EDITOR'S NOTE - 2015 VMAs : The Good, The Bad And The Music

And finally, in what may or may not have been a statement of serious intent, West made a mic-drop announcement: "I have decided in 2020 to run for president."

BY R.D MUIA

It's would be a notch nonesensical of me in the event I went ahead to paint an exact copy of what happened over the weekend at this year's Video Music Awards. So instead I'll give you the same picture with a more slightly abstract touch by highlighting the good, the grey and the moments that lay on the opposite side of the scale.

The Bad

Well, she is the devil's kin in every way, but sometimes the devil is best for business - With host Miley Cyrus making endless mention of her 2013 twerking infamy and Taylor Swift patching up a short-lived feud with Nicki Minaj—Kanye West once again livened up the entire affair. Taking the stage to accept the Video Vanguard award, the rap star launched into the sort of off-script, impassioned speech only West can give—announcing a possible presidential run in the process.

Why Miley for Host? On paper, Cyrus made for a logical pick to host the 32nd VMAs. The pop star's memorably naughty 2013 performance on the same stage drew more than 10 million viewers to the award show, whose ratings dropped slightly in 2014. Cyrus might well sum up MTV's efforts to capture a waning youth edginess.

"I have literally done everything on the VMAs stage, and none of it showed that I was qualified to host," Cyrus said in her opening monologue, then delving into an overly insular bit about her own Instagram account. (Why yes, there is already a supercut of the host mentioning sex and drugs.)

But in reality, Cyrus's charisma as host hardly matched her charisma as performer. The 22-year-old relied on the same tired rotation of jokes about how she loves weed, is bad, also likes sex. Did she mention she likes weed?

The hosting job often felt like a fruitless attempt to recapture a viral moment from a past year's show up and until when she was unexpectedly called out by Minaj, who put the host on blast for talking trash about her in the press while accepting the award for best hip-hop video, was Cyrus forced to acknowledge and respond to this year's guests and show. "We all do interviews, and we all know how they manipulate shit," a surprised-seeming Cyrus said in response to Minaj. "Nicki, congratu-fuckin-lations."

The Good

While Minaj escalated one feud, she patched up another, performing her song "The Night Is Still Young" with guest performer Taylor Swift, who appeared on an elevated platform to surprise the crowd in a matching red minidress. The two singers exchanged barbs on Twitter a month ago, but at the show itself they shared a laugh and embraced after singing a snippet of Swift's too-appropriate "Bad Blood." However staged it was, it was the sort of conversation-starter moment that brings life to the VMAs.

Defining moment!

"I still don’t understand awards shows," the rapper said. "I don’t understand how they get five people who worked their entire life—sold records, sold concert tickets—to come stand on the carpet and for the first time in their life be judged on the chopping block and have the opportunity to be considered a loser."

West put MTV on blast for exploiting the footage of him from 2009 and caring only about ratings on MTV's own stage. He joked about his rambling delivery. ("Ya’ll might be thinking right now, 'Did he smoke something before he came out here?' The answer is yes, I rolled up a little something.") He gave advice to fellow artists and spoke about teaching kids confidence.

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And finally, in what may or may not have been a statement of serious intent, West made a mic-drop announcement: "I have decided in 2020 to run for president."

It was the sort of heartfelt show of simultaneous vulnerability and confidence that is unique to West among all celebrities, and it was a moment of genuine spontaneity that's rarely glimpsed at award shows of this nature. The speech dominated post-show discussion, and will be lodged in cultural recollection of the 2015 VMAs for years to come.

While his fellow guests were still talking about a gaffe he pulled more than half a decade ago, West gave them—and us—something new to talk about. Here's to Kanye