"You'd think so. Instead, there were multiple performances that were just concert recordings. A Video Vanguard who looked like she wanted to be anywhere but her native Long Island. And the world having to hear Yungblud pretend to be Ozzy Osbourne. It's not all bad, of course, as Sabrina Carpenter and Lady Gaga (even from a different venue) did their best to bring some pizzazz to a show typically known for its over-the-top nature."
"Sabrina Carpenter emerged from a personally embossed manhole onto a New York street straight out of Ryan Murphy's Pose to perform "Tears," the release-day single from her new album, Man's Best Friend. Colman Domingo in drag was cute and all, but it was a delight to see Carpenter flanked onstage by real drag performers and unequivocally calling for trans solidarity amid the White House's continued attacks against trans rights."
The 2025 VMAs aired primarily on CBS with LL Cool J hosting, shifting the show to network television. Expectations of a bigger, ratings-boosting spectacle met a mix of live highlights and disappointing choices. Several performances resembled concert recordings rather than dynamic, live television moments. Sabrina Carpenter delivered a theatrical, politically minded set featuring drag performers and trans solidarity. Lady Gaga contributed energy from a different venue. Doja Cat opened with an '80s homage but underwhelmed, and Yungblud's Ozzy Osbourne impersonation proved awkward. The show alternated between memorable theatrical moments and tame or prerecorded segments.
Read at Pitchfork
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