VMA nominations

Here's the list, and I have to say I think it's mostly blah. But this is MTV, and they stick to the common garden variety popular stuff - so it's really not all that interesting. I will bold the ones I like and comment.

BEST COLLABORATION
B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams — “Airplanes”
Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga — “Video Phone (Extended Remix)”
Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé — “Telephone”  
3OH!3 featuring Ke$ha — “My First Kiss”
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys — “Empire State of Mind”

I like the song "Airplanes" but I think the video is not that exciting. "Empire State of Mind" is more elegant since it's B&W, but I think his "Young Forever" is actually more visually striking, though not nominated. 3OH!3 tries too hard and always comes off as pointless. Beyoncé gets second place, and for me, Gaga is the one telling a whole, crazy, entertaining story.


BEST FEMALE VIDEO

Lady Gaga — “Bad Romance”
Ke$ha — “TiK ToK”
Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg — “California Gurls”
Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga — “Video Phone (Extended Remix)”
Taylor Swift — “Fifteen”

Again, Lady Gaga is the winner for me because "Bad Romance" is weirdly riveting and ends in ashes - a lot goes on. TikTok is funny, but nothing exciting she just walks around and there's an ugly man... Snoop Dogg adds some style to Katy Perry but that video is just a hot candyland mess. Fifteen? It's OK, mildly pretty but wholly uninteresting (much like her). Analysis: Bad Romance - just wanting fame? (Or one can go with the wacky internet conspiracy/freemason/occult theory if you desire.) Good times either way.

Bad Romance:

BEST MALE VIDEO -
Eminem — “Not Afraid”
Usher featuring Will.i.am — “OMG”
B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams — “Airplanes”
Drake — “Find Your Love”
Jason Derulo — “In My Head”

I think this might be the least exciting category. They basically just walk around? Drake has a bit of story going, so that's in his favor, but it's kind of slow and the titles/etc make it a little heavy-handed. Usher wins for me because the man can dance... but mainly my feelings are just overwhelmingly meh.


BEST HIP HOP VIDEO
B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams — “Airplanes”
Eminem — “Not Afraid”
Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem — “Forever”
Jay-Z & Swizz Beats — “On to the Next One”
Kid Cudi featuring MGMT & Ratatat — “Pursuit of Happiness”

Again, this should be a much more entertaining category, and it's not. These songs are alright, but the videos don't do anything. On to the Next One tries way too hard to be "arty" or something, and I find it personally extremely annoying. Pursuit of Happiness is actually a really good solid video - not very cheery in the end, but it communicates a message, and I think it's quite smart. Also I just like Kid Cudi - see following video of the "Symphonies" - Dan Black (original version is nominated for SFX scroll to bottom) - this is the Remix ft. Kid Cudi (I love this song and adore the videos both original and the remix):



BEST NEW ARTIST
Ke$ha — “TiK ToK”
Jason Derulo — “In My Head”
Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris — “Baby”
Nicki Minaj featuring Sean Garrett — “Massive Attack"
Broken Bells — “The Ghost Inside”

By. A. Landslide. I won't even address the others. Gorgeous, atmospheric, wistful, nightmarish, Christina Hendricks, space... Presented below for your enjoyment -





BEST POP VIDEO
Lady Gaga — “Bad Romance”
Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dog — “California Gurls”
Ke$ha — “TiK ToK”
Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga — “Video Phone (Extended Remix)”
B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars — “Nothing on You”

A nod to B.o.B though, as Nothing on You was stuck in my head last week for several days, and the video is cute.

BEST ROCK VIDEO
30 Seconds To Mars — “Kings and Queens”
Muse — “Uprising”
Paramore — “Ignorance”
Florence + the Machine — “Dog Days Are Over”
MGMT — “Flash Delirium”

No surprise I like the most songs in this block. Here I could go for any of these three -

Here is Flash Delirium - Possibly the most disturbing video I've seen all year. Not for the easily squicked out. Creepy, quirky, I really am not quite sure what is going on... but it's interesting, arresting, and draws you in - what is the story, what is going, what happens, etc. Not the greatest video ever, but certainly not boring.



Here is Uprising: Creepy Teddy Bears. Really. Again, not the most thrilling, but the pitch of the video with chaos and rising bears perfectly matches the rising of the song.




Here is Dog Days Are Over: Crazy, and a lot going on - which is good, and entertaining - but I feel like they just shook out a costume box and a box of body paint and were like "ok it all goes in! go!" But definitely entertaining and memorable. It has spirit, and it has drama, even if it is just a lot of theatrical flailing about.





BEST DANCE MUSIC VIDEO
Lady Gaga — “Bad Romance”
Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull — “I Like It”
Cascada — “Evacuate The Dancefloor”
David Guetta featuring Akon — “Sexy Chick”
Usher featuring Will.i.am — “OMG”


VIDEO OF THE YEAR -
Either Gaga is fine with me, as she consistently brings the crazy, spectacle, drama!

Lady Gaga — “Bad Romance”
Florence + The Machine — “Dog Days Are Over”
30 Seconds To Mars — “King to Queens”Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé — “Telephone”
Eminem — “Not Afraid”
B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams — “Airplanes”


BEST CHOREOGRAPHY:
Lady Gaga - Bad Romance
Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé - Telephone
Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga - Video Phone (Extended Remix)
Usher featuring Will.i.am - OMG
Janelle Monáe featuring Big Boi - Tightrope

Again, landslide. Tightrope is so fresh and exuberant and original, she deserves this even more than Gaga/Beyonce.


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Eminem - Not Afraid
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind
Lady Gaga - Bad Romance  
Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man
Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over

I do like the lighting in Little Lion Man, it adds a lot. Empire State of Mind and Not Afraid both have that kind of epic sweeping shots of cities thing going on... but I don't know. Take your pick on this one.

BEST DIRECTION
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind
Lady Gaga - Bad Romance
Eminem - Not Afraid
P!nk - Funhouse
30 Seconds To Mars - Kings and Queens


BEST EDITING - anything but Rude Boy, as I think that's her worst video to date.
Lady Gaga - Bad Romance
Eminem - Not Afraid
Rihanna - Rude Boy
Pink - Funhouse
Miike Snow - Animal


BEST SFX (SPECIAL EFFECTS)
Lady Gaga - Bad Romance
Eminem - Not Afraid
MUSE - Uprising
Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
Dan Black - Symphonies

Again, I adore this video. Very glad it got nominated for something! Very cinematic, love the titles/font thing, loved the vibe. Different and slightly twee, but not painfully so. Love it.


BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO
Dan Black - Symphonies
Gorillaz featuring Bobby Womack & Mos Def - Stylo
The Black Keys - Tighten Up
Coldplay - Strawberry Swing

I actually like all the videos in this section, so I would be happy with most - although I think Coldplay is far too old and established to be having any "breakthroughs"...? 


The selection/scope of MTV is limited, and that's reflected in the nominations - most of these videos are just people dancing, partying, standing around, etc. Which is sad, as it's an award for the VIDEO - not the song, not the popularity of the song (which it ends up as?) - but there you have it. I do agree with the frequent nomination of Lady Gaga at least partially, because love her or hate her, she makes great videos - lots of skin and dancing, but lots of style and mood to go along with it, always theatrical and over the top. I think the motto "Go Big or Go Home" is one to live by, LOL, and she really goes big.

However, I think there were probably A LOT more videos made that were more innovative, creative, and more exciting than these same like 5 popular ones. Disappointing, but not surprising.