Katy Perry Shines in 2024 MTV Video Music Awards Performance
Katy Perry proved she was still at the top of her game when she received this year’s highest MTV Video Music Award, the “Video Vanguard Award.”
In August, MTV announced the Y2K popstar would be honored with the “Video Vanguard Award” at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. MTV’s highest accolade honors an artist’s iconic videography and significant influence on pop culture; for Perry, the award feels long overdue.
We’ll never forget the experience of watching the music video for 2010’s smash “California Gurls” as a child, completely immersed in its cotton candy, blue-haired fantasy world. She crafted a whimsical universe, a lost art in today’s music videos. Not only did she create a world of fantasy, but she also tapped into deep emotions in her videos.
In the 2008 video for “Thinking of You,” she portrayed the anguish of losing a lover to military conflict. Although most children couldn’t personally relate, the way the video conveyed those emotions made many feel they’d experienced it themselves. That’s the mark of a powerful video, and as mentioned, Perry’s videography truly deserves the recognition it has long been overdue for.
She took the stage to celebrate this honor with a 10-minute performance of her classic hits.
She kicked off her performance with the 2014 hit “Dark Horse,” floating above a group of galactic-themed dancers. The performance seamlessly transitioned into another smash hit, “E.T.,” where Perry executed backflips and walked on air. The production is so remarkable that you almost forget the singer is suspended by strings, looking incredibly lifelike. The singer exudes confidence and fun, delivering strong vocals and hitting every mark in a show that took weeks of preparation.
Rapper Doechii joined Perry to perform their upcoming collaboration “I’m His, He’s Mine,” from the upcoming album 143. The song is catchy, sultry, and fun; we haven’t gotten it out of our heads since the performance. The performance bears a resemblance to Cardi B’s and Megan Thee Stallion’s rendition of “WAP” at the 2021 Grammy Awards. But, it’s steamy enough to elicit a humorous reaction from her boyfriend, Orlando Bloom.
However, the performance truly gets going when she transitions back to her iconic Teenage Dream era. When she starts “California Gurls,” we’re instantly on our feet. The moment that intro plays, it transports you back to when you first heard the song. It’s a whirlwind of nostalgia. Perry and her dancers, dressed in both galactic and gilded costumes, keep the show going. The revamped mixes of these songs are just as captivating as the originals, perfectly tailored to Perry’s 143 era.
The highlight of the performance is when Perry performs “Teenage Dream,” one of the five number-one hits from the album. This moment is particularly sentimental, as the song beautifully captures the feeling of being a teenager in love.
She demonstrates in this performance that she is a pop legend with an unmatched iconic discography. This production solidifies her status as one of pop’s greatest hitmakers, featuring stellar production, a captivating concept, and a strong sense of nostalgia.
Social media seemed to share the same sentiment.
You know it goes hard when it’s Katy Perry ROCKING pic.twitter.com/mICGRz2IeC— JUAN (@kalisredmoon) September 12, 2024
losing my mind at katy perry just dangling waiting for orlando bloom to finish introducing her for her vanguard award performance #VMA pic.twitter.com/yLUwZRA0MC— rach (@hargitayworld) September 12, 2024
You can pre-save Katy Perry’s 143 here.
