Since I’m sure a few of you caught this, I figured it’d be interesting to have a discussion about last night’s MTV Video Music Awards.
Many of you certainly remember last year’s big VMA moment: Kanye West coming on stage and interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech. Now, I think we can all agree that was an epic douche move on behalf of 'Ye (not someone known for his forethought in matters of this sort and he was drunk as shit that night) and the media certainly did rail against Kanye all while supporting Taylor and giving her career a serious boost. Don’t get me wrong, the girl wasn’t hurting before the incident, but she definitely got a lot of headline recognition due to Kanye’s antics. Here’s a really terrible quality YouTube video of the incident, if you haven’t seen it.
Kanye has apologized numerous times, including most recently via Twitter a week or two ago and his career did take a hit for a while-- he just barely has started coming back into the mainstream after what happened.
So, a whole year has gone by since that happened and last night was the MTV VMAs. There were lots of jokes about Kanye throughout the night. Then, Taylor came out and performed this (not sure how long the link will stay live on Youtube). Personally, while I felt bad for the girl last year. . . this made me shake my head so hard. The intro with the clips (nobody forgot what happened), the drama, the virginal white dress, the maudlin antics, the sun rising at the end. . . I just can’t. He interrupted a speech like a douche, he didn’t rape you. Granted, the song is all about how she forgives Kanye, but goddamn it was a little melodramatic (“32 and still growing up now, who you are is not what you said”).
Then Kanye closes the show with this which includes the lyrics:
Now, the song is actually about women who date jerks, but the point still stands. You’ve got to give credit to the guy for showing a little humility for the first time. . . well, ever.
Anyway, long story short- I give the point to Kanye. He stole the show with his performance. What do you guys think?
I agree with you. Kanye 1, Taylor 0.
Kanye actually went back to the studio, and did what he does best- write and produce witty raps that are fun, catchy, danceable, and have an extra little jab underneath them for an extra boost. That’s why i loved Kanye Pre-“Heartbreak and 808s” and so hearing him perform his single made me excited- Old school Kanye is back, and he’s learned a few things, but he’s still going to do it his way. I’d want nothing more, nothing less. The emo-shit’s outdated.
Taylor Swift on the other hand, has released a song of one. Is the song meant to be for all the 32 year olds out there, and seeking comfort from a 20year old country-pop starlet? Her song is nice, but it’s not a single, and it’s not really moving on in a musical way. Her performance as well was just over the top, dramatic, and though the lyrics in the background were nice, replaying the Kanye incident was REALLY unnecessary and basically just re-hashing the drama.
At that point it just felt like Taylor was going to try to cash in further on her incident from last year. Her song isn’t really a lasting single, and really rather specific to one person. It would be nice as an extra song, or a one time shot, but I really hope it’s not on her album, because that’s just even sadder and pathetic.
That’s why Kanye gets the Win here. Kanye can easily move on as an artist and bust out his song during his concerts and his song will work alone, and for those in the know, will have people humoring it because they know he’s talking about himself. But will Taylor continue to bust out her “innocence” song at her concerts? If that’s the case, that’s just cheesy and a wee bit like you’re trying to stretch your extra-20 mins of fame from a single incident. How many times will you have to sing “You’re only 32…” before it gets old?
From what I was reading today, it’s definitely on her next album and it might be the lead single. Who knows. But I agree with you that it’s a bad move for sure.
Listen, I think Kanye was an ass for what he did, thought the boy had a point.
But Taylor’s song last night. Wow. Talk about really bringing the melodrama. I cringed all the way through it. It was taking it self a smiiiddgggee too seriously.
She should just get over herself. Whatever if some guy thinks some other video is better than the one for your song. Ok, she can care a little. But just let stuff roll, have fun, and be the big person about it. Everyone will like you better.
She was understandably upset, but I blame the media for the longevity of the whole thing, not her. And Kanye kept bringing it up… over and over and over…
I didn’t watch and don’t really care, but did anything not absolutely scripted happen? These two are performers, not reality show contestants, and I am sure the producers of the VMAs were more than happy to rehash the whole “controversy” once more. I suppose it is possible that Ms Swift still carries a grudge, but I wouldn’t judge that based on a performance that likely had significant outside direction.
Her song, lyrics, singing voice and accompanying melodrama were cringingly awful, but I think it was genuine - that’s how she sees the world. The two of them were pressured them to give the incident a musical closure to increase ratings or something, which was a terrible idea. I thought it was interesting that instead of telling him that she forgives him, she told him to forgive himself, as though her forgiveness was never even in question.
But as far as I’m concerned, nothing he could do will ever make up for what he did to her last year. No, it wasn’t rape. So what? He fucked her over. In what should have been one of the best moments of her life up until then, he shamed her in front of millions of viewers. So he was drunk? That makes it understandable? He should exile himself to Tibet and spend the rest of his life contemplating what a piece of shit he is and why he doesn’t deserve to have a comeback. Plus, then she’ll never have to perform that awful song again.
Maybe next year the VMA producers will give them a reciliatory duet to perform, written by Beyonce.
P.S. I didn’t see Kanye West’s performance, because after cringing through Taylor Swift’s I couldn’t watch anymore. My younger daughter listens to her a lot, and I actually find most of Swift’s stuff pretty enjoyable and think she’s a strong role model, but this song was really horrible.
Winning an MTV Video Music Award was one of the best moments of her life? I’m pretty sure the Grammys she has are more meaningful, but I suppose I’m in no place to speculate.
^I was just about to say the exact same thing, what about the time when she won 400 Grammys, including Album of the Year? Taylor Swift has been so successful, she should be thanking Kanye for guaranteeing she’ll always remember getting an MTV Video Music Award, and then in a few years she can pull it out of the giant pile of awards in her storage room and reminisce.
Taylor Swift is nice enough but in my opinion Kanye West is a genius. They’re both releasing new albums later this year, and dragging out this incident will only make people continue to compare them - but Kanye is currently releasing some of the best music of his career, while Taylor has been criticised for releasing songs that all sound the same.
Taylor will sell more - she has ridiculous commercial appeal - but in the long run, Kanye will come out of this looking better. They need to move on, so that both of them can just continue making music without this shadow hanging over them.
The song Taylor performed won’t be the lead single for her next album - the lead single, ‘Mine’, has already been released - but I bet it’ll be on there.
