The 2020 MTV VMA’s, or should I say the 2020 Lady Gaga awards, took place on the night of August 30th. Ultimately, the show lacked a lot of flavor due to there being no real audiences and the performances being pre-recorded, I also question some of the award choices…there’s a lot to cover, so let’s get into it.

The show featured ten performers total, with Lady Gaga having the longest performance of them all. Simply put, Gaga’s performance was very weird; however, I think that’s what everyone expects to see from her. The performances fit her theme for her latest album “Chromatica” and she even had Ariana Grande on with her to perform “Rain on Me”. The thing is, “Rain on Me” should’ve been the only thing she performed. While the elements of the performance itself were interesting to watch, the only song that was big enough to deserve a performance was “Rain on Me”.

Two notable performances were from BTS and DaBaby. BTS danced in perfect synchronization with energetic choreography to their latest release, “Dynamite.” They also stepped into a different era with their outfits, which were more eccentric than any other performance that night. As for DaBaby, his performance was the most impactful. It’s admirable to see artists use their platforms to speak on things they care about and use it in their art, and DaBaby did just that. His performance paid tribute to the Black Lives Matter protests and was definitely something that would stick in your mind.

The best performance of the night was done by Doja Cat. The production was intergalactic, it truly looked like it was shot in outer space. Doja had amazing stage presence, looked gorgeous, and was even dancing. Something that stood out in Doja’s performance was how she didn’t blend in with her backup dancers. In some of the main acts, they weren’t outshining the dancers at all and it just looked like one big dance class, but Doja’s choreography was designed to make it clear she was the main act. Doja definitely should’ve gotten the biggest performance slot. Her album “Hot Pink” was very popular among teens and young adults, whereas I think the only song most people could name off “Chromatica” is “Rain on Me”.

Moving on from performances, let’s discuss the main award categories. “Rain on Me” from Lady Gaga ft. Ariana Grande won Song of the Year, which shocked me. Songs like “Circles” by Post Malone, “Savage” by Megan Thee Stallion, and “Say So” by Doja Cat were all nominated and define the last year much better than “Rain on Me”.

The Weeknd walked home with Video of the Year award for “Blinding Lights” which honestly, deserved. The music video was pleasing to watch, had nice cinematography, and fit the song extremely well.

The last two main categories are Artist of the Year and the Tricon award, which is specific to MTV. Lady Gaga took home both of these awards, which probably explains her extended performance time. The Tricon award is offered to artists who excel in three or more disciplines, which I think was deserved for Gaga. She is a well-rounded artist who has given the industry iconic songs, funky performances, and great artistry, there’s no denying that. Artist of the Year is a category I’m questioning, as she was up against Megan Thee Stallion who’s had an amazing year.

Maybe I’ve been living under a rock, but Lady Gaga simply did not have an impact on the past year that the VMAs made it seem. Another complaint is that the quality of the performances was awful. Many artists have done online concerts lately and have had 1080p quality but even the performances uploaded onto YouTube after were pixilated, if you’re going to do an online award show do it right. Dropping the criticism, they mentioned the passing of Chadwick Boseman and had a small segment dedicated to him, this was the most meaningful part of the whole show.

My final conclusion on the 2020 VMAs is that, if you didn’t watch them, you didn’t miss much. Watching the performances on YouTube after the show would’ve definitely been a better option instead of watching the entire show for two and a half hours.