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by Tony Pascarella Published: September 3, 2004
Fashion 101: This section was co-authored by a good friend of mine, Danii Curry; she's more of a fashion guru than I am. Bruce Willis, Usher, P. Diddy, Naomi Campbell and crew showed up in style on their massive celebrity yacht (one of many, in fact); they went for the Havana look with all-white outfits; Naomi had one of the more interesting outfits of the evening, a tiny low-cut dress. A local rapper, Jackie-O, caught some eyes with her bright pink Robert Cavalli gown. Jessica Simpson's robotically busty look in her silver and white dress complemented her hubby Nick's t-shirt and jeans. We know who wears the pants in that family. Paris Hilton stole a look or two with her sheer translucent dress that bared some of what many have already seen, except this time it wasn't in that awful neon green. Jennifer Lopez's tan strapless Stella McCartney gown paid some homage to the 70's, in addition to earning her some face (and floppy hat) time on MTV's pre-show. The king of crunk himself, Lil Jon brought his bejeweled pimp cup and a can of crunk along with his golden hardware to the awards. Hilary Duff, who was nominated in the Best Pop Video category, came to the VMA's in an adult-looking elegant black dress with her older sister Haylie. Instead of the less-than-innocent look displayed by her sister, singing sensation Ashlee Simpson had a chic green-and-white lace look and some very sexy earrings. Closing this brief fashion recap, we have Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro. Dave had the open-shirt look, while Carmen at least covered herself a bit. Her stunning off-white gown made sure to give viewers a glimpse or two of what they wanted to see. There really wasn't anyone who could have been considered a fashion emergency, although I really didn't like P. Diddy's mohawk. Performances/Appearances: The pre-show performances were fairly decent this year. Jadakiss, Ashlee Simpson, and New Found Glory were the keynote ones. Jadakiss' Why? was fairly good, although nowhere near able to measure up to his studio cut. Simpson's show was not her best job vocally, but I was definitely impressed by the poignance she showed throughout. New Found Glory's lead vocalist Jordan Pundik gave a good performance for the sold out crowd; I believe he did a better job than on the band's recent album. The performance of Higher Ground by Alicia Keys, Lenny Kravitz, and the ageless Stevie Wonder was an excellent wind-down of the live performances throughout the night; Keys performed her hit If I Ain't Got You as well. Also performing were Kanye West (Through The Wire), Usher (Confessions, Yeah ft. Lil Jon and Ludacris), Nelly and Christina Aguilera (Tilt Ya Head Back), Jessica Simpson (With You), and Polyphonic Spree, among others. The newest member of the Miami Heat, Shaquille O'Neal, made an appearance toward the beginning of the awards show, as did John Kerry's daughters, who were fairly well booed. Obviously politics was not something the MTV crowd really wanted to hear about on a night like this. Best Male Video: Winner: Usher ft. Lil Jon & Ludacris - Yeah! Tony's Pick: D-12 - My Band With the phenomenal success of Yeah!, Usher has catapulted himself to the top of the charts for weeks now. Even after releasing two other singles from his newest album "Confessions," I'm beginning to doubt he can top the instant stardom he earned himself with this crowd-pleaser. Face it, the guy can dance. I just wish I had moves even half as good as him. Best Female Video: Winner: Beyonce - Naughty Girl Tony's Pick: Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You Beyonce's rise to VMA winner began with an R&B group called Destiny's Child. Her career took the high road to "Austin Powers in Goldmember" and continued on to a solo album release. Still sitting pretty as ever, Beyonce has won a VMA with one of her two nominated videos, Naughty Girl. Best Group Video: Winner: No Doubt - It's My Life Tony's Pick: D-12 - My Band No Doubt's prior six nominations and three wins were nearly eclipsed in one single year with five nods and two wins. The band's rise to stardom has been rocky at times, but their recent string of hits has ensured they will have a place somewhere in the Video Music Awards for years to come. Additionally, Gwen Stefani looked gorgeous as usual in a long blue gown and a large flower in her hair. Best Rap Video: Winner: Jay-Z - 99 Problems Tony's Pick: D-12 - My Band Best Rap Video went to Jay-Z's 99 Problems, the video's fourth award of the evening. The award was presented by Hilary Duff and Without A Paddle's Matthew Lillard (who arrived by surfing the moshpit in an inflatable raft). Shakira was in charge of introing a triumvirate of rock, some decent, some not so. Jet performed their smash hit Are You Gonna Be My Girl?, complete with go-go dancers. Hoobastank's lead singer Doug Robb was horrendously off-key throughout The Reason, although he did manage to get the Miami crowd involved. On the other hand, Yellowcard's performance of Ocean Avenue was both flashy and well-executed; lead vocalist and guitarist Ryan Key ended the song by hopping into the crowd before returning to the stage. Best R&B Video: Winner: Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You Tony's Pick: Usher - Burn It's