Poll: What Was The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards’ Most Shocking Moment?
The Richter Scale is going to have to be adjusted to properly measure the shock of last night's (August 30) MTV Video Music Awards.
Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj, who'd previously been entrenched in a back-and-forth Twitter battle over the show's nominee-selection, teamed up on stage for the opening number. By the end of their "Trini Dem Girls"/"Bad Blood" mashup, it was clear they had buried the hatchet, and were playing for the same team.
The good vibes didn't last for Minaj, though, and after she was awarded the Moonman for Best Hip Hop Video by Rebel Wilson, she set her sights on show host Miley Cyrus. Responding to the New York Times piece in which Cyrus called Minaj "not too kind" for her previous remarks to Taylor Swift, the Pinkprint rapper posed, "What's good, Miley?!" from across the stage.
And while the show was dramatic for some, it was purely emotional for others. After a performance of "What Do You Mean?" from Justin Bieber—which found the pop star flying high over the audience—the singer was reduced to sobs. Was the crying a demonstration of crocodile tears, or the uninhibited joy of performing on the VMA stage for the first time in five years? We'll have to investigate further...
And in the realm of further investigation, time will only tell if Kanye West will make good on his promise to run for President in 2020. During his acceptance of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, which was presented by previous nemesis Taylor Swift, West questioned the ethics behind awards shows, urged the country to trust in the vision of its kids and threw his hat into the ring for a coming election.
While Kanye kept things democratic, Cyrus proved she was queen of the show when—after a trippy neon performance of her new song "Dooo It"— she announced that she'd just released a brand new album called Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz for free. We may not have access to the show's celebrity gift bags, but this might just be present enough.
Which moment left you most flabbergasted? Take a look back and sound off in the poll below!
Check out 10 things you may not have known about the MTV Video Music Awards:
Look back at Miley's wildest looks from the 2015 VMAs: