Lady Gaga kicked things off in customary head-turning fashion with the debut performance of her new single, “Applause.” Despite a slow start, she soon kicked things into a higher gear. Though chances are most people will be discussing her multiple costumes changes rather than the actual song. Switching wigs and outfits more often than she changed tempos, Gaga went through a variety of looks before ending up in a string bikini and clamshell top, giving the audience a very brief flash of her bum while twirling on stage. Will that get blurred in subsequent airings? (Invision / AP / Getty Images)
“SNL” cast member Vanessa Bayer appeared alongside “Divergent” star Shailene Woodley to introduce Miley Cyrus dressed as -- Miley Cyrus. Loving tribute or barbed jab? The jury’s still out, especially after Cyrus’ bizarro performance. (Charles Sykes / Invision / AP)
Miley Cyrus’ performance, in which she twerked with giant teddy bears, stripped to her underwear and attempted to do pornographic things with a giant foam finger, had audience members scratching their heads. (Or in the case of Drake, staring at the floor looking bored). Cyrus’ performance was so strange, co-performer Robin Thicke, channeling his inner Beetlejuice in a black and white striped suit, seemed positively elegant by comparison. (Rick Diamond / Getty Images for MTV)
There’s no host of this year’s VMAs, but comedian Kevin Hart kept coming out to do a few minutes of stand-up inspired by the show thus far. While not all of his jokes hit home, he did express one major concern among viewers: “Miley better get a pregnancy test after all that grinding.” (Rick Diamond / Getty Images for MTV)
Maybe fatherhood is making him tired, but Kanye West’s performance of “Blood on the Leaves” was relatively sedate compared to everything that came before. Relying on a low camera angle and a large silhouette, West appeared to loom above the crowds like a giant, without having to show much of his face (despite an extreme close-up in low light at the beginning). Good job, Kanye. Now go catch some Zzzzs. (Neilson Barnard / Getty Images for MTV)
Taylor Swift isn’t letting the whole ex-boyfriend thing go. After picking up the Moon Man for best female video for “I Knew You Were Trouble,” she made a point of thanking one of her many ex-boyfriends. “I want to thank the guy who inspired this song -- he knows exactly who he is -- because now I got one of these!” That’ll show him. (Rick Diamond / Getty Images for MTV)
Video Vanguard award winner Justin Timberlake isn’t just popular with the fans, he also seems to be popular with his peers, judging by the cut-aways to Lady Gaga and Rihanna, both of whom were mouthing along to the words of Timberlake’s greatest hits medley. Cycling through everything from his new single, “Take Back the Night,” to “Sexyback” to “Four Minutes” and even delving back into his ‘NSync days, Timberlake’s performance seemed to almost be an audition for next year’s Super Bowl halftime show. (Neilson Barnard / Getty Images for MTV)
Speaking of ‘NSync, Timberlake brought out his former performance mates, J.C. Chasez, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass and Chris Kirkpatrick for a brief mid-performance interlude of the ‘90s era ‘NSync greatest hits. Coming at the end of Timberlake’s performance would have been a touching reunion, but midway through his extended performance, it seemed like a career box was being checked. For a brief moment, they were back together, and then Timberlake quickly ushered them off the stage. (Charles Sykes / Invision / AP)
How great was Jimmy Fallon’s introduction for Justin Timberlake’s Video Vanguard award bestowal? So epic and over the top that Timberlake could only respond, “I’m taking Jimmy on the road with me.” (Scott Gries / Invision / AP)
