The Video Music Awards have been around since the '80s when greats like Madonna and Michael Jackson were the ones to watch. MTV is bringing a whole new level of crazy with this year's host, Miley Cyrus. This year it takes place live from Los Angeles. With twerkin' Miley as host, there is no doubt she'll be sticking her tongue out, rock on up, wearing a minimal amount of clothing. But the real questions are: How will she handle Taylor Swift after the recent call-out, how high will she get, and will she twerk for us one more time?
Taylor Swift, no surprise, leads the nominations with a total of nine, Ed Sheeran coming close with six, and Kendrick Lamar with four. Performances are on the hush-hush, but my guess is at least one from those top three nominees. I mean, if we're going to vote for them, they might as well give us a show, right? Along with Nick Jonas and Walk the Moon during the pre-show and The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face" during the awards.
With eight voting categories (video of the year, best pop/rock/hip hop, best male/female, artist to watch and collaboration), these are a few of the videos that caught my eye and get my vote.
1. Best Message: "Try" by Colbie Caillat
"You don't have to try so hard.
You don't have to give it all away.
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up.
You don't have to change a single thing."
The lyrics and the video portray the female struggling with "trying too hard." Colbie uses women of different ages and backgrounds, beginning with makeup, wigs, and fake eyelashes, and sings of encouragement to show their natural beauty without Photoshop and touch-ups. The women take it all off and shake out their hair, letting the natural beauty shine. Her message says that it's OK to wear makeup, but it's also OK not to,and I think that is the best message that can be given to young girls right now.
2. Best Female: "Elastic Heart" by Sia
Controversy and questions were neverending with this masterpiece. "Elastic Heart" came as a sequel piece to Sia's other original, "Chandelier." "Elastic Heart" is so simple yet so electrifying with 12-year-old "Dance Moms" star Maddy Ziegler and actor Shia LeBeouf. The two are naked and struggling to escape the cage, which signifies the bodies we trap ourselves inside. Maddy playing the wild side and Shia the voice of reason, the two entangle themselves in each other, fighting anger and loving yourself. This piece deserves best female video because Sia's creativity and artistic mind have gone so far, raising not just questions but thoughts about ourselves.
3. Video of the Year: "Bad Blood" by Taylor Swift
Even though I am not the biggest fan of Taylor Swift, I have not only grown to love the song but the music video as well, and I mean LOVE it. T.Swift groups together popular ladies from every scene in entertainment. Ellen Pompeo, Hayley Williams, Jessica Alba, Ellie Goulding and, of course, Selena Gomez (among many others) train and get ready to fight. This song/video is shockingly not about an ex of Swift's but "faux friend" Katy Perry. With the terrific story line, effects, costumes, weapons and not to mention music, this group of female bad blooded badasses deserves the moon man.
4. Best Male: "Chains" by Nick Jonas
With a close call between former JoBro Nick Jonas and The Weeknd, all grown up and awfully sexy Nick gets my vote. Lyrically, Jonas is trapped in chains to a hopeless love, but even if he could find the keys, he wouldn't free himself. The video shows Nick being dragged, tied to a chair, kicked and ultimately tortured by his love. This brooding video shows the aggressive and abusive relationship mixed with love and torn feelings including entrapment as he continues to run toward her "giving his heart while she takes his soul." Nick Jonas can give me his heart any day after this video.
Tune in Aug. 30 to see wild Miley, unnamed performances and moon men delivered.
