Fans are excited as Taylor Swift turns her VMAs performance into 'a Taylor Swift concert'
Taylor Swift opened the 2019 MTV VMAs with a bang: a performance of her songs “You Need to Calm Down” and “Lover.”
Swift sported a gold bustier, sparkly blue shorts and gold boots for the first song, her LGBTQ Pride anthem, as the words “Equality Act” flashed in the background. She sang and danced alongside some of the same drag queens who performed “Dooo It!!” with Miley Cyrus at the end of the 2015 VMAs show, according to Billboard.
A few moments in, she tossed on a blue blazer and strapped on her guitar before slowing things down with the title ballad from the album she released last week. The evening marked her first major performance of “Lover.”
The crowd was obviously into it, and at various times, the camera panned separately to both Queen Latifah and DJ Khaled, who were both nodding to the song.
Her Swifties especially loved it.
This isn’t the VMAs this is a Taylor Swift concert pic.twitter.com/B7JiyD2PUm
— angel 🦋 (@tayfearless13) August 27, 2019
Thank you for this gift, @taylorswift13 🤧💗?#VMAs #TaylorOnVMAs
pic.twitter.com/If8Gl4GZnK— andrea ???? | LOVER 🖤🏹 (@stoneyswift) August 27, 2019
ARE WE SURE THIS ISN’T JUST A TAYLOR SWIFT CONCERT??? #TaylorOnTheVMAs pic.twitter.com/iHNDUnYkTm
— 𝓛𝑜𝓋𝑒, jade (@thetaylight) August 27, 2019
We’re live 2019 MTV #VMAs @taylorswift13 is amazing!!! pic.twitter.com/9TjXBsgsyf
— JParkes (@JD_Parkes) August 27, 2019
?????? pic.twitter.com/V7mIRBVlCa
— Moeka MET TAYLOR 💗 (@moeka_swiftie) August 27, 2019
At this year’s show, Swift was up for 10 awards, which means she was tied with Ariana Grande for the artist with the most nominations. Swift’s star-studded “You Need to Calm Down” vid quickly won the Moon Man for Video for Good. The singer handed the award over to Todrick Hall, a friend and the co-executive producer of the video, then let him give the acceptance speech.
💗@taylorswift13 reunited the cast of the 'You Need To Calm Down' video to accept the #VMA for Video For Good 💗 pic.twitter.com/W1wJYGhO2b
— Video Music Awards (@vmas) August 27, 2019
“You Need to Calm Down” also won the big Video of the Year award, which is voted on by fans. For that win, Swift gave the acceptance speech. “I first want to say, ‘Thank you’ to the fans because in this video several points were made, so you voting for this video means that you want a world where we’re all treated equally under the law,” she said. Swift said she appreciated them signing the petition she promoted at the end of her video calling for the Equality Act.
“It now has half a million signatures, which is five times the amount that it would need to warrant a response from the White House,” she said, calling out President Donald Trump and his administration.
Someone go back and tell 2009 VMAs Taylor Swift that 10 years later she will be on that same stage, mic in hand, calling out president of the United States. So damn proud.
— Joey 🦋🏹 (@LessGorgeousJoe) August 27, 2019
Before the show, Swift arrived early on the red carpet, wearing a colorful Versace blazer dress.
Fresh off her latest album release, Swift has been a popular performer over the past few days.
Although Lover just came out last week, it’s already the biggest-selling album of 2019 in the United States.
The irreverent awards show marked Swift’s return to the place where she shared an infamous moment with Kanye West at the 2009 festivities.
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
Taylor Swift and Kanye West: A timeline of the feud that began at the 2009 MTV VMAs
Harry Styles remembers doing mushrooms while recording new album: 'I bit off the tip of my tongue'
Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Lifestyle’s newsletter.