Category: News

Fresh off the release of the deluxe version of her album, Versions Of Me, Brazilian popstar Anitta took the stage at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards. Her first time performing at the VMAs, Anitta performed “Envolver,” surrounded by men, as she let loose and danced freely.

“Did you think I wasn’t gonna shake my ass tonight,” she asked at the end of the song, before proceeding to do just that.

Earlier on the black carpet, Anitta teased a “Brazilian moment,” which would take place during her performance. Shortly after “Envolver,” she and her dancers danced to Brazilian hit, “Macumbinha” by Dinho DJ and Fu DJ, and briefly a short portion of “Lobby.”

This year has been a big one for Anitta. She has collaborated with artists like Quavo, Missy Elliott, Khalid, and Saweetie, and Maluma, and has delivered iconic visuals for her songs like “Lobby” and “El Que Espera.”

Tonight, Anitta is nominated for Best Latin for “Envolver.” The song went viral on TikTok this year, in the form of clips of the user imitating one of Anitta’s signature moves — hitting the ground and shaking her booty. In an interview with Billboard, Anitta revealed this type of energy comes naturally to her.

“I’m like this 24/7,” she said. “I’m not pretending to be like this and I think that’s part of the song’s success. If I had an actual strategy, it wouldn’t have worked.”

Check out the performance above.

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

On this week of “Succession but with more dragons,” a kingdom begins to rot, a friendship is ruined, a crustacean terrorizes Westeros, and Matt Smith acts like the messy little bitch he is.

House of the Dragon’s second episode, “The Rogue Prince,” shows the chaos that comes from settling on a girl as heir to the Iron Throne. While Rhaenyra does her best to lead, her father avoids his own royal duties by refusing to take a wife, and her uncle, Prince Daemon, throws a temper tantrum that puts the entire realm at risk. Naturally, this changes things regarding where the show’s major players stand in the quickly-expanding line for the big sword seat.

Here’s where everyone sits after this week’s mayhem.

The Pretenders

King Viserys

Just like Succession’s own strung-out Techno Gatsby, King Viserys seems more content to hang out with his side piece and watch his council implode on itself than actually rule. The most he does this episode – besides flirt with his daughter’s best friend (ew) and entertain the possibility of marrying a 12-year-old (double ew) – is rant about his brother, obnoxiously mourn his dead wife, and whine that his teenage daughter doesn’t think he’s cool anymore. As refreshing as it is to see a king actually hesitant to go to war, Viserys is causing both his allies and enemies to doubt the strength of his house by not acting on this threat in the Step Stones. We’ve reached a real “sh*t or get off the pot” moment with this guy, haven’t we?

Corlys Velaryon aka The Sea Snake

Corlys Velaryon’s worst trait is he’s just too everything. Too quick to anger. Too obvious in his thirst for power and status. Too desperate for the king to go to war on his behalf. A good poker player, he is decidedly not. Don’t get us wrong, we enjoy the hell out of every contentious council meeting he somehow always seems to instigate but, as much as he credits the drive from being a “second son” for his success, he could learn a thing or two about patience and stealth when it comes to his play for the throne.

Prince Daemon Targaryen

Matt Smith continues to be the best damn thing about this show – besides its flying, fire-breathing reptiles – and he’s on his bullsh*t once again as Daemon does his best to get his big brother’s attention. Some might see his six-month siege of Dragonstone, his declaration that he’s the true heir to the Seven Kingdoms, his marriage announcement, and impending “fatherhood,” and his theft of his dead nephew’s promised dragon’s egg as an act of sedition, but those people would be crusty old idiots named Otto Hightower whose detachment from his own daughter has allowed him to pimp her out to his best friend. No, Daemon doesn’t truly care about ruling, he just wants some validation from his big bro – and, also, the freedom to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. Honestly, same.

The Contenders

Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen

Poor Rhaenyra. It’s clear that, despite everyone’s assertion that she was born with the wrong “hardware,” she’s got more stones than any of the wrinkled ballsacks sitting on her father’s council. She’s been named as his heir but certainly doesn’t feel like one, and having her aunt remind her that the same lords who bent their knees would happily set her kingdom on fire should her father die an untimely death, isn’t helping matters. But, despite being betrayed by her bestie and threatened by her uncle, Rhaenyra managed to do a better job of ruling than her own father did in this episode, thwarting Daemon’s plans, encouraging her father to take another wife, and earning the respect of a powerful ally in Corlys Velayron. It’s clear Rhaenyra would make an excellent queen, but the jury’s still out on whether she’ll ever sit on the Iron Throne.

