Madonna made her big return to the MTV Video Music Awards, her first time at the annual event in 23 years. She practically invented this show the very first time it aired in 1984, making her infamous debut in her white wedding gown as the scandalous floor-humping bride in “Like a Virgin.” That performance did wonders for her, but even bigger wonders for the VMAs—it’s the moment this event has always aspired to match ever since. It established her as the once and future queen of this show.
But strange as it seems, until last night, she hadn’t rocked the VMAs since 2003, when she did an even better version of “Like a Virgin,” in her legendary make out session with Britney Spears. So the stakes were high for her hotly-anticipated return last night. But her amazing performance with Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX stole the show, with a medley of “One Step Away,” “Bring Your Love,” and “Danceteria,” from her recent Confessions II.
It wasn’t just the highlight of the night; it was one of the most stunning performances in the entire history of the VMAs, hands down. It’s fitting that she began with Sabrina, who was just four years old when Madonna smooched Britney, but a quintessential Daughter of the House of Ciccone. A ritualistic space where movement replaces language.” Wearing a black beret, Sabrina played the piano with Madonna writhing on top of it.
They did their Coachella-slaying duet “Bring Your Love,” with Sabrina twisting and crawling in her glitter-spangled black liederhosen. Madonna wrestled with black-clad storm troopers, then got rolled on a gurney through the crowd, until a really confusing interlude where she met a bizarro alien gospel choir in white gowns. (A very Creed touch.) But the performance really exploded when Charli XCX strutted in for “Danceteria,” as the stage transformed into the famous early-Eighties NYC disco, with the cool girls hanging out in the men’s room. Charli even stroked the bathroom hand-dryer—a clever reference to everybody’s favorite scene in Desperately Seeking Susan.
The “Danceteria” bathroom was jumping with party people. Over here, Madonna and Charli rocking out. Over there, Sombr posing as a scantily clad black-leather boy.
Hey, look—it’s Debi Mazar, years before Goodfellas, just another party girl and Madonna’s coolest club-kid girlfriend, name-checked in the song. (Also, a callback to Debi’s cameo in the “Music” video from Y2K—maybe Madonna’s peak era ever?) Hey, that guy looks like…wait, it is Fab Five Freddie, also namechecked. Julia Garner, dressed in the “Open Your Heart” black corset and haircut. Tony Ward, from the “Justify My Love” video.
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