The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards had big shoes to fill.
Last year, the show was filled with surprising moments such as
Kanye West infamously interrupting
Taylor Swift's acceptance speech and then
Lil' Mama jumping on stage in the middle of
Alicia Keys and
Jay-Z's performance of 'Empire State of Mind.'
This year,
Eminem opened the show with his single 'Not Afraid,' and although
Rihanna previously told MTV she wouldn't be able to perform their song, 'Love The Way You Lie,' the Barbados native sported her new red hair for the opening performance clad in a white tutu number.
Teen pop star
Justin Bieber rocked an outside performance with tons of screaming fans right before his mentor, Usher, sang 'OMG' and 'DJ Got Us Fallin in Love.'
Drake made his first VMA performance with a remix of 'Fancy,' alongside
Mary J. Blige and
Swizz Beats.

Grand Hustle newcomer
B.o.B. performed his single, 'Airplanes,' with
Haylee Williams of
Paramour. And
Bruno Mars joined him for 'Nothin' on You.'
In a surprise appearance,
Cher, who is promoting her upcoming 'Burlesque' film, presented
Lady Gaga with video of the year honors for 'Bad Romance'
But the night's highlight was Kanye's return to the VMAs to close out the show with his new song 'Runaway' featuring
The Clipse MC
Pusha T. Since his infamous VMA moment last year, people were waiting to see whether the Chicago MC would perform some type of apology track to Taylor Swift. Instead, the Grammy Award-winning country star opened her performance with a video montage of the incident.
She sang a song off her upcoming album, 'Speak Now,' which included lyrics like, "I guess you really did it this time/ Left yourself in your war path/ Lost your balance on a tight rope/ Lost your mind trying to get it back," and "32 and still growing up now," leading viewers to assume the song had the 'Power' rapper in mind.
Nevertheless, 'Ye left his performance at the end of the night with the crowd chanting "Kanye, Kanye." Clearly, his "toast to the a**holes" proclamation put him back on top.
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2010 MTV VMAs
Recording artist Drake arrives at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on Sepetember 12, 2010. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)
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2010 MTV VMAs
Actors Justin Timberlake (L), Jesse Eisenberg (C), and Andrew Garfield arrive at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on Sepetember 12, 2010. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)
2010 MTV VMAs
Selena Gomez arrives at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on September 12, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. 2010 MTV Video Music Awards - Red Carpet Nokia Theatre L.A. Live Los Angeles, CA United States September 12, 2010 Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com To license this image (61615719), contact WireImage.com
2010 MTV VMAs
Actress Ashley Greene arrives at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on September 12, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. 2010 MTV Video Music Awards - Arrivals Nokia Theatre L.A. Live Los Angeles, CA United States September 12, 2010 Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage.com To license this image (61615554), contact WireImage.com
2010 MTV VMAs
Recording artist Justin Timberlake arrives at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on Sepetember 12, 2010. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)
2010 MTV VMAs
Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez arrives at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on September 12, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. 2010 MTV Video Music Awards - Red Carpet Nokia Theatre L.A. Live Los Angeles, CA United States September 12, 2010 Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com To license this image (61615724), contact WireImage.com
2010 MTV VMAs
American pop singer and rapper Kesha arrives at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on Sepetember 12, 2010. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)
2010 MTV VMAs
Comedian Dane Cook arrives at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on Sepetember 12, 2010. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)
2010 MTV VMAs
Comedian Dane Cook arrives at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on Sepetember 12, 2010. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)
2010 MTV VMAs
Chelsea Handler on stage at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on September 12, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. 2010 MTV Video Music Awards - Show Nokia Theatre L.A. Live Los Angeles, CA United States September 12, 2010 Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com To license this image (61616086), contact WireImage.com
2010 MTV VMAs
Eminem and Rihanna perform on stage at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on September 12, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. 2010 MTV Video Music Awards - Show Nokia Theatre L.A. Live Los Angeles, CA United States September 12, 2010 Photo by Kevin Mazur/EM/WireImage.com To license this image (61616188), contact WireImage.com
2010 MTV VMAs
Comments: (28)
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By: "DimePiece" on 9/13/2010 1:14AM
If you noticed, they put Kanye last and had Taylor performed in the middle of the show. They made sure, that the two wouldn't cross paths. In my opinion, there was nothin SPETECTULAR about his performance, his ryhming, and his bad singin? I thought his lyrics was DISRESPECTFUL! What, they couldn't bleep out the bad words in time? They were PURE LAZY tonight! I couldn't understand why the ballet dancers where on stage, it didn't go with the performance? I guess it only made sense to him?
Look, Jay made sure that he wasn't going to perform in the same building with Lil Moma? Jay was like, HELL NAW, Lil Moma isn't goin to disrespect me this time? Jay was in New York with Eminem performing some concert? Jay probably gets paranoid at every performance thinkin Lil Moma will jump on stage with him? What was up with Rhianna? Her hair looked like a big ball of FIRE? Her hair is longer and I wasn't feelin her outfit or her singin if you want to call it that? Artist need to LEAVE THOSE BOLD AZZ FIRE ENGINE RED AND BLAZIN ORANGE, and COTTEN PINK CRAYOLA HAIR COLORS ALONE!!!!!! Speakin of Cotton Pink hair, WHAT THE HELL WAS NICKI THINKIN? Her cotton pink colored wig and BEE HIVE hair style was a "HOT AZZ MESS"!!!! She really thought she was hot in that ugly lookin barbie or space outfit? The gurl can't sing, can't dance, and can't rhyme worth ISH. Will I Am, lord man looked like he was covered in some black tar?