Otto Hightower, The Hand of the King

We know that last episode we compared Otto Hightower to Tywin Lannister but, this week, the guy puts Littlefinger to shame with his scheming. Instead of giving the king worthwhile counsel, he spends most of the episode posturing and positioning his house closer to the throne. After helping to thwart a potential match between House Targaryen and House Velaryon, Otto encourages his own daughter to visit the king the night he leaves to handle Daemon’s uprising. So yeah, this guy won’t be winning any Father of the Year awards anytime soon, but he might just live to see his offspring birth a king so, he’s still winning something.

Princess Rhaenys Targaryen

One thing we can say for certain is this: If Rhaenys Targaryen had been named queen, none of this f*ckery would be afoot. As it is, she’s doing her best to position her house in closer proximity to the Iron Throne. Part of that plan includes quite ruthlessly sacrificing her younger daughter to further her own aims, but another involves sowing doubt in Rhaenyra over whether she can do the job of leading, and if she even wants to. And, when she’s not making power plays, she’s simply minding her business, drinking her wine, and enjoying watching the men in her life peacock their way around court. Cersei Lannister would approve.

Alicent Hightower

With friends like Alicent Hightower, who really needs enemies. The girl keeps batting her lashes at the king, having secret lunches complete with history lessons on Old Valyria with him while her best friend grieves the death of her mother and worries over her inheritance. We understand Alicent is limited in her options – if her father tells her to do something, she’s got to do it – but girl, at least tell your friend what’s going on. Something like, “Yeah, so your dad and I have been hanging out more. It’s nothing serious at the moment. He’s just been showing me his Legos and talking about you mostly.” As it is though, this Becky with the good hair is doing a bang-up job of earning her crown. Hate the game, not the player, right?

Wound Watch

*Alexa, play Sheryl Crow’s ‘The First Cut Is The Deepest’*

Thankfully there are no new gaping holes in King Viserys’ aging flesh this week but that pesky pinky finger seems determined to fall off. At the moment, what started as a nick from his throne has grown into a rotting appendage that might soon need to be amputated. It’s a metaphor for how his kingdom is rotting and being feasted on by power-hungry maggots but it’s also just plain gross. Work on your hygiene, man.

House of the Dragon is going full force on this Sunday evening after pulling off record-busting numbers and even taking down HBO Max, which probably didn’t expect quite as much demand for the history of the House of Targaryen. But people are into it, and the show’s ready and willing with Defenders and Contenders for the Iron Throne. The first episode gave us a lot of Game of Thrones-worthy moments, for sure, including a moment that compared to the Red Wedding and some “Dracarys” for good measure.

How are people reacting to “The Rogue Prince” episode, though? We will follow up on many happenings in this episode, but at first glance, people were freaking the hell out for a few reasons. One reason arrives purely out of shock value and has to do with that nasty wound that belongs to King Viserys I… who endured some “therapeutic” maggots.

Even more than that, though, people were losing it over the House of Velaryon and its intent to marry off young Laena to Viserys. The poor child isn’t even 10 years old, and it was evident that Viserys felt very uncomfortable about the possibility of this “match.” He could handle the maggots, but not this (he announced his intent to marry Alicent Hightower instead), and people agreed.

HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon’ airs on Sunday nights at 9:00pm EST.

Eminem and Snoop Dogg delivered their VMAs performance of “From The D 2 The LBC” live from the metaverse, in character as their Bored Ape NFTs. The new song, which appears on Eminem’s greatest hits compilation Curtain Call 2, is the two veteran rappers’ first collaboration in over 20 years. Their last song together was on Eminem’s 2000 album, The Marshall Mathers LP.

Prior to their collaboration, though, the two rappers had a minor tiff in 2021 after Snoop admitted (correctly) that he didn’t think Eminem was one of the top ten rappers ever — something that got Eminem’s stans in an uproar even though Snoop showed him love just a day later on Instagram. The incident prompted Em to sneak in what some thought were jabs at Snoop on his album Music To Be Murdered By – Side B. In the song “Zeus,” Em says:

As far as squashin’ beef, I’m used to people knockin’ me
But just not in my camp, I’m diplomatic ’cause I’m tryna be
Last thing I need is Snoop doggin’ me
Man, dog, you was like a damn god to me
Nah, not really
I had “Dog” backwards

Later, he explained that he felt Snoop’s comments were disrespectful, and “threw [him] for a loop.” Snoop shot back that Eminem should “pray” he didn’t respond to the “Zeus” lyrics, but insisted that the two were “still friends,” and in an interview last October, issued a mea culpa, saying he was “out of pocket” with the way he phrased his praise of their mutual rhyme heroes. Earlier this year, they shared the stage for the Super Bowl Halftime Show with Dr. Dre, proving that it’s all good in the hood.

