The 2019 MTV Video Music Awards were a force to be reckoned with. The rich and famous were ready to showcase their striking looks on the red carpet. However, the event wasn’t all about the glitz and glamour. The occasion highlighted different groups, such as the LGBTQ and dance communities.
Not only were the celebrities ready to take on the night, this year’s award show became diverse in various aspects.
Genelle Nkwochk, a third-year bio-tech major, said, “The VMAs were very interesting this year compared to other years, that’s for sure.”
Key highlights consisted of Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello’s big win for Best Collaboration for “Señorita,” leading into their lustful performance of their award-winning song. Another key highlight was Lil Nas X scoring “Song of the Year” for his song, “Old Town Road,” that took over the Billboard charts.
Aside from the victories and performances, the most monumental victories went to Taylor Swift and Missy Elliot. The “Video of the Year” moon man award went to Taylor Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down.”
As Swift thanked her team and fans, she mentioned at the end of her video there was a petition for the Senate to support the Equality Act. The signatures on the petition bypassed the amount that was needed for action and she signaled that time is ticking. Her time ticking signal was referring to the pending action that the Senate has yet to change. Swift wanted to make it clear that we all deserved to be treated equally through her video that also included infamous LGBTQ icons.
Anne Solorzano, a first-year criminology major, said, “I feel like it was very good for her to use her platform because a lot of people that I know listen to her music and look up to her for a lot of things and really enjoy her videos and her songs. So, using that as a platform like could help spread a lot of awareness that either don’t know about the community or have turned a blind eye to it.”
Missy Elliott accepted the biggest honor of the night and took home the “Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.” Proclaimed artists with the highest musical accomplishments are recognized within this righteous award.
Missy Elliott’s rise to fame started in the early mid-1990s and left a trademark in the music industry. Her music videos showcased forms of art, such as visual production and dance. After 17 years, Alyson Stoner, dancer and Disney actress, made a guest appearance on the stage with Elliott that led the audience to jump up on its feet. She [Missy Elliott] ended her speech with dedicating this award to the dance community from all around the world. Elliott said, “Ya’ll are not props, ya’ll are the icing on the cake, ya’ll are the beat to the heart.”
“What she said about dancers is extremely motivating as a dancer,” said Matt Nyguen, a fourth-year political science major. “Not only motivating in a sense of wanting to perform for a big artist or wanting to even make a big name for myself, but motivating in a way that gives the act of dancing a little bit more appreciation.”
Throughout Elliot’s career, her respect is known for the dance community. She dedicated the award to them to make sure everyone knows how grateful and humble she is about their hard work.
Overall, the MTV VMAs left a mark in history. This year’s award show wasn’t only about the awards and performances, but also about the people. Viewers vote for their favorite artists in hopes that they’ll take home a silver moon man. The artists catered to the viewers and especially their fans. MTV’s platform received the utmost praise by not only the media, but the viewers as well.
