I had the privilege to be in the same arena as Kanye West, Beyonce, Rihanna, Michael Phelps, and The Fab Five (Gabby Douglas couldn’t make it so it was only the Fantastic Four) last night in NYC. And that may be an overstatement because I am not exactly sure if it’s a privilege but it is a historic pop culture moment for the VMA books. For a commoner like me, I will never understand the Hollywood Fast Life but as I sat in the third tier of Madison Square Garden looking down at Mr. West’s white t-shirt, Bey’s baseball bat, and the glowing lights of the 31 year old VMA lights, I couldn’t help but appreciate the fanatics and antics that go into making an entertaining show. Even though I witnessed a lot, I found that I missed some gossip that only the clever cameraman could pick up. Here is what I saw and what I failed to see after being present at the 2016 VMAs.
Where Is Drake?
The night was centered around Rihanna who was honored with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. But every time she took the stage (4 times!), I was waiting for Drake to join her, especially during their motley of songs like “Work”, “What’s My Name”, and “Take Care”. It just so happened that Drake was never stuck in traffic but rather building the courage to say “Hey RiRi, I love you” and hand her the most prized Moon Man of the night. If only I wasn’t already in Penn Station waiting to hop on a train when Drake showed up fashionably late…
Wait, The Queen Is Performing?
As great of a performer Beyonce is, I thought it was rude she stole the show from Rihanna (Rude Girl instead of Rude Boy?). My critical analysis skills were lost as soon as the fog cleared to unveil the mask of Queen B, unleashing an epic, 15 minute performance. If I had been at home, I would have heard MTV’s pre-show announced 10 minutes before 9 p.m. that Beyonce was going to be live. I’ll take “Surprise, Beyonce is Performing!” any day.
DJ Khaled’s Voice
Being well aware that DJ Khaled was voicing the MTV pre-show, I had no idea we would be blessed with his hoots and hollers during game time. But for the life of me, I couldn’t find his “It’s the VMAs!”, “Major Key”, “They don’t want us to win!” anywhere by the stage. I know I was far from the stage but if anyone pinned his location, I would be curious to know where he actually was.
Why Did Brittany Not Sing Old Brittany?
At age 6, Brittany was my first popstar hero, but I was still too innocent to be able to see her in concert. While I was embracing my teenage years she went off the deep end, leaving me to never enjoy her slays on the stage. You can imagine how much I was fan-girling last night, but what about her old songs? Brit gave an awkward goodbye wave and ran off the stage. I want “Baby, One More Time”.
Halsey, Why Couldn’t We Be From The Same Town In Jersey?
I hail from slightly southwest of Halsey’s hometown, Washington, NJ. For those of you who haven’t blasted “Closer” 24/7 yet, Halsey is the dynamic female voice on that track who has also graced us with “Colors” and “New Americana”. I would like to know where I can buy her outfit from last night.
Taylor Spotting, Or Just Another Tall Model?
After The Garden announced Taylor had arrived at the VMAs, I looked for a super tall girl in a long white gown. Why a white gown? I thought Taylor would naturally match her BFF Mr. West. I found a super tall girl in a long white gown and the whole night my eyes lasered between #Yeezus and this woman. Well, this morning I found out Taylor had to be in Nashville early on Monday morning to fulfill her duty as a good citizen on jury duty. Another let down.
I may not have seen Taylor Swift in the flesh or “selfied” with the “Famous” crew, but I did get to dress up and sit amongst people eager for action and hot for the game. Thank you Myles and 92.3!