15 years in the game, Nicki Minaj maintains her spot on the throne. Making a hotly anticipated appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards, Minaj took the stage, revisiting her several iconic eras.

During her performance, Minaj, who is also pulling in double-duty hosting the show tonight alongside Jack Harlow and LL Cool J, opened briefly with her Pinkprint cut, “All Things Go,” before quickly transitioning into “Roman’s Revenge” from her debut album, Pink Friday. She briefly recreated the video for her Kanye West collaboration, “Monster,” before dancing her way into a pink salon to perform “Beez In The Trap.”

Surrounded by unitard-clad dancers, she performed breakthrough hits “Moment 4 Life,” and “Super Bass,” during the latter of which, Jack Harlow and Taylor Swift were seen lip-syncing in the audience

As she performed “Ananconda,” she was guarded by two CGI jaguars and surrounded by men in leather harnesses.

Minaj closed the performance with her latest hit, “Super Freaky Girl,” which has been her first solo single to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Following her performance, Minaj was presented the Video Vanguard award by members of her fan army, the Barbz.

She thanked her inspirations, Lil Wayne, Lauryn Hill, and Doug E. Fresh, as well as Beyoncé, Rihanna, Britney Spears, and even her once-rumored rival, Mariah Carey, for giving her “huge opportunities [she’ll] never forget” in the realm of music. She also paid homage to late rappers, Pop Smoke, Nipsey Hussle, and Juice WRLD, as well as her father, her cousin Richard, and former business manager Angela Kukowski.

“I wish that Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson were here,” she said. “I wish that people understood what they meant and what they were going through. Even if they seem to have the perfect life.”

Over the years, Minaj has won several VMAs, including Best Hip-Hop Video for “Super Bass” in 2011, Best Female Video for “Starships” in 2012, Best Hip-Hop Video for “Anaconda” and “Chun-Li” in 2015 and 2018 respectively, and Best Power Anthem for “Hot Girl Summer” with Megan Thee Stallion in 2019.

In addition to the Video Vanguard Award, Minaj is up for two other awards tonight, including Song Of The Summer for “Super Freaky Girl” and Best Hip-Hop for her Lil Baby collaboration, “Do We Have A Problem?”

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

The 2022 MTV VMAs have so far been full of surprises, or have at least had a couple of major ones. Taylor Swift showed up out of nowhere and then so did Johnny Depp, although Depp’s presence was far stranger than Swift’s.

At quiet moments during the broadcast, usually around commercial breaks, there was an astronaut character (a nod to the Moonperson on MTV’s VMA trophies) floating over the room. If you look and listen carefully, you’ll realize that Depp’s head is superimposed into the helmet. He offered some dialogue, too, like when he quipped, “I just want you guys to know that I’m available for birthdays, bar mitzvah, bat mitzvah, weddings, wakes… any old thing you need.”

Depp, of course, is fresh off his Amber Heard trial.

The show is of course star-studded beyond Depp, as performing during this year’s show are Nicki Minaj, Jack Harlow (both of whom are also co-hosting alongside LL Cool J), Lizzo, Blackpink, Bad Bunny, Måneskin, Anitta, Panic! At The Disco, Kane Brown, Marshmello x Khalid, Snoop Dogg with Eminem, J Balvin, and 2022 MTV VMAs Global Icon Award recipients Red Hot Chili Peppers. Taylor Swift also unexpectedly popped up at the show.

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

J Balvin is one of the biggest stars in the world. He has a No. 1 single under his belt with the Cardi B and Bad Bunny collaboration “I Like It,” and the list of artists who get more streams than him on Spotify is a short one. Now his resume has gotten a tad more fleshed out, as he just performed at the 2022 MTV VMAs.

Balvin was joined by Ryan Castro to perform their collaboration “Nivel De Perreo.” With all due respect to Castro, though, the most notable guest of the performance was the giant twerking hologram that shook what its mama gave it throughout the song.

