The VMAs may be unserious awards, but they never fail to deliver chaos, spectacle, and culture-defining moments. This year’s show was no exception — despite major absences (Taylor, Beyoncé, Bruno, Kendrick), the 2025 VMAs still pulled record viewership and plenty of drama.
In this week’s episode, I recap it all:
Red Carpet Theater: Doja Cat eats her lipstick, Summer Walker feeds her “special friend” cotton candy, and Sabrina Carpenter outdresses everyone in Valentino
Winners + Snubs: Gaga runs the night, Ariana leans full Glinda, Sabrina cements her pop reign… and I have thoughts about Alex Warren. (More on that here.)
Performances: Lady Gaga’s mind-bending Madison Square Garden stunt, Tate McRae’s sandstorm dance break, Doja’s jaw-dropping set and Mariah Carey’s long-overdue Video Vanguard.
The Bigger Picture: Why women in pop keep innovating while the men continue to cling to “youth pastor-core.”
And I close with a quick recap of pop culture news: Sabrina’s surprise new album Man’s Best Friend, Doja Cat’s upcoming release, and the long-awaited return of Hilary Duff to music. Hallelujah!
An Ode to the VMAs: Pop Culture's Super Bowl
Okay, sure. The VMAs are low stakes – no one remembers who won Best Female Pop 1999, but little old MTV’s annual celebration of pop culture is truly the industry’s Super Bowl. The Oscars hand out little gold men to award movies nobody watched, but the VMAs? That’s where the magic happens.
