--- title: VMAs 2015 Recap: Kanye West Speech, Miley Cyrus Song description: The evening's show felt like a clash of old and new canonical: https://time.com/4016445/vmas-2015-nicki-minaj-kanye-west-taylor-swift/ author: Daniel D'Addario article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-31T03:56:09.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:01:52.444Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: VMAs 2015 Recap: Kanye West Speech, Miley Cyrus Song og:description: The evening's show felt like a clash of old and new og:url: https://time.com/4016445/vmas-2015-nicki-minaj-kanye-west-taylor-swift/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt062aa91acd6ee0c6/6988619e0b72e35e546e59c7/kanye-west2.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: 2015 MTV Video Music Awards - Fixed Show og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: VMAs 2015 Recap: Kanye West Speech, Miley Cyrus Song twitter:description: The evening's show felt like a clash of old and new twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt062aa91acd6ee0c6/6988619e0b72e35e546e59c7/kanye-west2.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # At the VMAs, Kanye West Enlivens A Show Built Around Old Narratives  by [Daniel D'Addario](/author/daniel-daddario/)  ## Daniel D'Addario Aug 31, 2015 3:56 AM CUT  Kanye West accepts the Video Vanguard Award onstage during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Aug. 30, 2015. Kanye West accepts the Video Vanguard Award onstage during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Aug. 30, 2015.Kevin Winter—MTV1415/Getty Images  by [Daniel D'Addario](/author/daniel-daddario/)  ## Daniel D'Addario Aug 31, 2015 3:56 AM CUT Historically, the VMAs—MTV’s annual ceremony honoring the best in music videos—has been a staging ground for the best of music. This doesn’t (of course) mean that the acts featured have been the most talented, but they’ve always been the most interesting. One hopes, for the industry’s sake, this wasn’t the case this year. The biggest event might have been Kanye West’s receipt of a [lifetime achievement award](http://time.com/4016437/vmas-2015-kanye-west-taylor-swift-video-vanguard-award "undefined"), but presenter Taylor Swift went beyond referencing old business (his interrupting her acceptance speech at the 2009 VMAs) and collapsed into sheer narcissism. (Did you know Kanye’s album was the first one she bought on iTunes?) West himself delivered a stemwinder of a speech that it’s not entirely uncharitable to suggest might have been somewhat lost on his audience; it ended with his joking declaration of a [presidential run in 2020](http://time.com/4016623/vmas-2015-kanye-west-speech-president-2020 "undefined") but included references to a detailed level of thought about what celebrity means and what it can do, thoughts that were absent entirely from a squeaky-clean-broadcast. Indeed, the show’s would-be “provocative” moments felt stagey, beginning with [Nicki Minaj’s welcoming Taylor Swift](http://time.com/4016434/vmas-2015-nicki-minaj-taylor-swift-opening "undefined") to the stage during the show’s opening number. Minaj and Swift had [exchanged words, online](http://time.com/3967118/nicki-minaj-taylor-swift-vmas-video-music-awards/ "undefined"), after the nominations for this ceremony came out, and their long-expected-to-the-point-of-obligatory joint performance had the voltage of an AA battery left out in the rain. Minaj’s attempt, in accepting an award, to [criticize ceremony host Miley Cyrus](http://time.com/4016582/vmas-2015-nicki-minaj-miley-cyrus "undefined") (who’d recently said the rapper was [“not very polite”](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/28/arts/music/miley-cyrus-2015-mtv-vmas.html "undefined") in the _New York Times_) fell flat, mainly because Cyrus herself seemed uncharacteristically unprepared for scandal. The host wore [scanty outfits](http://time.com/4016506/vmas-2015-miley-cyrus-outfit-red-carpet "undefined"), of course, but seemed afraid to respond to potentially newsmaking events around her, ignoring Minaj and talking over Justin Bieber’s teary post-performance breakdown. ### See the Evolution of Miley Cyrus  Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus on Oct. 8, 1994 at Pyramid Arena in Memphis. Ron Galella, Ltd.—WireImage/Getty Images  Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus in New York City on Feb. 9, 2006. Paul Hawthorne—Getty Images  Vanessa Hudgens and Miley Cyrus in Los Angeles on Apr. 30, 2006. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus at the 41st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 23, 2006. Kevin Winter—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus in Westwood, Calif., on July 17, 2006. Vince Bucci—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana on Nov. 2, 2008. Disney  Miley Cyrus in New York City on Oct. 23, 2006. Peter Kramer—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Ashley Tisdale on MTV's TRL in New York City on June 20, 2006. Michael Loccisano—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs as Hannah Montana in Uniondale, N.Y., on Dec. 27, 2007. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 80th Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 24, 2008. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton in an episode of Disney's Hannah Montana on Dec. 7, 2007. Disney/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus celebrates her 16th birthday during the 2008 American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 23, 2008. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift perform onstage at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 8, 2009. John Shearer—WireImage/Getty Images  Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus in the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie. Disney  Tish, Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus at the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 11, 2009. NBC/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 31, 2010. Larry Busacca—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs onstage during the 2009 Teen Choice Awards held at Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, Calif., on Aug. 9, 2009. Kevin Winter—Fox/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Sheryl Crow on stage at Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City on Sept. 17, 2009. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs at the 21st Annual MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto on June 20, 2010. George Pimentel—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2009 VH1 Divas in New York City on Sept. 17, 2009. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber perform at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Aug. 31, 2010. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs on an episode of ABC's Dancing with the Stars on May 2010. Adam Larkey—ABC/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth in the 2010 film The Last Song. Touchstone Pictures  Miley and Tish Cyrus at The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 13, 2011. Lester Cohen—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2012 People's Choice Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 11, 2012. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus at the 2012 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Los Angeles on Feb. 26, 2012. Christopher Polk—VF/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 20, 2012. Denise Truscello—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 6, 2012. Christopher Polk—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs during 2012 VH1 Divas in Los Angeles on Dec. 16, 2012. Kevin Winter—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus poses with fans in London on July 18, 2013. Ben Pruchnie—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the Fashion Group International's 30th annual "Night Of Stars" awards gala in New York City on Oct. 22, 2013. Evan Agostini—Invision/AP  Miley Cyrus performs on NBC's Today show on Oct. 7, 2013 in New York City. NBC/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus dances at Compound Entertainment and Malibu Red Grammy Midnight Brunch at Bagatelle/STK in Los Angeles on Feb. 9, 2013. Johnny Nunez—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus attends the "PUNK: Chaos to Couture" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 6, 2013. Stephen Lovekin—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus arrives at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 19, 2013. Jon Kopaloff—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus attends Rachel Zoe during Fall 2013 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center in New York City on Feb. 13, 2013. Jamie McCarthy—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the SiriusXM Studios in New York City on June 27, 2013. Slaven Vlasic—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards in New York City on Aug. 25, 2013. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Robin Thicke and Miley Cyrus perform during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards at Barclays Center in New York City on Aug. 25, 2013. Rick Diamond—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs at the 2013 American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 24, 2013. Christopher Polk—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs at the Time Square's New Year's Eve 2014 ball drop celebration in New York City on Dec. 31, 2013. Steve Mack—FilmMagic/Getty Image  Miley Cyrus at the 56th annual Grammy Awards Pre-Grammy Gala in Los Angeles on Jan. 25, 2014. Jeffrey Mayer—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs during Miley Cyrus: MTV Unplugged in Los Angeles on Jan. 28, 2014. Christopher Polk—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., on Aug. 1, 2014. Taylor Hill—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips perform in Los Angeles on Feb. 22, 2014. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards in Inglewood, Calif., on Aug. 24, 2014. Mario Anzuoni—Reuters  Miley Cyrus and My Friend's Place representative Jesse Helt at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards in Inglewood, Calif., on Aug. 24, 2014. Christopher Polk—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus walks with Jeremy Scott after a presentation of his Spring/Summer 2015 collection during New York Fashion Week on Sept. 10, 2014. Lucas Jackson—Reuters  Miley Cyrus attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 4, 2015 . Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs onstage during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Michael Tran—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus hosts the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Michael Tran—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs on Saturday Night Live in New York City on Oct. 3, 2015. Dana Edelson—Getty Images  Honoree Miley Cyrus accepts the Vanguard Award at the Los Angeles LGBT Center 46th Anniversary Gala Vanguard Awards on Nov. 7, 2015 in Century City, Calif. Joe Scarnici—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus on The Voice on Feb. 4, 2016. Trae Patton—Getty Images This was something more than professionalism. Had Cyrus been doing what VMA hosts have historically done, she might have given [Bieber](http://time.com/4016614/vmas-2015-justin-bieber-crying-where-are-u-now "undefined") the space to create a moment approaching authenticity. One might also have anticipated that an artist as well-versed in controversy as is Cyrus might have had a better response to Minaj’s criticisms than trailing off and then resuming her next canned speech. But she was on an endurance march through a ceremony that included performances by artists both little-known (Tori Kelly, Twenty One Pilots) and not particularly _au courant_ (Pharrell Williams, Macklemore); Cyrus’s own performance, closing the show, was more of a screaming of her political philosophies more than it was a “song.” Other attempts at political statements, including actress Rebel Wilson addressing Americans’ concern with policing practices by wearing a parody cop uniform, largely felt like relics. No wonder Cyrus was surprised by a blast of something new, and why West’s speech felt like it deserved a different venue. More than anything, the Video Music Awards revealed just how tired things are at the very top of the music industry. But for West, the biggest stars either didn’t show up (as Jay Z, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga didn’t) or indulged in weirdly self-referential divadom of interest (Cyrus’s own restating her philosophies, Swift’s squad) to very few. “I still don’t understand awards shows!” said West. Given that the final award of the night presented the latest of an infinite number of stages for Taylor Swift to show off the squad she’s built and showcased endlessly on social media, no one could blame him. (Who needs three hours of an awards show when it takes two seconds to like an Instagram post?) At their best, awards shows show us something new about celebrities; those who showed up to the VMAs continued old narratives to the point of exhaustion. ### See Celebrities on the Red Carpet at MTV's 2015 VMAs  Host Miley Cyrus arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—;Getty Images  Demi Lovato arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason MerrittGetty Images  Nicki Minaj arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  From left: Models Gigi Hadid, Martha Hunt, actress Hailee Steinfeld, model Cara Delevingne, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, model Serayah, Mariska Hargitay, models Lily Aldridge and Karlie Kloss attend the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Rita Ora arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  From left: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West arrive at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Kylie Jenner arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. John Shearer—Getty Images  Justin Bieber arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Britney Spears arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Tyga arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Nick Jonas arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  FKA twigs arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Vanessa Hudgens arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Austin Butler attends the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015, in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  From left: Chrissy Teigen and John Legend arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  From left: Model Helen Lasichanh and Pharrell Williams arrive at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Kourtney Kardashian arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Kris Jenner arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Bella Thorne arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Holland Roden arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Rebel Wilson arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Emily Ratajkowski arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Kelly Osbourne arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jordan Strauss—Invision/AP  Melissa Rivers arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Brooklyn Beckham arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Actress Brandi Cyrus, sister of host Miley Cyrus, attends the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Singer Tori Kelly arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. John Shearer—Getty Images  Maria Menounos arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Designer Jeremy Scott arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Miguel attends the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on August 30, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  From left: Blac Chyna and Amber Rose arrive at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Larry Busacca—Getty Images  Internet personality Baddie Winkle arrives at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  From left: Patrick Stump and Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy arrive at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Kat Graham attends the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. John Shearer—Getty Images  Vance Joy attends the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. 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