The annual Video and Music Awards, the VMAs for short, took place on Tuesday, September 12. There were various performances from artists such as Olivia Rodrigo and Shakira, as well as a plethora of awards. Many musical artists walked away from the event with astronaut-shaped trophies in their hands, a symbol of the giant leap that was made by the introduction of music videos (which the VMAs were made to commemorate) in comparison to the giant leap made when Niel Armstrong first walked on the moon.
However, out of the 25 awards that were given out at the show, nine of them were won by one woman: the wonderful Taylor Swift.
When she first arrived, Swift adorned a black Versace dress with a high-leg slit and gold buttons that formed a line around the front. She paired the dress with black strappy heels and a multitude of different necklaces and earrings. In my opinion, it was very “reputation” coded (meaning that the outfit reminded me of one of her studio albums, “reputation”).
She ended up sitting next to Sabrina Carpenter (who will be opening for Taylor’s tour next month), Ice Spice (whom Taylor has collaborated with), and the cinematographer and editor for Taylor’s music video, “Anti-Hero.”
I ended up watching the entirety of the VMAs—all four hours. And although she didn’t make any sort of announcement nor did she do any kind of performance, I can confidently say that Swift’s presence was felt throughout the night.
A cameraman was strictly assigned to Swift, meaning that you could see Swift having a blast throughout the entire show. Whether it was singing along to the lyrics of Demi Lavato’s “Cool for the Summer” or cheering as Selena Gomez, one of her closest friends, won the award for Best Afro Beats, I could instantly tell that Taylor was simply focused on having a good time.
That doesn’t mean she didn’t end the night victorious. As I stated, she won nine awards, including Album of the Year, Best Direction, and Video of the Year, the ultimate crowning jewel for the VMAs. Considering the fact that she was nominated for 11 categories total, I’d say that Swift definitely had a clean sweep! As Lianna Enright ’24 puts it, “I’m honestly not surprised that she won so many awards. She’s so talented and she deserves every single one, without a doubt.”
I will point out that only four of the nine awards were actually shown during the televised award ceremony. The other five weren’t announced until later that night. However, we were still able to see four different award speeches, including one of Swift fangirling over NSYNC reuniting for the first time in years to give out the award for Best Pop.
Speaking of later that night, Swift attended the VMAs after-party wearing a short, denim dress paired with sparkling silver heels. If her first outfit gave off “reputation” vibes, her second look definitely reminded me of “1989,” her next re-release that’s coming out in October.
All in all, it was an extremely successful night for Swift, and I’m proud to say that I was there to witness it all. Although it would’ve been cool if the rumors about Swift doing a surprise performance with Fall Out Boy (whom she collaborated with for “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)”) were true, I’m extremely grateful for all of the funny memes and clips that arose from her presence at the award show. Can’t wait for next year’s shenanigans with the music industry herself, Taylor Swift!
