Month: August 2020

The MTV VMAs aren’t exactly the most traditional affair this year, but that doesn’t mean big performances have been stricken from the show. A lot of huge acts are participating, one of the most beloved being BTS. During pre-show interviews, Jaden and host Keke Palmer both cited the group’s performance as the one they were most looking forward to, and as BTS tends to do, they delivered.

They are hot off the release of their “Dynamite” video, and they took advantage of the timing of the VMAs to give the debut performance of the track during the ceremony. For the performance of the English-language single, they took to the (green screen) streets dressed to the nines and performed fun choreography for the upbeat pop tune.

BTS are among the most nominated acts of the year, as they have three nods tonight, all for their “On” visual: Best K-Pop, Best Choreography, and Best Pop.

There’s no doubt that a non-insignificant portion of the viewing audience for this year’s VMAs is part of the BTS Army, as the group’s famously enthusiastic fan base has shown up in major ways lately. BTS recently debuted the video for “Dynamite,” and it shattered YouTube records. During the premiere, there were between 3 and 4 million simultaneous viewers. The clip also reached 10 million viewers in just 21 minutes, and in its first 24 hours, it racked up an impressive 101.1 million views, making them the first group to eclipse 100 million views in a video’s first day.

Watch BTS perform “Dynamite” above, and find the full list of this year’s VMAs winners here.

On Friday night, the world was shocked to learn of Chadwick Boseman’s death from colon cancer — a health issue the actor had kept secret from all but his closest friends and family. The tributes poured in, from fans, from colleagues, from a world stunned to learn they’d lost an actor they assumed they’d be watching for decades to come. Some of those came from his fellow MCU actors, including Danai Gurira, the Walking Dead star who played Wakanda special forces head Okoye in Black Panther.

Alongside pictures of her and Boseman and empty on-set movie set chairs reading “T’Challa” and “Okoye,” Gurira posted a lengthy tribute to the actor with whom he helped make history, starring in the MCU’s first solo effort with a black lead.

“How do you honor a king? Reeling from the loss of my colleague, my friend, my brother. Struggling for words. Nothing feels adequate,” the actress and playwright wrote in her Twitter post. “I always marveled at how special Chadwick was. Such a pure hearted, profoundly generous, regal, fun guy.”

She continued:

“My entire job as Okoye was to respect and protect a king. Honor his leadership. Chadwick made that job profoundly easy … He was the epitome of kindness, elegance, diligence and grace. On many an occasion I would think how thankful I was that he was the leading man I was working closely with. A true class act. And so perfectly equipped to take on the responsibility of leading the franchise that changed everything for Black representation.”

“He made everyone feel loved, heard and seen. He played great, iconic roles because he possessed inside of himself that connection to greatness to be able to so richly bring them to life. He had a heroic spirit, and marched to the beat of his own drum; hence his excellence as an artist and the incredible courage and determination as he faced life’s challenges; while still guiding us all,” she wrote. “He was zen and sweet and funny (with the very best laugh), attentive, and truly, truly, good. I can’t even wrap my mind around this loss. A loss resonating in my own heart as well as around the globe. The children he inspired, my heart aches for them, to lose their hero just as they finally found him. I am so thankful to have taken the Black Panther journey with him. To have known him, spent time in his light and leadership and to call him forever a friend.”

Gurira — whose play Eclipsed was nominated for five Tonys back in 2015, including one for fellow Black Panther actress Lupita Nyong’o — has played Okoye not only in Black Panther but also in the Avengers entries Infinity War and Endgame.

(Via EW)

Miley Cyrus began teasing a new era of music shortly after she shared last year’s mellow EP, She Is Coming. While details of her upcoming full-length, She Is Miley Cyrus, have yet to be revealed, the singer recently shared the lead single. “Midnight Sun” arrived as a ’80s-inspired anthem of empowerment alongside her self-directed video. Now, Cyrus has graced us with her first-ever live performance of the single at the 2020 VMAs.

