When Beyoncé finished her performance at the 2016 VMAs, there was no question as to who the biggest pop star on the planet is. Not that there was ever any doubt.
VMA 2016: Beyoncé brought Lemonade to the VMAs. She destroyed the show.
Alex Abad-Santos is a senior correspondent who explains what society obsesses over, from Marvel and movies to fitness and skin care. He came to Vox in 2014. Prior to that, he worked at The Atlantic.
Bey’s performance was powerful — an artistic musing on violence that, like her album, also showcase her showmanship and untouchable talent as an artist.
She opened up with “Pray You Catch Me,” a somber, eerie opening that included women next to her dropping dead and a boy in a hoodie — an echo of Trayvon Martin — wrapping his arms around her. It was a searing visual.
The performance then transitioned into “Hold Up” and “Sorry” — brutally honest songs that talk about her husband’s alleged affair, showcasing a snarling, more ferocious side to Bey. There was fire. There was cursing.
She closed the show with “Formation,” ending her staggering performance surrounded by dozens of dancers arranged in the “woman” symbol. She was met by a standing ovation, the only appropriate response to a force of nature.
Good luck following that.
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