Monday, September 10, 2007

Review: Britney Spears Opens the VMAs + A Pissed Off Kanye

Let's face it, MTV's Video Music Awards have been floundering for several years now. So, it only makes sense they would want to change things up a bit. Really, the Vegas set wasn't looking half bad and with an opening performance from Britney Spears, the award show would hopefully once again be a cultural event to be discussed in the following days. I was really rooting for Britney, and I even think that "Gimme More" song is pretty decent. However, right away, something was not right with this performance. Her lip-synching was off, and half the time she didn't try. Her dancing was a bit half-assed to say the least, and she did not appear to be having a good time. Was she even trying to dance? The whole sexed up choreography looked lame especially when compared to Chris Brown's performance an hour later. I think Common summed it up best with, "It felt like her heart wasn't in it. It didn't feel like she was really goin' for it. It just felt like she was there, man," he added. "There's so much talk about her personal life, you wanna see her come out on top. She eventually still can. But that performance, I don't think it was what we were lookin' for ... to light it up."

It would appear that this whole Britney "comeback" has been a bit rushed in the face of more bad publicity. Seriously, whoever is calling the shots over at Camp Britney is doing a shitty job. And don't even get me started on that outfit.


Kanye Is Mad
So in addition to mainstage performances, the VMA's hosted a series of concerts in hotel suites that they would cut in to on occasion. In the show's first hour, they cut briefly to 'Ye's "Fantasy" suite for one verse of "Stronger." He was looking pretty good in a suit, big white glasses, and matching big white microphone (I love that coordination). But, why, I asked myself, did they cut to commercial after one verse. Apparently, Kanye was a bit peeved as well, and ... can you really blame him? MTV reports ... "Kanye was watching the closing performance [a medley featuring Justin Timberlake, Timbaland and Nelly Furtado] on a closed-circuit monitor, and he started getting upset," a source who was backstage told MTV News. "He started asking anyone who'd listen why he wasn't allowed to perform on the main stage. 'Why did I perform in just a suite?' he was saying. 'Justin's my boy, but even he gets to perform in both a suite and on the main stage? Something's wrong here.'"

West - whose Graduation drops tomorrow!!! - was reportedly also perturbed about Spears getting to open (as opposed to him) and vowed never to return to MTV. We'll see how well that holds up.

Video: "Stronger" (complete performance)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love the idea that a reporter would ask Common about this, and that Common then gave such a thoughtful response.

Anonymous said...

Poor Brit. She needs someone to grab hold of her career and shake some sense into her. And give her a full-length mirror. She didn't look as gawdawful as everyone said ... but her figure is a bit beyond the bikini days.

Anonymous said...

the whole show was a mess. i wouldn't be surprised if they just cancelled the thing altogether.

Anonymous said...

Now I wish I had watched it. Although I understand it was more sad than deliciously bad.