Trading in her wrecking ball for a mirrored disco ball, Cyrus gave it all in a dance-ready rendition of the track. Sporting an iridescent dress and her newly-sheared mullet, Cyrus showcased her smokey vocals with the disco-inspired track. “Fire in my lungs, can’t bite the devil on my tongue, oh no / I don’t need to be loved by you,” Cyrus belted.

Ahead of her performance, Cyrus opened up about the status of her impending release. The singer said she already has about 20 songs recorded for the record, but fans may need to be a little more patience before hearing full LP. “I really think that the record I made is meant for festivals, for shows, for touring,” she said. “So for me, I really want to wait until I can perform… my live performances really drive my music. That’s where I thrive: Me and the band. That’s what I would love to see happen in the near future, and I’m a patient person; Even though it may not seem that way, I am pretty patient, so I think I would like to wait until we can get connected to release a whole body of work.”

Watch Cyrus perform “Midnight Sun” at the 2020 VMAs above.

DaBaby reunited with the Jabbawockeez for his VMAs performance of “Blind,” “Peephole,” and “Rockstar,” all backdropped by apocalyptic visuals and — of course — elaborate choreography from the masked dance team.

DaBaby is no stranger to the virtual concert, using his appearance on the 2020 BET Awards to comment on the civil unrest currently unfolding nationwide in the wake of a string of high-profile incidents that saw police killing Black American citizens without consequence. However, that didn’t stop him from seeking to recover some of his lost revenue with a live show in Georgia that drew criticism for failing to follow social distancing guidelines.

Still, that was a far cry from where DaBaby started the year — under fire for accidentally punching a woman who got too close while trying to get a photo in a club, then garnering a lukewarm reception for his new album, Blame It On Baby. DaBaby may have wound up getting the last laugh, though.

For one thing, his and Roddy Ricch’s single from the album, “Rockstar,” not only topped Spotify’s most-streamed songs of the summer in addition to its several weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, but his appearance on a pair of peers’ singles put him in rare company with three songs in the top ten of the Hot 100. He’s also got a deluxe version of Blame It On Baby with 10 new tracks, so in the grand scheme of things, he’s one of the few people who can count 2020 as a good year — from a personal perspective, at least.

Watch DaBaby’s VMA performance of “Blind,” “Peephole,” and “Rockstar” above.

Ahead of the 2020 MTV VMAs, show host Keke Palmer appeared in a hastily pre-recorded message to address what she called the “devastating” loss of actor Chadwick Boseman on Friday, August 28. The clip was apparently shot without the benefit of professional equipment; Palmer used the opportunity to dedicate the show to Boseman’s memory. The VMAs official Twitter account echoed the sentiment, posting “RIP Chadwick Boseman. Tonight’s #VMAs is dedicated to him.”

Boseman passed away at the age of 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer, drawing a wave of of responses from across the movie, music, and sports worlds. Boseman, who portrayed the Marvel Comics superhero Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, received tributes during the NBA Playoffs as his co-stars and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler mourned him, marking his importance across the spectrum of pop culture, but especially for Black Americans who saw themselves in his portrayal of the Black superhero who broke box office records left and right and gave the world the iconic phrase “Wakanda forever.”

Boseman was praised for filming no less than six movies while fighting the cancer: Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, 21 Bridges, Da 5 Bloods, and of course, Black Panther.

Watch the VMAs’ tribute to Chadwick Boseman above.

With a No. 1 album and single in 2020, it’s been a huge year for The Weeknd. An awards show this year wouldn’t be complete without his presence, so thankfully, he led a stacked roster of artists performing at this year’s MTV VMAs.

For the show, he performed his aforementioned No. 1 single, “Blinding Lights.” Like previous performances of the track, it was cinematic in its presentation. Wearing his classic After Hours-era get-up, the camera stayed tight on his face before switching angles to reveal the 1000-foot-high Manhattan roof he was on. The performance literally ended with a bang, via a fleet of fireworks behind him.

