If you haven’t realized it by now, Beyoncé is in a league of her own. The singer, while not a Rockford Peach, knocked it out of the park with an incredible “Lemonade” medley that contained more fire than a Cersei Lannister assassination plot. Arguably the most memorable performance of the night, the 15-minute spectacle featured songs like “Hold Up” an “Formation,” along with a special introduction by tennis great Serena Williams and a call-out to the female symbol at the very end. You can see it in all of its wonderful, feminist glory in the video above.
However, not everyone was impressed. “I ran the largest and best police department in the world, the New York City Police Department,” former mayer Rudy Giuliani said during Fox & Friends, per Mediaite. “I saved more black lives than any of those people you saw on stage.”
But her much-talked-about performance wasn’t the only marquee event in the Knowles-Carter household that night. With 21 Moonmen under her belt, including Video of the Year for “Formation,” Beyoncé surpassed Madonna and her 20 VMAS as the most decorated artist in the show’s 33-year history, according to the Hollywood Reporter. To put it simply, Queen Bey reigns.
While many believe she deserves to stand in the spotlight on her own, the singer is all about using her platform to bring awareness to major causes like the Black Lives Matter movement. Ahead of the event, she walked the red carpet with her guests of honor, the Mothers of the Movement, made up of Lezley McSpadden, Gwen Carr, Wanda Johnson and Sybrina Fulton (the mothers of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Oscar Grant and Trayvon Martin). As MTV pointed out, McSpadden, Carr, and Fulton previously appeared in her “Formation” video holding up pictures of their slain sons. Beyoncé also dedicated her Video of the Year award to the people of New Orleans, who are dealing with a disastrous flood that has left over a dozen people dead and tens of thousands without a home. Head here for information on how you can help.
Contrary to popular belief, however, the night wasn’t all about Beyoncé. Rihanna capped off her Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award win with a medley of her many hits, broken up into four performances throughout the show. During her acceptance speech, the 28-year-old noted that this marks the first time the award has landed anywhere near her native country of Barbados. Check out the speech in the video below.
So, what did you all think of this year’s VMAs? What were some of your favorite moments?
(via A.V. Club, image via Screencap)
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