Best MTV performance ever. She was introduced by Arsenio Hall (actually, if memory serves me well, what he said was "I'm not gonna waste time with the introduction, ya'll know the one and only Madonna") and there's some history there. The fan flip was the first time the three managed it as in rehearsals, one of them would drop it. Of course she's miming, that the whole point. It was always intended as a live theatrical performance, given the parameters she was operating within. It was a strange night. Every category was either Don Henley (old, established, "legend") or Madonna (still seen as an upstart), and then Sinead O'Connor (actual upstart) walked away with the coveted awards. Eight years into her career, Madonna was still very much an outcast and not considered a musical heavyweight. It's almost as if her time had "come and gone" without proper recognition from her peers (I know she says it "doesn't matter", but it does matter). At the height of her fame and power , she'd just wrapped Blond Ambition but Justify My Love and Truth or Dare hadn't come out yet. Of course that would mark the end of her first career peak and it would take another 8 years to get the critical acclaim that is now indiscriminately bestowed on artists one or two albums in. I blame autotune; it makes everyone a "singer" and detaches performance from the art of music making. I suppose the internet is the "late night television" of today, allowing new generations to discover artists about whom they'd know nothing otherwise. 33 years later, the significance of this performance can now be appreciated by people whose parents weren't even born at the time. So there's that.
Madonna at this point, was not seen as an upstart still, what are you talking about? This was the start of her imperial phase and was in league with MJ & Prince as pioneers. Lol
It’s funny that you said you wanted to cry. Because EVERY time I watch this performance, it brings me to tears because of how incredible the entire thing was. Even though she lip synced, it didn’t matter. Madonna’s Vogue is one of the top 10 pop songs in music history in my opinion. Not just her music, but in pop music in general. And this performance of Vogue was the absolute pinnacle of her career. This performance was HUGE in that afterwards, it was ALL OVER the news and solidified her as the Queen of Pop. I still think this was her best performance of ANY of her performances during her entire career and she still has never topped this. It wouldn’t have been as good if she sang it live because of the dancing and yes, we all know her voice isn’t great live, so lip syncing it was the right decision. I remember when this first aired on tv during that MTV awards show. She closed the show with this performance and completely brought the roof down and it blew up all over the world. I can’t believe you’ve never seen this before. I’ve watched it dozens of times and even have it on her Immaculate Collection VHS tape lol. Madonna peaked with this performance hands down. She was already at the top of the music world before she did this, but this put her well above anything anyone did at the time.
@@taintedlife2618 I wouldn’t say its great live. I guess its very good live if she is just standing still and singing a song, but like Britney Spears, Madonna cannot sing live whatsoever if shes dancing around too much. Some can, like Kylie Minogue who sings live during 90% of her performances while still dancing/moving on stage. Of course Kylie never dances around as much as Spears or Madonna.
@@bridgethegapreactions insane LOL. I thought you were gay!! Haha. Seriously though, as great as the actual music video for Vogue goes, this MTV awards performance was better than the actual music video.
@@trevorbayers2175None of your inferior, less talented favorites could ever do great dancing PLUS singing live well like what Madonna did for "Lo Que Siente La Mujer" on Drowned World Tour ua-cam.com/video/axlNwcRga7Q/v-deo.htmlsi=bR_ffJfzJzjWtIQq Which is one of the LAST songs Madonna reached places others could NEVER reach even in their dreams...songwriting, dancing, and SINGING...sorry
Think of it this way. It’s the House of Madonna performing at a Ball. Performers at Drag Balls, where Vogueing is originated, lip sync in their show as they compete as a House to win trophies. Madonna took the underground scene and made it visible to the world. This performance is a piece of history in music and in culture. This was when LGBTQ, especially gay men were believed to be the cause of AIDS pandemic and this thought was justified by everyone, the government as well.
Her best friend Debi Mazar was the person who first introduced her to the culture of Vogue. She had become friends with Louis Xtragaganza. Debi had told Louis that she was bringing her friend down and Louis couldn't believe it was M! ❤❤
This is great, thank you. It's a culture and scene that I'm completely oblivious to - I'll be honest and say that the depth and significance of this one was a bit lost on me. I knew there was *something* important going on, just didn't quite know what it was. Yours and others' comments are amazingly helpful, thanks
Camila Cabello paid tribute to this Madonna VMA performance. She performed on Saturday Night Live, her song "Cry For Me." She and her dancers dressed similarly, they had fans, and the staging was inspired too, although on a smaller scale.
This is an iconic performance! And it's ok to cry a little just because it's amazing :) I remember seeing this live in the middle of the night and it blew everybody's mind :)
Displaying extreme confidence here, she looks like the cat that got the cream..the song, the costumes, the staging, the cultural references all come together to create magic and one of many creative peaks. It's only grown in stature. Comparing the pomp and glamour of French courtyard and gay ballroom knowing that both are equally ove the top and humourous
I was 22 when I saw it on MTV and was so amazed at her ballsy move to perform a full drag performance on that industry show. The wigs, the costumes, the make up, the perfect lipsync, the choreography. It was so outrageous that any one of my gay friends smart enough to have taped it on VHS immediately became socially important because we could watch it again at their house. (There was no internet.)