The Weeknd is one of the top nominees at this year’s show, as he and Billie Eilish both sit in second place with six nods each. The Weeknd is up for Artist Of The Year, and his “Blinding Lights” video is nominated for Video Of The Year, Best R&B, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.

The After Hours promotional cycle has hinged on creative TV performances from The Weeknd. He brought “Heartless” to The Late Show late last year, and instead of taking the stage in the traditional way, he instead navigated the bowels of the backstage area, finding himself in surreal environments that made for a unique visual experience. He continued to extend the cinematic universe of After Hours with a Jimmy Kimmel Live! performance of “Blinding Lights” the next month, in which he was beat up and bandaged, much like he was for the album’s visuals.

Watch the performance above, and find the full list of this year’s VMAs winners here.

Bringing their undeniable talents to the big stage, Chloe x Halle took to the 2020 MTV VMAs to perform “Ungodly Hour.” Rocking a flashy look for their performance, the duo impressed with their performance of the Ungoldly Hour title track as they let their voices fly and dazzle the ears of listeners. Bringing life to what appears to be an empty warehouse, Chloe x Halle shined brightly thanks to the light show that bounced all over their wardrobe in the second VMA performance of their career. The duo is also up for two awards tonight with “Do It” receiving nominations in the Best R&B and Best Quarantine Performance categories.

Chloe X Halle’s performance comes months after the sisters shared their sophomore album earlier this year. Presented with thirteen songs and a guest appearance from Swae Lee, Chloe x Halle reached new heights while stripping their innocence for listeners on the new project. The duo has brought their new album to numerous TV platforms including a recent performance of “Do It” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Adding on to their very successful year, Chloe X Halle also landed on Michelle Obama’s Spotify playlist which she released to support her newly-launched podcast, Higher Ground: The Michelle Obama.

Watch their 2020 MTV VMAs performance in the video above.

The BMW Championship at Olympia Fields this week proved to be a U.S. Open-like test for the second event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, as scores the first three days were well above par on average, even for 70 of the best golfers in the world. However, Sunday produced a softer, more gettable course and the result was a thrilling final round.

Jon Rahm posted a 6-under 64 on Sunday to move into the clubhouse lead at 4-under for the tournament, one ahead of Dustin Johnson as he came down the closing stretch of holes. Johnson arrived at 18 needing a birdie to force a playoff, and was in serious trouble after pushing his tee shot into the trees right of the fairway. He hit a sensational cut shot from 182 yards to give himself a putt at birdie, but faced a lengthy, double breaker down the hill. Naturally, the No. 1 player in the world buried it.

Rahm was on the range staying warm in case of a playoffs when the roar from the 18th green went up for Johnson’s putt, and the two arrived back on the long 18th for the first sudden death playoff hole. This time it was Rahm who pushed his tee shot right into the rough, while Johnson got a great bounce off a tree left and kicked into the middle of the fairway. From there, DJ played a sensible shot into the center of the green, hole high, while Rahm caught a flyer and had a winding, 66-foot putt from the opposite corner of the green.

Naturally, the No. 2 player in the world buried it.

For a format that hasn’t always produced exciting results in years past, this week at the BMW Championship was some of the finest non-major golf you’ll see. On a course that had a major championship setup and required everything of players, the two best players in the world separated themselves on Sunday and met in the playoff, producing fireworks on 18. Heading into the Tour Championship, they’ll also be 1-2 in the FedEx Cup standings, meaning DJ starts a 10-under and Rahm starts at 8-under at East Lake, as they battle it out for $10 million.

After sharing the nominations for the award show at the top of the month, the 2020 MTV VMAs will celebrate some of the industry’s best visuals tonight at the award show. In what’s been a tough year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the award show has made the necessary adjustments to bring music lovers an enjoyable night of entertainment.

Leading the way with nine nominations each, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande both look to bring home multiple trophies following their impressive years. After sweeping the big four at the Grammy’s earlier this year, Billie Eilish is up for six awards at this year’s VMAs.

With winners being announced throughout the night, make sure to check back here to stay updated on who goes home with a Moonman award tonight.