For this year’s ceremony, Balvin has a nomination, as his and Skrillex’s “In Da Getto” is up for Best Latin.

Aside from Balvin, also performing during this year’s show are Nicki Minaj, Jack Harlow (both of whom are also co-hosting alongside LL Cool J), Lizzo, Blackpink, Bad Bunny, Måneskin, Anitta, Panic! At The Disco, Kane Brown, Marshmello x Khalid, Snoop Dogg with Eminem, and 2022 MTV VMAs Global Icon Award recipients Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Check out Balvin’s performance above.

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

Now is an amazing time to be a Blackpink fan. Earlier this month, the K-pop titans returned with “Pink Venom,” their first new single in two years. Devotees were clearly thrilled about it, as the video had YouTube’s biggest premiere of the year so far. Now, the group has given fans something else to get excited about, as they just performed at the 2022 MTV VMAs.

Latto introduced the group, noting this was their first-ever performance on a US awards show. The four-piece was also joined by a bevy of backing dancers on the smoky stage as they made full use of the gigantic triangle video screen behind them to show off a variety of visuals as they sang, rapped, and danced.

As for nominations, Blackpink are helping to introduce this year’s new Best Metaverse Performance category, as their virtual concert in the PUBG: Battlegrounds video game is up for consideration.

Aside from Blackpink, also performing during this year’s show are Nicki Minaj, Jack Harlow (both of whom are also co-hosting alongside LL Cool J), Lizzo, Bad Bunny, Måneskin, Anitta, Panic! At The Disco, Kane Brown, Marshmello x Khalid, Snoop Dogg with Eminem, J Balvin, and 2022 MTV VMAs Global Icon Award recipients Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Check out Blackpink’s performance above.

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

Lizzo is having a moment right now. Her new album Special is her highest-charting so far, earning a peak at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, while “About Damn Time” was a multi-week chart-topper and a strong “song of the summer” contender (even if she wasn’t always so sure it would be the right lead single for Special). Now, she can put another feather in her cap as she’s fresh off a performance at the 2022 MTV VMAs.

Her performance started with a bit of “About Damn Time” before transitioning into her latest single, “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready),” all the while accompanied by a delightfully colorful light show behind her, complete with herself as a background dancer on the massive triangular video screen behind her.

Lizzo has some major nominations at this year’s show: She’s up for Artist Of The Year while “About Damn Time” is up for Song Of The Year. The track is also nominated for Best Pop and Video For Good.

Aside from Lizzo, also performing during this year’s show are Nicki Minaj, Jack Harlow (both of whom are also co-hosting alongside LL Cool J), Blackpink, Bad Bunny, Måneskin, Anitta, Panic! At The Disco, Kane Brown, Marshmello x Khalid, Snoop Dogg with Eminem, J Balvin, and 2022 MTV VMAs Global Icon Award recipients Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Check out clips from Lizzo’s performance above.

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

Jack Harlow opened the 2022 MTV VMAs with a literal performance of his hit song “First Class,” rapping as he entered the Prudential Center stage from a hallway mocked up to evoke the aisle of an airliner. Sitting in the seats were fellow stars like Lil Nas X and Chloe. But the surprises kept coming, as he was joined onstage by none other than Fergie, who blended in her hit “Glamorous” — which Harlow sampled for “First Class” — and finished with a crowd-pleasing call-and-response. In addition to performing, Jack’s co-hosting the show along with LL Cool J and Nicki Minaj and co-leads all nominees with Kendrick Lamar and Lil Nas X. They each have seven nominations.

Harlow has had a tremendous year leading up to the 2022 VMAs. In April, he acquired his first-ever solo No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “First Class,” which returned to the top of the chart twice. He followed up with his second album, Come Home, The Kids Miss You a month later, giving him his highest-charting album yet with a debut at No. 3. Meanwhile, when a pop culture faux pas incensed fans of ’90s R&B staple Brandy, Jack flipped her fiery response into an opportunity, performing alongside Brandy at the 2022 BET Awards.

Even with all that behind him, he’s got plenty to look forward to as well. In September, he’ll embark on his Come Home, The Kids Miss You Tour with City Girls, beginning in Nashville, TN on September 8, then finishing up in Atlanta, GA on October 16. He’s also set his sets on his next high-profile collaboration, revealing that he’s been manifesting a song with Andre 3000 “for a while” during an interview with Today.

Watch Jack Harlow’s 2022 VMAs performance above.

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