so powerful that you almost wonder whether the whole event was secretly just an extension of the Formation World Tour with interval appearances by the rest of the music industry. The megastar was first dressed in a white cape (that looked like it was worth more than our lives) and a wide-brimmed hat to start off with "Pray You Catch Me" before diving into other hits from Lemonade, like "Hold Up", "Sorry", "Don't Hurt Yourself'" and the female-empowerment anthem of 2016, "Formation". The whole medley had insane choreography and effects, plus layers of symbolism and some of the best vocals of the night. While you couldn't be shocked at such a performance because she never delivers less than amazing, it was still something mouth-drop worthy!
2 Drake's Confession Of Love
This made us so happy! There has been speculation over the relationship status of Drake and Rihanna for years, but few details have ever really been confirmed. The Canadian-born rapper was such a cute choice to present Rihanna with her Video Vanguard Award, and the entirety of the audience at Madison Square Garden must have been squealing with delight as soon as he stepped onto the stage. He said a bunch of really sweet things about her, including a retelling of the very first day they met on the set of her "Pon de Replay" video in Canada, and went on to gush about everything we love about her before admitting that he's been in love with her himself since he was 22 years old! The internet lost its cool when it appeared that Rihanna swerved away from Drake's kiss, but new pictures from different angles show that she did kiss back, thank goodness.
1 Alicia Keys' Poem
Alicia Keys' moment on stage was somewhat overshadowed by the rest of the epic stuff that took place, but we think it was the most beautiful thing to happen all night. Alicia got up there to pay a tribute to Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech and recited a poem to honor its message. Through some inspiring words, Alicia painted a picture of a world without hate, and without segregation of society caused by things like race and sexuality. At first, she merely recited the lines, but then (because she's Alicia Keys, of course), she belted them out acapella, and the whole of Madison Square Garden was blown away by the sheer power of her voice. We love seeing celebrities use their fame to promote positivity, which is why Ms. Keys takes the top spot! She also gets major respect for having the confidence to turn up to the VMAs without makeup.