vmas 2020

Which VMAs Performer Set Off Those New York Fireworks?

Lady Gaga? The Black Eyed Peas? Photo: Getty Images

We’re less than three days away from the already chaotic 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, and sure enough, this thing keeps growing into a bigger mess. The latest offense: Someone set off a bunch of fireworks on the Hudson River for their pretaped VMAs performance Thursday night, the city confirmed to the New York Post, confusing and annoying New Yorkers who already have enough to be confused and annoyed about. Who could the offender have been? Maybe it’s Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, who ought to be bringing their showstopping “Rain on Me” performance to the water? But fireworks for a song about the rain? For their part, BTS is debuting a song called “Dynamite,” and Miley Cyrus is debuting another called “Midnight Sky,” but doesn’t that seem a bit … literal? This writer’s money is on the Black Eyed Peas, the always maximalist group that, before you ask, actually still exists, and before you ask again, is actually performing at the VMAs in the year of our Lord 2020. The awards show takes place on August 30 at 8 p.m. ET. God willing, you won’t hear anything else about them before then.

Which VMAs Performer Set Off Those New York Fireworks?