The end of August saw the return of one of the most highly anticipated award shows of the year – the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA’s). Hosted by Keke Palmer, the event had to take on a different format this time due to COVID-19. Instead of performing live in front of an audience, artists had to perform in separate spaces in order to ensure social distancing. In this way, we can see that the “new normal” has permeated every social sphere, including the entertainment industry. However, is this new format of performance enough?
According to media scholars Croteau and Hoynes, technological affordances (the things that different forms of technologies allow us to do) have enabled a different kind of interaction between artist and fan that had not been possible in the past. In the case of the VMA’s, the internet has allowed for fans to still experience seeing their favourite artists perform “live” in the comfort of their own homes, while still obeying quarantine regulations. For example, Lady Gaga performed an entire medley of songs from her recent album Chromatica while she and her dancers wore masks for the entirety of the performance. Ariana Grande accompanied her for “Rain on Me”, even doing an impressive whistle note while donning a mask herself. Gaga and Grande went home with the award for “Best Cinematography” for the song. Pop sensations BTS also delivered a stellar performance of their new song “Dynamite”. The septet earned the award for “Best Choreography” for “On”. Another notable mention would be Megan Thee Stallion achieving the first VMA in her career for “Savage” (Best Hip Hop).
The adoption of more technological interfaces has not been limited to award shows. Artists such as have used platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Instagram live to keep their fans updated as well as do virtual concerts while their tours have been cancelled due to the virus. Big names such as Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, Billie Eilish and John Legend participated in the eight-hour Global Citizen “One World: Together at Home” event on the 14th of April in aid of the World Health Organisation (WHO). BTS’ “Bang Bang Con: The Live” event on the 14th of June garnered over 756,000 viewers over 107 countries, breaking the attendance record for a virtual event. So, what does this mean for artists in the future?
As Croteau and Hoynes stated, the internet has provided affordances that were never possible in the past. Artists should definitely try to adopt more aspects of technology into their performances even after quarantine, if they know what’s good for them. Firstly, it allows them to maintain contact with their fans even during a time when physical contact is at the utmost minimum. Secondly, it provides people who were unable to attend these concerts normally (due to the location or sheer cost of the tickets) to gain somewhat of an experience of what those concerts would be like. Quarantine has not stopped fans from enjoying their favourite content. Only this time, they can do it in their jammies.
Watch the best 2020 VMA performances here!