Luckily, amidst the endless brain-sucking reality show promos and the too-hip-to-be-cool revamped format, MTV surprised by rocking Las Vegas (with a small teensy exception).
The real news: Rihanna is now a superstar.
Tonight she graduated from the ranks of the wannabes and proved she's got the goods. Just one step in front of the cameras with a microphone and she was electric. The entire place was wrapped around her finger. Then for dessert she showed off a more playful side, jamming at ease with Fall Out Boy of all people. The woman has pipes and is in control. I love it!
Speaking of the emo wonders, the Fall Out Boy suite looked like the best party of the night by far. I'm perpetually amazed how Pete Wentz and company have won me over to their side. Their early fame pretty much brushed right by me, leaving me to really discover them with the new album, which is generally fantastic. I may be a few decades old for this party, but I'm officially a fan now. Let's just hope they keep it together for the long haul. Props to Gym Class Heroes too for breaking through, I've had some neat stuff of theirs on my iPod for a while now.
The best part tonight was that when people showed up with a real microphone, they really brought it. Nelly Furtado belted it out when she needed to, proving once again that she's earned her way back to the top. Alicia Keys was mesmerizingly playful channelling a George Michael classic and making it all her own. Linkin Park seriously rocked the nightclub. Dave Grohl and his Foo Fighters tore through their amazing new single. Even Kanye West gave me a reason to tap my foot, almost making me forget he was destroying Daft Punk.
The night also gave some well-deserved props to a pair of puppet-masters behind much of the music that MTV is quietly still playing in the late hours of the night. Timbaland ruled the night running from his suite party, to the club he controlled with Linkin Park to his rousing closing medley with Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado. Mark Ronson continued to wow me as the evening's fearless house band leader. He had the goods backing up Alicia Keys, letting Maroon 5's Adam Levine shine and sneaking in all sorts of great stuff from the past year in music. Both Timbaland and Ronson brought their distinct visions for pop music to the table tonight.
There were two performers who notably went the lip sync route tonight.
One of them more than made up for it and literally soared. Chris Brown earned his Michael Jackson moves leap by leap, from table to table. It was pure tour-de-force show-stopping entertainment.
The other, Britney Spears, turned it into a trainwreck of a comeback. As someone I hold near and dear put it best:
"She might as well have come out with a cigarette and beer in her hand," said a wise man I know.
For the most part, though, MTV shook things up a bit and brought the music back, if only for a night. Choreographed spectacle gave way in Vegas tonight. allowing great perfomances to soar on thier own.
It's a shame the commercial breaks made it clear that this was only a one night stand, despite Justin Timberlake's earlier challenge otherwise.
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