Harlow opened her performance by performing her hit song “First Class” inside a mock airplane while her hit song “First Class” was sampled by Fergie’s “Glamourous”.
NEWARK, NJ — Rapper Jack Harlow took to the air to open the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, while Johnny Depp made a spectacular float above the audience as the Moon Man.
Harlow opened her performance by performing her hit song “First Class” inside a mock airplane while her hit song “First Class” was sampled by Fergie’s “Glamourous”. The rapper joined Fergie on stage – wearing a glittering silver dress with the red words “First Class” – who sang her 2006 jam.
“Thank you Fergie for coming with me tonight and cleaning this song,” Harlow said later in the show after winning the award for “First Class.” “The beauty of this song is that people don’t realize it’s so hip-hop because of the sampling. It means the world to me to bring Fergie into the mix like that. It really comes full circle. ‘Glamourous’ is my was one of the most important childhood songs.
During the show, Depp made a surprise appearance with his ex-wife Amber Heard, nearly three months after her defamation lawsuit was settled. The 59-year-old actor swam off the roof dressed as the famous astronaut with his face digitally inserted into a custom helmet.
“And you know what? I needed work,” Depp told the audience at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Lizzo danced Taylor Swift out of her seat as she performed her new single “2 Be Load (Am I Ready).”
Harlow was immediately called back to the stage to collect the show’s first award for her guest rendition of Lil Nas X’s song “Industry Baby,” which won for Best Collaboration. Both Harlow and Lil Nas X are tied for the leading nominations with seven apiece.
“This one’s for the champs,” Lil Nas X said before Harlow thanked him for contributing to the chart-topping single. The song led to his nominations, landing him alongside Drake, Bad Bunny, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles and Lizzo for Artist of the Year.
Kendrick Lamar entered the show alongside Harry Styles with seven nominations and Duja Kat followed closely behind with six nods. Sheeran, Billie Eilish, Drake, Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd each have five.
Swift accepted the award for best long-form video for her “All to Well: The Short Film.” The singer opened up about making her first short film, thanking the many actors who starred in the project, including Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien.
“We put our whole hearts into it,” Swift said.
Styles won Album of the Year for “Harry House.” He was unable to attend the awards due to his show at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Harlow is doing double duty, joining LL Cool J and Nicki Minaj as emcees for the show.
Minaj performed a medley of her biggest hits from “Roman’s Revenge,” “Chen-Li,” “Moment 4 Life,” “Bees in the Trap,” “Anaconda” and “Super Boss.” After her set, the rapper accepted the show’s Video Vanguard Award, which MTV said she is receiving for her artistry, barrier-breaking hip-hop and global superstardom. This honor goes to Michael Jackson.
During her acceptance speech, Minaj paid tribute to other music icons such as Jackson, Whitney Houston, Lil Wayne and Kanye West. He spoke about the importance of mental health.
“I wish people would take mental health seriously, even when you think they have the best life,” said Minaj, who later added her song “Do We Have a Problem?” won Best Hip Hop for With Lil Baby.
Eminem and Snoop Dogg brought the metaverse to the VMAs as the duo performed “From the D 2 The LBC,” which was featured on Eminem’s greatest hits album “Curtain Call 2.”
The Red Hot Chili Peppers took the stage as recipients of the Global Icon Award after being introduced by Cheech & Chong as their “favorite band of all time”. The band — which includes Anthony Cadese, Philly, Chad Smith and John Frusciante — performed several songs, including “By the Way” from the group’s 2002 album “By the Way” and “Black Summer” from this year’s hit “In Limited.” Kent Stop” included. Love” album.
Philly gives a speech about his love for humans, along with cockroaches, trees and dirt. Smith, the band’s drummer, dedicated the award to Taylor Hawkins, the late Foo Fighters drummer who died earlier this year.
“I dedicate this to Taylor and his family,” he said. “I love him and I miss him every day.”
Madonna, who is the most awarded artist in MTV history with 20 wins, became the only artist to receive a VMA nomination in each of five decades. She received her 69th nomination for her 14th studio album “Madame X”.
Lamar returned to the VMAs as a nominee for the first time since 2018, in Best Hip-Hop, Direction, Visual Effects, Editing, and a category called Video for Good, while his songs “Family Ties” and “N95 ” Competing for Best Cinematography.