almost a given that songstress Alicia Keys is nominated for a VMA. The R&B singer and excellent piano player was nominated twice in 2002 and again this year. While she didn't win in '02, Keys took home that illustrious golden statue this time around. She was 1-for-2 in 2001, so Alicia is obviously becoming more popular. Her performance with Stevie Wonder and Lenny Kravitz should be considered a highlight of this year's VMA's; definitely worth a second watching. Best Hip-Hop Video: Winner: Outkast - Hey Ya! Tony's Pick: Outkast - Hey Ya! Why did I pick Outkast to win this category? It's simple. Process of elimination is generally how I made all of my picks, and this applies to the Hip-Hop Video category more than any other. Black Eyed Peas was nominated for a very solid video, but it got nowhere near the incessant MTV airtime as the other nominees. So they're dropped. Chingy ft. Ludacris and Snoop Dogg's Holidae Inn is one of those songs that after you hear two or three hundred times, you forget. It didn't have much staying power, and that will be its downfall, at least in this case. From the Bad Boys II soundtrack, MTV nominated Shake Ya Tailfeather, a collaboration between Nelly, P. Diddy, and Nelly's protegé Murphy Lee, was another one of those songs that is great for a month or so, but it becomes stale. Kanye West is arguably the artist of the year; his album "College Dropout" is still selling well; the producer turned hip-hop artist would have had a better chance in this category had Jesus Walks been nominated instead. That leaves us with the indispensable Outkast. Big Boi and Andre 3000 can make you laugh, cry, and have a great time in their music, and Hey Ya! is one of those songs. It's incredibly overplayed, but the fun level rarely decreases. This was definitely the logical choice for Hip Hop Video of the Year. Best Dance Video: Winner: Usher ft. Lil Jon & Ludacris - Yeah! Tony's Pick: Usher ft. Lil Jon & Ludacris - Yeah! Winning in the Dance category isn't much of a stretch for Usher. His only real competition came from the sultry Beyonce and the breakdancing Black Eyed Peas, but neither artist can be considered synonymous with dance in music videos like Usher Raymond. Best Rock Video: Winner: Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl? Tony's Pick: Hoobastank - The Reason Okay, okay, I goofed on this pick. Badly. I've always had a soft spot for Hoobastank, and I assumed that with the airplay push the band was getting on MTV, they were almost a lock for this category. I own Jet's album and I really do like it, as well as the band. They're just a great rock group. While they may have been a dark horse in the category, I'm glad to see the Aussies win it. Best Pop Video: Winner: No Doubt - It's My Life Tony's Pick: Britney Spears - Toxic Continuing Britney Spears' o-fer streak, No Doubt picked up the win in the Best Pop Video category. I picked Ms. Spears to win because of the popularity her video achieved and the fact that she hadn't won a VMA ever. Unfortunately, she ended up not winning one yet, so she is 0-for-16 lifetime, going back to her first nomination in 1999. Gwen Stefani and Co. are 5-for-11, with nominations in '97, '02, '03, and '04. Best New Artist: Winner: Maroon 5 - This Love Tony's Pick: Kanye West ft. Syleena Johnson - All Falls Down I said it earlier, Kanye West is getting serious consideration in my book for artist of the year. His breakout album is spectacular, even for someone who is not a big fan of the genre. However, I also proudly own Maroon 5's album "Songs About Jane." I overlooked them in this category; this was the band's second nomination (they were also nominated for Best Group Video). Frontman Adam Levine is the driving force behind their videos; the band may have a shot at a second VMA next year, depending on whether She Will Be Loved is allowed on the ballots. MTV2 Award: Winner: Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue Tony's Pick: Modest Mouse - Float On The MTV2 Award went to arguably one of the better performers of the night, Yellowcard. Before I recap the award, let me just mention to the person the cameras cut to as the band walked to the stage, chewing on a pen on national television is not exactly cool. As you could probably expect, Yellowcard's Ryan Key went crazy after the award was announced by ? Viewer's Choice Award: Winner: Linkin Park - Breaking The Habit Tony's Pick: Linkin Park - Breaking The Habit Presenting the Viewer's Choice Award was the U.S. women's gymnastics team, just back from Athens. As generally happens when Linkin Park is nominated for a publicly voted upon award, they won. It's useless to vote against them, folks. Two of the nominees' videos have dropped from regular rotation on MTV and MTV2 (Good Charlotte and Simple Plan), which puts them at a distinct disadvantage to begin with. The San Diego-based nu-metal band has been nominated seven times and won three times since 2001. Linkin Park has scored a total of 3 wins in 8 nominations over the past four years. Breakthrough Video: Winner: Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out Tony's Pick: Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out This category ultimately came down to two videos: Modest Mouse and Franz Ferdinand. The buzz behind both bands and their respective videos has been massive, and both are very good. In