The MTV VMAs are ostensibly about celebrate music video , but really , they ’re about create second : self-aggrandizing , softheaded , bizarre , and sometimes hilarious consequence . We ’re living in an epoch of ambitious music videos – Beyoncé ’s groundbreakingLemonade , Drake ’s unavoidable " Hotline Bling , " and Justin Bieber ’s advanced " no-count " – but the VMAs are still more about the performance , the talking to , and the side - eye - filled cutaway model to the crew . Here ’s a feeling at some of the uncanny , outrageous , and outright baffling present moment from the music channel ’s big nighttime .
Laura Perlongo achieves peak “jacket with no shirt” trend
This was a very popular look for the night – " Panda " doorknocker Desiigner and Ty Dolla Sign rocked their own rendering – but Laura Perlongo , the fiancée ofCatfishhost Nev Schulman , was the dependable case of this . Seriously , why weary a shirt when you have a jacket ? I see no understanding .
Farrah Abraham arrives as… Wonder Woman?
With a newWonder Womanmovie arriving in dramatic art , what best way to celebrate than by doing a little cosplaying ? It might not have been the most on - trend look , but it was original . All she needed was a Lasso of Truth .
Jaden Smith continues to be Jaden Smith
On Netflix’sThe Get Down , Jaden Smith play Marcus , a graffito - obsessed male child live in 1970s New York , but in actual sprightliness , he stay a visionary extraterrestrial being beamed in from a remote planet .
Beyoncé and Blue Ivy walk the white carpet together and OWN
This is how you make an entrance .
This wrestler struggles with a jacket
In one of the night ’s most bizarre performances , donut - licking singer Ariana Grande and rapper Nicki Minaj performed together in SoulCycle - nub terpsichore garb , surrounded by buff guys wearing writhe singlet . patently , these beefcakes were mostly there to be eye confect , but the guy rope below should figure out how to put a jacket on someone . Seriously , bro .
Drake gets stuck in traffic
To emphasize just how authoritative the actual honour are , Puff Daddy gave away the first award of the night , for Best Rap Video , to Drake , and theViewsrapper was … " stuck in traffic . " Come on , Drake . Get in an Uber .
Michael Phelps loves Future
One of the biggest secret of the Olympics was what ribbon - winning bather Michael Phelps was listen to in that highlymeme - able-bodied photoeveryone was sharing . Now we have intercourse : he was listen to Future , in all probability dream about hump up some commas . Though it was a little bizarre to hear Phelps introduce the Atlanta doorknocker as an " affirmative " artist – many of Future ’s songs are bleak and threatening bangers about feeling numb from taking so many drugs – hey , whatever urge you to drown , it ’s cool , man .
Chance looking like the lost Mario Bro
TheColoring Bookrapper has a thing for boilersuit , and he was n’t going to switch up his style for the VMAs , opt these khaki overalls .
Kanye West talks his shit again
Before stick in his new video for " Fade , " one of the moodier tracks off this year’sLife of Pablo , Kanye West gave a speech during his hard hype " four minutes " of complimentary time . What did Yeezus use the time for ? It felt like a combination of a pro - wrestling promo , a Ted Talk , and a best - man lecture , rambling and magical in the way that most of Kanye ’s # longform award pep talk are . He referenced his ongoingfeud with Taylor Swift , give hisex Amber Westa shoutout , called his wife a G , talked about the violence in his hometown of Chicago , and liken himself to Henry Ford and Steve Jobs . As far as Kanye " fustian " go , it was actually passably low - Florida key .
Cat lady from the “Fade” video!
The " Fade " video was very not low - key ! Isaac Merrit Singer Teyana Taylor helped Kanye recreate some of his best-loved scenes fromFlashdancewith this very sweaty clip , which resemble a sex - up workout video . And it ended with NBA champion Iman Shumpert making a cameo along with some sheep . And Taylor looked like a cat at the end ! Really , justwatch it yourself .
Josh “the Fat Jew” Ostrovsky throws bacon with Nick Jonas
Why did this fall out ? Just finish .
Beyoncé breaks a camera with a baseball bat
Can you imagine this show without Beyoncé ’s performance ? It would be passably uncheerful . The mega Beyoncé medley was the biggest show-stopper of the nighttime , an argument for theLemonadesinger as the premier soda creative person of the present moment , capable of driving immense crowds wild with heady and emotionally tender conceptual prowess part about the complexities of disgraceful life story in America . Plus , she smash a camera with a baseball bat !
Not cool, photobomber!
Not sure why this daughter did this . Photobomb Halsey or something . Leave Beyoncé alone .
Britney Spears goes full Borat
While Britney Spears has been a headline - making performer for VMAs in the past tense , her carrying into action this year had the misfortune of close following Beyoncé ’s , and Britney also had the difficult job of apportion the phase with the personal magnetism - dispute rapper G - Eazy and a bunch of shadowy paw . Plus , her rig kinda look like Borat ’s swimsuit . Sorry , Britney .
Rihanna gives us the heavy-metal logo
Rihanna received the Video Vanguard Award during the show , which meant the 28 - year - old vocalist catch multiple carrying into action that take in from various points in her vocation , but the best visual bit – well , maybe besidesANTIstandout " Love on the Brain " – was when we produce this metal - as - infernal region Rihanna logo ! If Rihanna tours with Slayer soon , do n’t be surprised .
Michael Phelps loves Jimmy Fallon’s Ryan Lochte impression
Judging from the sound mix of the show , it did n’t palpate like the crowd was super into Jimmy Fallon ’s impression of malicious gossip - hinge on Olympic swimmerRyan Lochte , but one somebody was super into it : Lochte ’s fellow swimmer Michael Phelps . Get that photo , Phelps .
Rihanna curving out of Drake’s kiss
Luckily , Drake was not stick in dealings the whole night , showing up just in metre in a prom - ready tuxedo to present Rihanna with her Video Vanguard Award . In distinctive Drake manner , it was a actor’s line that was more about Drake than the someone he was there to fete – gravely , at various points , it feel like he might propose to Rihanna in the middle of his speech – but he last catch it together enough to present his " Work " dance better half with this important award .
But then he went in for a candy kiss , and terminate up kissing Rihanna ’s neck ? It was the perfect awkward destruction to an equally ill at ease show .
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Dan Jacksonis a staff author at Thrillist Entertainment . He ’s on Twitter@danielvjackson .
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