With Miley set as the host and crazy out-of-this-world graphic teasers galore, there was no doubt that this year's MTV Video Music Awards would be a show to remember. Indeed, Miley didn't disappoint with her wild outfits, brash 'tude, and a slew of star-studded performances … and yet still, the awards show managed to throw us more than a handful of shocking surprises.
1. Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj Prove There's No "Bad Blood" Between Them
Now a days, it seems like every celebrity is feuding with another. Thankfully, a 'rumored' spat between Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj found a happy ending during the intro performance for the VMAs, when the feather-adorned Nicki Minaj was joined by Taylor Swift in a colorful, sparkly collision of talent for a "The Night Is Still Young" and "Bad Blood" mash up.
2. … Then Nicki Minaj Went All "Bad Blood" On Miley
Uh, yeah. That happened, and the Internet is still freaking out about it. Nicki Minaj first voiced her upset with the VMA's through her Twitter when she self-deemed MTV snubbing her and her "Anaconda" music video for a Video of the Year award. Nicki expressed her anger through a flurry of Tweets, one of which seemingly seemed to call out Taylor Swift and her "Bad Blood" nom.
If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
When Taylor got involved, the interaction blew up on tabloids. Though yesterday, the music video queens proved that they had zero real "Bad Blood" for each other (above), Miley got herself involved in the issue after speaking with The New York Times prior to her VMA spotlight.
"What I read sounded very Nicki Minaj, which, if you know Nicki Minaj is not too kind. It’s not very polite. I think there’s a way you speak to people with openness and love," Miley said of her fellow pop star. Apparently, Nicki didn't take too kindly to that sentiment and called her a b*tch on live television.
3. Justin Bieber Flies, and Cries
Justin Bieber is in full comeback mode after a couple of years building up his reputation as a wild child. After building up a month-worth of anticipation for his new track "What Do You Mean?," Justin returned to the MTV VMA stage for the first time in 5 years to perform his newest and "Where Are Ü Now" live. The performance was packed with his signature dance moves and a brief moment of Justin suspended and flying in the air, but the craziest part wasn't until after the music ended and the young celebrity seemed to break down in tears.
4. Kanye Does Like Kanye Does and Announces He's Running for President in 2020
Kanye West was honored with the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award this year. MTV tried their very best to stir up curiosity by electing Taylor Swift to be the one to hand him the award, but surprisingly, that wasn't the most buzzed-about moment of the entire interaction. When Kanye (politely) received the award from Taylor, he began what would become a 10-minute speech about his daughter, juice, Taylor, and the state of society. Though he tumbled through more than enough "bruh"s throughout the talk, he eventually came to his conclusion – Kanye is planning on running for president in 2020! The Internet blew up milliseconds after his announcement with memes and jokes, but we're pretty sure he's serious …
5. Miley Ends the Show With a Bang, and an Album Release!
She managed to avoid most controversies (minus a quick nip slip) during her time hosting the VMAs, but she couldn't let the show end without a memorable conclusion. Miley invited no less than 30 drag queens to join her for one last performance of her new song "Dooo It," dressed to the nines in sparkly, cartoon-esque outfits that only Miley could rock. She danced, wagged her tongue, and gave the audience exactly the Miley spunk everyone was waiting for – but wait, there's more! She ended the show with a quick fire shout out that her new album was out now, for free!
Her new album Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz has 23 tracks, some of which feature Big Sean, Sarah Barthel of Phantogram, and even an ode to her late pet dog Floyd. Listen to her entire album here.