Cabello nabs top prize at lackluster VMAS
MTV ceremony surprises, but not in a good way
NEW YORK — With most of the music industry’s top acts absent — from Beyonce to Bruno Mars — Monday’s MTV Video Music Awards lacked star power and felt flat, and some of the winners turned heads — for the wrong reasons.
Exhibit A: Camila Cabello bested Drake, Mars, Cardi B, Ariana Grande and Post Malone for artist of the year.
“I can’t believe this is for me,” Cabello said Monday. Neither can we.
Cabello achieved the unthinkable later in the show when she took home the top prize — video of the year — for “Havana.” Cabello’s song was a No. 1 hit, and among the video of the year nominees, “Havana” was the secondmost-viewed clip behind Drake’s “God’s Plan.”
But that’s partly because “Havana” was released last year and the other videos came out this year.
It was the night’s most shocking moment, and MTV seemed to send a message: You’re punished for not showing up and rewarded for attending.
Grande won for best pop and Post Malone took home song of the year. Drake, the most successful musician of the past year, didn’t win a single award.
MTV
Beyonce, Jay-z, Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar were restricted to technical honors such as editing, art direction, cinematography and visual effects. Childish Gambino picked up best direction, choreography and video with a message for his heralded video “This Is America.”
The show hit another low when Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B and DJ Khaled won best collaboration for “Dinero” — a song that peaked at No. 80 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart — besting the record-setting hit “Meant to Be,” by Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line, and Mars and Cardi B’s anthemic “Finesse” remix.
Then there was the Aretha Franklin tribute, a moment that Madonna made, well, all about Madonna.
The pop icon rambled about the early struggles in her career, finally informing the crowd that, inspired by Franklin, she sang “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” at an audition that became a breakthrough for her.
“None of this would have happened without our lady of soul,” she said. “She led me where I am today. … I want to thank you Aretha for empowering all of us. … Long live the queen.” It wasn’t clear if Madonna meant Franklin or herself.
At least MTV did play a clip of Franklin, who died last week, singing “I Say A Little Prayer.”
The VMAS, at Radio City Music Hall in New York, also lacked oomph with