Video of the Year
Billie Eilish, “Everything I Wanted”
Eminem Feat. Juice WRLD, “Godzilla”
Future Feat. Drake, “Life Is Good”
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me”
Taylor Swift, “The Man”
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”

Artist of the Year
DaBaby
Justin Bieber
Lady Gaga
Megan Thee Stallion
Post Malone
The Weeknd

Song of the Year
Billie Eilish, “Everything I Wanted”
Doja Cat, “Say So”
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me”
Megan Thee Stallion, “Savage”
Post Malone, “Circles”
Roddy Ricch, “The Box”

Best Collaboration
Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber, “Stuck with U”
Black Eyed Peas Feat. J Balvin, “RITMO (Bad Boys for Life)”
Ed Sheeran Feat. Khalid, “Beautiful People”
Future Feat. Drake, “Life Is Good”
KAROL G Feat. Nicki Minaj, “Tusa”
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me”

PUSH Best New Artist
Doja Cat
Jack Harlow
Lewis Capaldi
Roddy Ricch
Tate McRae
YUNGBLUD

Best Pop
BTS, “ON”
Halsey, “You should be sad”
Jonas Brothers, “What A Man Gotta Do”
Justin Bieber Feat. Quavo, “Intentions” [ft. Quavo]
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me”
Taylor Swift, “Lover”

Best Hip-Hop
DaBaby, “BOP”
Eminem Feat. Juice WRLD, “Godzilla”
Future Feat. Drake, “Life Is Good”
Megan Thee Stallion: “Savage”
Roddy Ricch, “The Box”
Travis Scott, “Highest In The Room”

Best Rock
Blink-182, “Happy Days”
Coldplay, “Orphans”
Evanescence, “Wasted on You”
Fall Out Boy Feat. Wyclef Jean “Dear Future Self (Hands Up)”
Green Day, “Oh Yeah!”
The Killers, “Caution”

Best Alternative
The 1975, “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)”
All Time Low, “Some Kind of Disaster”
Finneas, “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night”
Lana Del Rey, “Doin’ time”
Machine Gun Kelly, “Bloody Valentine”
Twenty One Pilots, “Level of Concern”

Best Latin
Anuel Feat. Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, KAROL G, and J Balvin, “China”
Bad Bunny, “Yo Perreo Sola”
Black Eyed Peas Feat. Ozuna and J. Rey Soul, “MAMACITA”
KAROL G Feat. Nicki Minaj, “Tusa”
Maluma Feat. J Balvin, “Qué Pena”

Best R&B
Alicia Keys, “Underdog”
Chloe x Halle, “Do It”
HER Feat. YG, “Slide” [ft. YG]
Khalid Feat. Summer Walker, “Eleven”
Lizzo, “CUZ I LOVE YOU”
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”

Best K-Pop
(G)I-DLE, “Oh My God”
BTS, “ON”
EXO, “Obsession”
Monsta X: “SOMEONE’S SOMEONE”
Tomorrow X Together, “9 and Three Quarters (Run Away)”
Red Velvet, “Psycho”

Video for Good
Anderson .Paak, “Lockdown”
Billie Eilish, “All The Good Girls Go To Hell”
Demi Lovato, “I Love Me”
HER, “I Can’t Breathe”
Lil Baby, “The Bigger Picture”
Taylor Swift, “The Man”

Best Music Video From Home
5 Seconds of Summer, “Wildflower”
Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber, “Stuck with U”
Blink-182, “Happy Days”
Drake, “Toosie Slide”
John Legend, “Bigger Love”
Twenty One Pilots: “Level of Concern”

Best Quarantine Performance
Chloe & Halle, “Do It” from MTV’s Prom-athon
CNCO, Unplugged at Home
DJ D-Nice, Club MTV presents #DanceTogether
John Legend, #TogetherAtHome Concert Series
Lady Gaga, “Smile” from One World: Together At Home
Post Malone, Nirvana Tribute

