--- description: Beyoncé's show-stopping performance saw her performing most of the songs from last year's surprise album in a few short minutes title: Watch Beyoncé's Epic VMA Medley image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd906403cd94d9f2a/6986a0b2d0b6f272b0305cf1/454109058.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Watch Beyoncé Perform Her Entire Album (Basically)  by [Nolan Feeney](/author/nolan-feeney/)  ## Nolan Feeney Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 25, 2014 3:36 AM CUT  Singer Beyonce performs onstage during the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Singer Beyonce performs onstage during the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California.Kevin Winter—Getty Images  by [Nolan Feeney](/author/nolan-feeney/)  ## Nolan Feeney Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 25, 2014 3:36 AM CUT When you’re accepting the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, your performance better be something _big_ — say, performing a medley of the majority of your “visual album” in roughly 20 minutes. Beyoncé closed out the show by running through most of the songs on her self-titled surprise release, which dropped at the end of last year with an accompanying music video for each song (as vanguards do). With the exception of her jewel-encrusted leotard, Beyoncé’s performance was otherwise unflashy — in the best way. She passed on costume changes and complex stage designs for simple showmanship and solid choreography while husband Jay Z and daughter Blue Ivy looked on from the crowd. If you ever wonder why devoted fans deify her with nicknames like Queen Bey and Beysus, this performance makes it clear. And if you wanted to know _anything_ about the state of Beyoncé’s marriage (or at least what they want you to think), take a hint from Jay, who presented her with the award while planting a kiss and calling her “the greatest living entertainer.” Um, what breakup? ### See Photos of Celebrities on the Red Carpet at the 2014 VMAs  Taylor Swift attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Jennifer Lopez attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Larry Busacca—Getty Images  Ke$ha attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Larry Busacca—Getty Images  Kelly Rowland attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Iggy Azalea attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Solange Knowles attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Singer Demi Lovato attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Laverne Cox attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Jordin Sparks and Jason Derulo attend the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Actress Julianne Hough attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California.. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Gwen Stefani attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Christopher Polk—Getty Images  Ed Sheeran and Sway attend the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Nicki Minaj attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Chloë Grace Moretz attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Alexandra Shipp attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Charli XCX attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Sarah Hyland attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Ariana Grande attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Tyler Oakley attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Lucy Hale attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Greer Grammer attends the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California.. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3170170/vmas-2014-beyonce-performance/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3170170/vmas-2014-beyonce-performance/"},"headline":"Watch Beyoncé Perform Her Entire Album (Basically)","datePublished":"2014-08-25T03:36:51.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:07:50.806Z","description":"Beyoncé's show-stopping performance saw her performing most of the songs from last year's surprise album in a few short minutes","url":"https://time.com/3170170/vmas-2014-beyonce-performance/","keywords":["Television","Music","Beyonce","vmas","mtv vmas"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd906403cd94d9f2a/6986a0b2d0b6f272b0305cf1/454109058.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nolan Feeney","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/nolan-feeney/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd906403cd94d9f2a/6986a0b2d0b6f272b0305cf1/454109058.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"2014 MTV Video Music Awards - Roaming Show","caption":"2014 MTV Video Music Awards - Roaming Show","creditText":"Kevin Winter—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3170170/vmas-2014-beyonce-performance/","name":"Watch Beyoncé Perform Her Entire Album (Basically)"}}]}] ```