Britney Spears’ much-hyped return to the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday was a bust.
So much for her comeback.
Spears, hoping to take the focus off her tabloid exploits and put it back on her music, tried to recapture her sexy performances from years past. Wearing a belly-baring, bedazzled swimsuit, boots and fishnet stockings, she led a group of leather-clad dancers in an embarrassingly lackluster number that included unsexy gyrations, crotch-grabbing and pole dancing.
She shuffled through her dance moves appearing winded and out of shape. She also forgot how to lip-sync, stopping several times while performing the song “Gimme More.”
And to think people dumped on Kevin Federline for his dismal performance at the 2006 Teen Choice Awards.
The crowd looked bewildered. Multiple award-winner Rihanna and a friend appeared to be laughing, while 50 Cent — who had said during the preshow that he was looking forward to her performance — sat in stunned silence.
It was a sad opening for Britney, but more so for MTV. The network had hoped the pop tart’s appearance would change the fortunes for its annual showcase, which has lost both viewers and shock value since Spears and Madonna famously kissed at the 2003 VMAs.
This year, MTV presented the shortened live show from the Palms Casino in Las Vegas. Trying to put the focus on performances, MTV handed out only eight awards and shook up its traditional format. Instead of an audience of screaming fans crowding around a single stage as in the past, this year’s event featured only industry invitees sitting and drinking at tables around a main stage. But much of the action took place in four suites throughout the hotel, where Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, Kanye West, Fall Out Boy and the Foo Fighters each hosted separate parties.
Everyone in attendance seemed to be having a good time, but TV viewers disappointingly saw only snippets of what appeared to be lively performances. A collaboration between Rihanna and Fall Out Boy was shown mid-performance while cameras left the Foo Fighters’ excellent cover of the Dead Kennedy’s “Holiday in Cambodia” for other action.
The format called to mind “TRL’s” frustrating habit of showing only parts of videos — not that MTV even airs videos at all anymore, a grievance Justin Timberlake aired during the broadcast.
“Play more damn videos,” Timberlake said as he accepted his Moonman for Male Artist of the Year (this sentence as published has been corrected in this text). “We don’t want to see the Simpsons on reality television. Play more videos.”
Other winners Sunday included Rihanna, whose hit “Umbrella” won Monster Single of the Year and Video of the Year, and Beyonce and Shakira, who won Most Earthshattering Collaboration for “Beautiful Liar.”
The show picked up after Spears’ opening with some excellent performances. Chris Brown put on the best show of the night, delivering a dance-heavy set that channeled Michael Jackson. He jumped from table to table to energize the crowd.
But the moments that promised the most entertainment generally fell flat. 50 Cent and Kanye West, who have been trading jabs about their competing albums, both due out Tuesday, bypassed an opportunity for fun when they presented an award together. No jokes, no jabs — 50 just said “Here are the nominees.”
[ AP CONTRIBUTED. ]– – –
AROUND THE VMAS
Fight! Fight!
MTV cameras missed some drama in the audience at Sunday’s Video Music Awards. A fight broke out between Pamela Anderson’s exes, Kid Rock and Tommy Lee.
“It’s not just the hip-hop artists that sometimes have a problem,” Diddy said.
Jamie Foxx mentioned the fight when he appeared onstage, as did Diddy, who said, “We’ve got to stop the violence in rock ‘n’ roll.”
Sour grapes
Shut out at the VMAs, Kanye West threw a tantrum Sunday night in front of media and crew backstage as the MTV show was ending.
West began yelling about losing all five categories for which he was nominated.
“That’s two years in a row, man … give a black man a chance,” West said. “I’m trying hard man, I have the … number one record, man.”
Fiddy’s party collapse
50 Cent’s poolside performance Saturday at the Hard Rock Hotel almost turned deadly.
The rapper ended his show early after part of his stage and its attached lights sagged dangerously close to the water.
“Back up,” he yelled. “You’re going to get electrocuted.”
The trouble started when 50 threw a fistful of dollars into the air and fans swarmed to collect the cash. They leaned on the stage, and it started to give way. Fiddy called it a night and walked off stage when fans didn’t back off.
[ AP ]WINNERS OF THE 2007 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Rihanna, “Umbrella,” featuring Jay-Z
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Justin Timberlake
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Fergie
Quadruple Threat of the Year: Justin Timberlake
Best Group: Fall Out Boy, “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race”
Monster Single of the Year: Rihanna, “Umbrella”
Most Earthshattering Collaboration: Beyonce and Shakira, “Beautiful Liar”
Best New Artist: Gym Class Heroes
Best Editing: Ken Mowe for Gnarls Barkley’s “Smiley Faces”
Best Director: Samuel Bayer for Justin Timberlake’s “What Goes Around … Comes Around”
Best Choreography: Marty Kudelka for Justin Timberlake’s “Let Me Talk to You/My Love”