Best Direction
Billie Eilish, “xanny” (dir. Billie Eilish)
Doja Cat, “Say So” (dir. Hannah Lux Davis)
Dua Lipa, “Don’t Start Now” (dir. Nabil)
Harry Styles, “Adore You” (dir. Dave Meyers)
Taylor Swift, “The Man” (dir. Taylor Swift)
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights” (dir. Anton Tammi)

Best Cinematography
5 Seconds of Summer, “Old Me” (cinematography: Kieran Fowler)
Camila Cabello Feat. DaBaby “My Oh My” (cinematography: Dave Meyers)
Billie Eilish, “All The Good Girls Go To Hell” (cinematography: Christopher Probst)
Katy Perry, “Harleys in Hawaii” (cinematography: Arnau Valls)
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, “Rain on Me” (cinematography: Thomas Kloss)
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights” (cinematography: Oliver Millar)

Best Art Direction
A$AP Rocky, “Babushka Boi” (art direction: A$AP Rocky and Nadia Lee Cohen)
Dua Lipa, “Physical” (art direction: Anna Colomer Nogué)
Harry Styles, “Adore You” (art direction: Laura Ellis Cricks)
Miley Cyrus, “Mother’s Daughter” (art direction: Christian Stone )
Selena Gomez, “Boyfriend” (art direction: Tatiana Bianca van Sauter)
Taylor Swift, “Lover” (art direction: Ethan Tobman)

Best Visual Effects
Billie Eilish, “All The Good Girls Go To Hell” (visual effects: Drive Studios)
Demi Lovato, “I Love Me” (visual effects: Hoody FX)
Dua Lipa, “Physical” (visual effects: EIGHTY4)
Harry Styles, “Adore You” (visual effects: Mathematic)
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, “Rain on Me” (visual effects: Ingenuity Studios)
Travis Scott, “Highest In The Room” (visual effects: Artjail, Scissor Films and Freenjoy)

Best Choreography
BTS: “ON” (choreography, Son Sung Deuk, Lee Ga Hun and Lee Byung Eun)
CNCO & Natti Natasha, “Honey Boo” (choreography: Kyle Hanagami)
DaBaby, “BOP” (choreography: Dani Leigh and Cherry)
Dua Lipa, “Physical” (choreography: Charm La’Donna)
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, “Rain on Me” (choreography: Richy Jackson)
Normani, “Motivation” (choreography: Sean Bankhead)

Best Editing
Halsey, “Graveyard” (editing: Emilie Aubry, Janne Vartia and Tim Montana)
James Blake, “Can’t Believe the Way We Flow” (editing: Frank Lebon)
Lizzo, “Good as Hell” (editing: Russell Santos and Sofia Kerpan)
Miley Cyrus, “Mother’s Daughter” (editing: Alexandre Moors and Nuno Xico)
Rosalía, “A Palé” (editing: Andre Jones)
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights” (editing: Janne Vartia and Tim Montana)

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Jack Harlow has been balling out in 2020, so it’s only right the Kentucky native took his talents to an empty basketball gym to perform his breakout hit, “What’s Poppin,” at the 2020 MTV VMAs. Rocking a Utah Jazz Donavon Mitchell jersey that read “Say Her Name” on the back, Harlow enthusiastically performed the track as a team of hoopers practiced some layups and dunks behind the rapper. In addition to the performance, Harlow also looks to take home an award in the PUSH Best New Artist category.

The performance arrives in the midst of an extremely successful year for Harlow. Rising to fame thanks to “What’s Poppin,” the single grew to be one of the year’s most popular releases. Following a remix featuring Lil Wayne, DaBaby, and Tory Lanez, the single would peak at No. 2 on the Billboard singles chart. Harlow also landed a spot in the 2020 XXL Freshman Class list where he appears alongside notable newcomers like Chika, Rod Wave, Polo G, and more.

On a more recent note, Harlow landed on a pair of guest features this past weekend as he appeared Problem’s “Nothin” with Jay Rock and a remix of Saweetie’s “Tap In” with Post Malone and DaBaby.

Check out footage from his performance in the video above.

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.