MTV EMA 2022: A night of legends where Taylor Swift, Muse and Ora/Waititi made their own myth

The MTV Europe Music Awards 2022 (MTV EMA) left postcards for all tastes: from Taylor Swift’s surprise appearance at the event (the night’s big winner), to tributes to Kraftwerk and memorable performances such as Muse, Gorillaz, Gayle and Ava Max , among others.

For the second time in its history, the MTV Europe Music Awards(MTV EMA) were held in Düsseldorf, Germany, on a night that had an unexpected and surprising protagonist: Taylor Swift, who won four of the six categories where competed (Best Artist, Best Pop Artist, Best Video and Best Long Video).

Rumors about the arrival of the American in Germany began to circulate early, and were confirmed when the composer behind the praised “Midnights”, released weeks ago, burst onto the red carpet to unleash a euphoria that none of the other artists could match. Not even Damon Albarn and Gorillaz, with whom he was involved in a controversial bullfight during the days of the pandemic.

But this was not the only novelty of the ceremony, which was hosted by Rita Ora and the New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi (one of the most beloved couples in Great Britain), that after their applauded conduction at the EMA 2022 they already enter the short and scarce list of figures capable of leading galas of this magnitude (in days when the animation of the Oscars is a problem every year, the Ora/Waititi duo already adds several points in favor).

Between award and award, the MTV EMAs did not ignore the city that received them and neither did their most illustrious children: Kraftwerk, fathers of electronic music whose myth has even become a tourist attraction for the city German.

With praise from Nile Rodgers himself and described as “drivers of audiovisual innovation in music”, the futuristic spirit of the quartet was a constant in the evening held at the PSD BankDome, which more than met the expectations of the show.

The beginning, however, was installed from the other extreme of electronics: with David Guetta from a platform pressing knobs (or mimicking that) in a presentation where he shared credits with the always famous Bebe Rexha who also dazzled on the red carpet.

Immediately afterwards, without introductions, came one of the most refined shows of the evening: Muse, with a very heavy version of “Will Of The People” with fire and distortion to the rhythm of one of the most popular rock shows in the world. The British, later and precisely, would lift the trophy for Best Rock Artist.

Gorillaz in collaboration with Thundercat, in a session recorded a day earlier on the MTV World Stage, was the second pearl of the EMA 2022, which in the stands he had additional pepper with the memory of the Albarn/Swift lawsuit. On stage, they shaped “Cracker Island”, one of the previews of the new album by the animated band that will bear the same name.

Ava Max, with a version of “Million Dollar Baby”, OneRepublic with “I Ain’t Worried”, the popular and solid Lewis Capaldi with “Forget I” Live and the tribute to Ukraine by Kalush Orchestra, were other postcards of the MTV Europe Music Awards, which this year completely returned to face-to-face.

Gayle (the most applauded of the ceremony after the irruptions of Swift) with the worldwide hit “abcdefu”, and Tate McRae with a medley of “She’s All I Wanna Be” and “Uh Oh”, were other highlights of the award ceremony, which said a big farewell to Germany before around 20,000 attendees.

Among the absentees it was impossible not to remember Rosalía (perhaps this year’s big loser as she did not win any of the five categories in which she was nominated), the Brazilian Anitta (who won Best Latin Artist and sent a greeting of thanks), Harry Styles (without a doubt the “European of the year” as far as pop is concerned) and Nicki Minaj , who demonstrated in the stands how much his satirical songs weigh and empathize with old Europe.