What a show! The 2016 MTV VMAs were one for the books, as Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Rihanna and more slayed their performances at NYC’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday, August 28.
In case you missed it (or just want to relive the wild night), here are all the top moments and highlights from this year’s VMAs. Watch some in the video above, and check our live blog for a minute-by-minute recap of the whole event!
1. Rihanna Performs Four Phenomenal Medleys, Drake Declares His Love
Rihanna put on quite the show and performed some of her biggest hits from her entire career. With four separate performances that opened and closed the evening, fans were treated to songs including “Bitch Better Have My Money,” “Pon de Replay” and “Diamonds.”
Later, she accepted the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award from Drake, who declared his love for Rihanna in his introduction. “She’s someone I’ve been in love with since I was 22 years old,” he told the crowd.
2. Kanye West Brings Up Taylor Swift (Again!) During Rant, Debuts Bizarre “Fade” Video
With four minutes to do whatever he wanted, Kanye West, of course, went on a rambling rant about a variety of topics. He gave shout-outs to his ex Amber Rose and his nemesis Taylor Swift. “People say, ‘Oh, but you have that beef with Taylor,’ but I love all y’all — that’s why I called her,” he told the crowd, referencing their “Famous” feud over his controversial lyrics.
The rapper also premiered his latest music video featuring a basically naked Teyana Taylor doing Flashdance-style dance moves and getting it on with her fiancé, Iman Shumpert, before her face transforms into a cat’s face. You have to see it for yourself.
3. Calvin Harris Snubs Taylor Swift in Acceptance Speech
Taylor Swift didn’t even attend the VMAs and she’s still making headlines. Calvin Harris won Best Male Video for “This Is What You Came For,” which his ex-girlfriend cowrote and sang backup on. Although he thanked Rihanna, who’s featured on the track, Swift didn’t get a mention.
4. Beyoncé Stuns the World With Lemonade Performance
Bow down! Beyoncé swept the VMAs, taking home numerous awards, including Video of the Year for “Formation.” Queen Bey performed five songs from her visual album Lemonade and absolutely crushed it. There was even a literal mic drop at the end.
5. Britney Spears Makes Her VMAs Comeback
We can’t believe how far she’s come! Britney Spears returned to the VMAs stage for the first time since 2007 for a performance of her hit “Make Me …” with G-Eazy, and she looked flawless in a plunging, glittery yellow bodysuit.
Bonus! The Final Five Gymnasts Are America’s Sweethearts
The Final Five were down to four at the VMAs due to Gabby Douglas’ recent health issues, but Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez and Madison Kocian were giddy as they presented Beyoncé with Best Female Video. They looked like they were having the best night ever — and even got some pretty great celebrity selfies!
Christina Garibaldi, Ian Drew, and Travis Cronin dished on all the latest during Us Weekly‘s Facebook Live News Update. Check it out!