The MTV Video Music Awards always come with high drama and spectacular performances. The 41st year of the iconic award show wasn’t as star-studded as previous years, but it still managed to bring a bevy of performances we will be talking about for months — or at the very least, tomorrow at work.
Scroll down for some of the biggest musical highlights from the 2022 VMAs, and sound off with your favorites in the comments.
Jack Harlow opens the show with surprise guest Fergie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6aMwTS0EVM
There’s no doubt that Jack Harlow has been the toast of the town since his breakout single with Lil Nas X dropped last summer. Tonight, he opened the show dressed as a flight attendant on a faux-plane filled with celebs like Avril Lavigne and Jimmy Fallon, before exiting into the ceremony stage to reveal Fergie, whose 2007 “Glamorous” he samples heavily on “First Class.”
Lizzo performs new single “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBUdsUdj_ik
While everyone was expecting Lizzo to perform viral hit “About Damn Time” (and she did!), she used most of her time to shine a light on her latest single “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready).”
Red Hot Chili Peppers win Global Icon Award
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES91RiD1W7k
The Red Hot Chili Peppers took home the second ever Global Icon Award (the first went to the Foo Fighters last year) and performed two of their biggest hits, “Black Summer” and “Can’t Stop.”
Lauren Spencer Smith Performs “Fingers Crossed”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ethi_WtJY2I
The simple, stripped-down performance of “Fingers Crossed” was exactly what we needed after so much pomp and circumstance.
Anitta Performs “Envolver”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNj3FInCBrw
Anitta won the Best Latin Award for “Envolver,” and gave a sultry performance showcasing why she’s taking the US by storm this year.
Eminem and Snoop Dogg appear as NFTs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GW3TWBlQgE
While this performance might have been more exciting with the actual performers performing, rather than having their NFTs perform for them, there can never be enough Snoop and Eminem performances. We stan the creativity, even if it wasn’t nearly as exciting as their Dr. Dre Superbowl collab.
Nicki Minaj steals the show with Video Vanguard Award medley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oyQWbd3NTY
Nicki Minaj took home her much-deserved Video Vanguard Award, celebrating it with a medley of all the songs that prove just why she so easily deserves the award. The 10-minute performance could have been double the length and we’d still be all over it.