fact, either could be considered a breakthrough. The reason I picked Franz Ferdinand for this is because of the replay value of Take Me Out, as well as the mass appeal. Their music style is a blend of rock and dance, where Modest Mouse appeals mostly to the indie audience only. Congratulations to the Scottish band on their first win in their first ever nomination. Best Direction: Winner: Jay-Z - 99 Problems Tony's Pick: Outkast - Hey Ya! Both my pick and the winner were excellently directed videos. Between Jay-Z's excellent overall look and Outkast's massive production logistics, this category was one of the heavier-contested ones, even though it is widely considered a minor category. Best Choreography: Winner: Black Eyed Peas - Hey Mama Tony's Pick: Black Eyed Peas - Hey Mama Best Choreography is something that Black Eyed Peas can just run away with year after year, given the opportunity. The breakdancing hip-hop group is always a joy to watch, no matter the quality of the songs themselves. Best Special Effects: Winner: Outkast - Hey Ya! Tony's Pick: Modest Mouse - Float On Even though I picked the cutout animation crossover of Modest Mouse to win the Best Special Effects category, Outkast took this category. I don't really see how special effects factored into the video as much as the work that went into Modest Mouse's, but it's another moonman that Andre and Big Boi can claim. Best Art Direction: Winner: Outkast - Hey Ya! Tony's Pick: No Doubt - It's My Life I wasn't of the belief that any of the nominees in this category (Alicia Keys, No Doubt, Outkast, Steriogram, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) were really deserving of this award. Art direction should really go to a video that has a lot of animation and actual art work involved in the creation. However, Outkast managed to nab yet another award at the '04 VMA's. Best Editing: Winner: Jay-Z - 99 Problems Tony's Pick: Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl? Jay-Z picked up his third VMA this year in the Best Editing category. I'm sure you're all tired of me extolling 99 Problems, so I won't. I picked Jet to win the category because of the quality of transitions in their video (Are You Gonna Be My Girl), however if I had to have my pick as a fan of the band, I'm happier knowing they won the award for Best Rock Video instead. Best Cinematography Winner: Jay-Z - 99 Problems Tony's Pick: Jay-Z - 99 Problems The dictionary defines cinematography as "the art or technique of movie photography, including both the shooting and development of the film." There is one very simple reason as to why Jay-Z won this category. Watching his video for 99 Problems will probably clue you in quickly. The video is in black and white with camera angles that are almost artistic in nature. When you put the video alongside the other nominees, there is really no comparison; and the concept of a black and white rap video is something that has quite a bit of potential. Best Video Game Soundtrack Winner: Tony Hawk's Underground Tony's Pick: Madden NFL 2004 T.H.U.G., also known as Tony Hawk's Underground, is a skateboarding game that aimed to revolutionize the Tony Hawk series. In all respects, it is fairly much agreed that the game accomplished its goals. In addition to a stellar game, the designers included more than seventy songs. Mixing it up a bit, they included such groups as Jane's Addiction, KISS, Mastodon, Queens of the Stone Age, Jurassic 5, Nas, Alkaline Trio, Dropkick Murphys, Bad Religion, NOFX, Social Distortion, Sublime, and many more. I can't really think of many more bands that Activision could have included on this game's soundtrack to make it any better. I chose Madden's soundtrack as my pick unwittingly thinking the panel would choose the more well-known soundtrack. Mea culpa. I must now bow down to the superiority of the T.H.U.G. Video Of The Year Winner: Outkast - Hey Ya! Tony's Pick: Usher ft. Lil Jon & Ludacris - Yeah! Outkast's smash hit Hey Ya earned Video Of The Year honors, even over the night's big winner, Jay-Z. Andre 3000's "Why Vote?" shirts seemed to meet with a similar reception as the Kerry daughters, although the crowd was fairly supportive of the group. Who's Got The Hardware? Outkast and Jay-Z both secured four moonmen to go on their mantels of awards. Hey Ya! was the major category winner, where Jay-Z's 99 Problems ended up taking home several technical awards in addition to a major. The longtime rapper had been nominated five times previously but never had won. No Doubt took home two awards, including Best Group Video and Best Pop Video. In another example of Usher's continued music success, he nabbed two VMA's. Final Thoughts: For the VMA's first year in Miami, it can definitely be considered a success. The American Airlines Arena is a suitable venue that looked to be fan-friendly. The stars seemed to reach the consensus that they all loved Miami. Maybe it's the sun, maybe the sand, maybe the parties, but one thing can be said. MTV may have a great new host for their Video Music Awards for years to come. Yes, the awards were far tamer than they have been in the past, but the Super Bowl controversy is mostly to blame for that, in my opinion. Hopefully in the coming years, the stars will learn to loosen up and dare I say, let it all hang out. |
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