Music

Anitta brought a sizzling blend of glamour and rhythm to the 2024 MTV VMAs Wednesday (Sept. 11), transforming the stage into a party. The Brazilian superstar dazzled in a white and metallic bodysuit paired with baggy pants, opening her performance with the premiere of “Paradise.”

The energy surged as Fat Joe, dressed in flannel and leather baggy pants, delivered dynamic flows that matched the intensity of the staging. DJ Khaled, dressed in black, masterfully hyped the crowd throughout the set.

The performance shifted gears as Tiago PZK joined Anitta. Dressed in a sparkly dark outfit, he seamlessly laid down verses for “Alegría,” a track that originally features Emilia. Anitta showcased her linguistic prowess by effortlessly switching among English, Spanish and Portuguese. The stage came alive with four dancers perched atop large blocks, enhancing the visual spectacle.

The rhythm further intensified with “Savage Funk,” which unleashed the raw, powerful sounds of baile funk, filling the arena with the pulsating beats of the favelas. Anitta, in sync with a growing ensemble of dancers, displayed her signature perreo moves, descending rhythmically to the ground in a flurry of motion. The stage erupted into a massive celebration of Brazilian culture, with every beat and step.

Just moments before her performance, Fat Joe captured the spirit of the new song “Paradise.” “Nobody knows how to celebrate like Latinos,” Fat Joe told Billboard Español earlier in the day. “It’s about time we teamed up with Anitta and DJ Khaled on ‘Paradise’ to create a Latino national anthem.”

Watch the full performance below:

Sabrina Carpenter was a glittering star at the 2024 MTV VMAs on Wednesday (Sept. 11) as she celebrated her first No. 1 album with a performance introduced by one of the award show’s OGs.

“I won my Moonman award in 1984 at the first-ever VMAs,” said “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” singer Cyndi Lauper as she introduced Carpenter, whose Short n’ Sweet album topped the Billboard 200 album chart dated Sept. 17.

Seated on a gigantic diamond on a trapeze high above the stage as silver confetti rained all around her, Carpenter — who was nominated for seven VMAs this year — crooned her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smash “Please Please Please,” and, as Lauper predicted, the very vocal audience enthusiastically shouted at the song’s NSFW refrain while Carpenter descended to the stage. She landed on a foreign planet as an astronaut and blue-skinned alien did a slinky dance all around her to the strains of Carpenter’s latest hit, “Taste.”

The song with sapphic overtones was accented by a censor-nightmare dance sequence in which the alien briefly threw a leg up on the kneeling space ranger’s shoulder as he, well, had a taste, with their bump-and-grind threatening to distract from the singer’s vocals. That is, until she yanked the astronaut to the side and laid a big kiss on the female alien’s lips.

Ripping off the high collar on her silver-studded bodysuit, Carpenter strutted down the catwalk as she glided into her No. 3 Hot 100 summer smash “Espresso.” All around her, the space filled up with more than two dozen helmeted rocketeers busting out interstellar choreography beneath neon signs bearing the song’s title and space-themed images on the stage, whose main feature was an enormous Moon Person reaching out into the arena.

The routine ended with Carpenter lying back into the dogpile of space-helmeted men while giving off serious Marilyn Monroe Gentlemen Prefer Blondes vibes.

At the 40th anniversary of the MTV VMAs, Karol G captivated the audience with a sultry yet lively performance of her recent hit single, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” (“If I Had Known You Before”), including dancing with Taylor Swift at one point.

The Colombian superstar took the stage, radiating presence with her long blonde hair, decked in sandy-colored bell-bottoms and a bikini top (almost channeling the Stripped-era Christina Aguilera look) and surrounded by a string of tiny international flags.

Karol then ignited the crowd with a shout, “¡Familia! Los extraño un montón. ¿Están listos para la fiesta?” (“Family, I miss you greatly. Are you ready for the party?”) She then descended into a vibrant scene, leading audience members — young and old alike — into an impromptu dance party. Among those grooving was an adorable elderly couple, echoing the joyful spirit of her “Si Antes” music video.

The stage transformation didn’t stop there — it morphed into a tropical styled tiki bar complete with a sandy beach underfoot, where the Medellín hitmaker ramped up the energy with her infectious rhythms.

The highlight of the night came when she joined Taylor Swift, Post Malone and Camila Cabello in the crowd, dancing and further elevating the festive atmosphere, transforming the entire scene into a Latin party dance-off.

With “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” Karol G became the first artist to top the Hot Latin Songs, Latin Airplay & Tropical Airplay charts simultaneously in over a decade. The chart achievements landed as Karol G wrapped up her record-breaking Mañana Será Bonito Tour.

It’s the second consecutive time Karol G has performed at the MTV VMAs.