Cher had NO DAMN BUSINESS wearin that? Can somebody please tell me, why did she take us all back? It wasn't cute? Thank GOD Lady GOO, GOO, didn't sing and perform, that would have been a disaster? Those hideous outfits that she changes into needs to go. Well, I give her 5 tonight on more of suttle normal look. She did tone it down, and she did shed a tear? I guess Bey wasn't trying to make any appearance without Jay? Thank GOD? That Justin BEAVER get on my nerves, I am sorry yall, I am so tired of the same ol played out teeny bop and wanna be Usher? Taylor's performance I fell a sleep. TOO DAMN LONG! I swear, every time that girl is on there to perform, Taylor thinks she is doing a concert? Doesn't the girl think that it's all about her?
Oh, that host what's her name Chelsy, that woman is another one. She is so disrespectful and she always gets away with talkin and makin fun of black people like it ain't nothin? Who does she think she is? They couldn't get somebody else? I thought that the things she said and her sick humor was bad taste and inappropriate. B o. B over did that performance and was all over the place like he had bad nerves? The woman, can't think of name that sung to "Airplanes", her voice was pitchy all over the place.
The only and I say the ONLY performance that I enjoyed was Drake and Mary J performance. Overall, it was or should I say, it's always a disappointment watching the VMA'S every year. I don't think they can do better? What U C is what U get?
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By: HoneyKone on 9/13/2010 6:24AM
Yeah, probably prompting that "colored sucker" to knock the hell out of YOU! LOL!
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By: The Truth on 9/13/2010 8:19AM
Last night proved rock solid that kanye west is a no talent pompous buffoon. And dime piece, for a person who appears to dislike the VMA's you seem to have wasted a good portion of your life watching and going out of your way to (write a book) about them.
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By: lovemesume on 9/14/2010 12:13AM
You are so much the truth, Dimepiece has a problem. To not care and dislike everyone in all that time pre-show to award show, she could have turned it off. My thoughts. I seen smiles, and no drama, so that means everyone looked great to me.
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By: Li Wright on 9/13/2010 8:36AM
I can't understand when he started singing....when did he decide to sing songs? Does he know what a toll that takes on the vocal chords, and he's not trained to sing.
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By: poetrysez on 9/13/2010 8:48AM
I didn't watch the VMA show but I did check out the BET pics from the awards. I was scratching my head wondering about that pic of Will.I.Am, it actually did look like he had on tar on his face. Was he trying to make some sort of statement? Perhaps he was hiding some scars or something? It has been years since I saw even a pic of something like that. Will.I.Am actually reminded me of the old pics of the vaudeville chittlin circut shows. The face makeup was very odd!
Ciara, Rosario Dawson, and Mary J looked great! Cher looked like she digressed to the days of disco :) However, I'm a fan of Cher’s so I
will be going to see her new movie “Burlesque".
Lady Gaga's style suits her well because she's also very talented. She's a singer/song writer and she plays a mean piano (she’s a true talented artist who dresses like she doesn't care who likes it because she's so talented). But her fans and the media love it!
I didn’t see a pic of Amy Whinehouse so I’m assuming that she weren’t at the VMA’s. She’s struggling with drug addiction, at least the
last time I heard, but she's the voice of a soul stress. She also is a song writer. I've her first album on my iPod. I hope she gets her life
together because she's so talented.
Sometimes performers dress outrageous to over compensate their lack of raw talent...but that's not the case with Lady Gaga. Of course she doesn't need to dress so outrageously, and she would still be talented.
But unfortunately, without the outfits she would be just another blended in talented singer...which would be great but it's also typical/ordinary. What keeps her on top is a combination of talent and over the top style.
The first and only time I ever saw Lady Gaga perform was at some other awards show where her and Elton John did a duet. I was like, WOW! She
can sing and play the piano!
It seems like Usher is grooming Justin Beiber to be the next Justin Timberlake. Beiber doesn't have enough cross-over appeal to be the next Usher. I love the Eminem song “Not Afraid". It's great to see him doing well...again.
Stay encouraged and strong, Em ;)
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By: Jamall Robinson on 9/14/2010 9:50PM
You gotta be joking Lady GaGa is wack!
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By: poetrysez on 9/13/2010 8:58AM
I meant to write BVE( Here on this blog).
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By: "DimePiece" on 9/13/2010 9:13AM
Truth,
I can watch what the hell I want to watch and I can WRITE AS MANY WORDS I PLEASE on any blogs. There is no LIMIT. The TRUTH is, you just jealous and you just can't stick to the script. The TRUTH is you don't have much to say about any articles that are posted? You can't find the words and not CREATIVE like MWA. Focus on the blogs and not on MWA. If ya don't like to read my comments, READ OVER AND KEEP IT MOVIN.
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By: Joe on 9/13/2010 9:23AM
He is a typical low life, drug doing scumbag...
How does he define talent..by profanity ?
He is a direct result of bringing low lifes over to this Country years ago and letting them reproduce
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