Taking the elements of the time period the clothing and dance all incorporated into a pop song performance. It was amazing and yes I watched it live. I was he went under her dress! He squeezed her breasts! Lol, there was a lot happening besides the hijinks. The fans were incredible. How all 3 ladies perfectly flipped their fans in synchronicity was really awesome. I don't mind the lip-synching on this performance at all. It was about the performance and showmanship. Wonderful even if it shocked my virgin eyes, lol!!
One year before "Dangerous Liaisons" with Gleen Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeifer and Keanu Reeves, made a huge sucess and won some Oscars, including best costume design. This performance is a "vogue version" for that movie.
This performance was not based on the movie "Dangerous Liaisons", although Madonna did wear a gown that Glenn Close wore in that movie. Choreographer Vincent Paterson has a video here on UA-cam and he explains that he came up with the concept for this performance and it was based on Marie Antoinette and her court. He also owned the 3 white fans that were used in this performance.
This is the best example of why having a powerful singing voice IS NOT ENOUGH to become THE ABSOLUTE QUEEN GODESS OF POP. Mariah, Celeine, Barbara Streisand, Whitney, Christina Aguillera and a few others, all have more powerful voices than Madonna, but NONE OF THEM could pull off this performance and convince you for five minutes straight, that they are Mary Antoinette. The artistry displayed here is OSCAR worthy.
Do you know why? If you go back and watch the videos from the Album 'Madonna' (the first one), you can see the stunning relationship she has with the camera. And then compare her to her contemporaries (Samantha Fox, Sabrina etc.). She has such charisma and provocative boldness. She's got balls bigger than most men. And then of course there is her dancing and her visual artistry.
The lip syncing is what people did in the ballrooms, house competing to each other and channeling movie stars, fashion icons and singers. Madonna invented the “Lipsync for your life” moment and the mannequin challenge!
This is on par or maybe even exceeds when MJ first did the Moonwalk on stage and people just flipped out. It’s referenced frequently by other artists and even by M herself in a future tour performance of Vogue. There’s literally so much to say about this performance, and yes I saw it live on the night of the awards and yes, people were gagged. As others have mentioned, Vogue is a celebration of queer/black/Latinx culture from NYC where they perform in ‘balls’, competing in.l various categories and performing specific dance styles and moves that uplift the dancers’ confidence and self esteem. Most ballroom performers were young kids kicked out of their homes for being queer, and several were living with HIV. Voguing and ballroom gave them a community, ‘houses’ that took them in and gave them a sense of chosen family, and a way to express their creativity. What’s brilliant about this performance is juxtaposing ballroom culture with a Ball in Marie Antoinette’s court… and combining dance moves from the 1800s and the late 20th century. The sexual references of course can go back to the rumours of Marie’s alleged infidelity (with men and women) and Madonna’s image as a sexually liberated woman in power and control, with a court of people in thrall with her. The other thing that HAS to be mentioned is the flip of the fans, which for all three women to get right on the night of the performance was epic… they failed every other time in rehearsal. The fans are also another clever touch overall. Fans were a means of flirtation and communication with potential lovers in the 1800s, and fans in ball culture were often used as punctuation… to emphasize a point or statement, often to ‘shade’ someone else. I love how M and the choreographer combined these very different eras to create something absolutely magical and a performance that’s never really been topped artistically on an award show.
yes to all but you may confuse ambitious appropriation completely redone for mass while also moving needle forward. as a 10 year old - I didnt know until my 20s that voguing was not even her creation but the nyc movement. its amazing. but....its also an amazing song, well produced and the word vogue is amazing. yet rmr in her bridge, she references the "vogue" of the 30s-50s great actresses...not the lgbtq+ black founders of the art. all good bc she was, has always been and always be someone who propelled the movemennt forward. but ya gotta be objective. esp how she kept on appropriating - which is all good - with her r&b album. and all good its just to haters of JT appropriating, it happens all the time and then reinterpreted by artist. and I also applaud madonna for doing pop that can be accessible to 10-50 year olds. of all decrees. shes amazing.
@@JuanHardy-n8n and thank god for that for me and the mass bc the song would never have taken off if THAT was the visual imprint left in peoples heads. thank god indeed. and the mass audience who bought in is what made the song so popular and one of her biggest. also, where the f in above does she rep that culture. again, avant garde luxury. thank you for your service. now sashay away.
Trivia- the dress that Madonna has on in this iconic performance was worn by Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons. The film that really inspired this entire vision of Vogue for the VMA’s.
@@TrevorPalmatiershow - it is known as the “Marie Antoinette” number, but Madonna and her back dancers have both stated that Dangerous Liaisons was discussed during a game of charades in France. So the concept was probably both.
@@joelscottarnold3262 Choreographer Vincent Paterson has a video here on UA-cam and he explains that he came up with the concept for this performance and it was based on Marie Antoinette and her court. He also owned the 3 white fans used in the performance and they were sold at auction in 2022 for $75,000.00 for the set of 3.
Yes it was discussed in France with the dancers during the last days of the Blond Ambition Tour!!! Then Vincent Patterson only by coincifence was reading the book to be honest.
Beyond just the overall audacity of staging such an unexpected re-imagining of Vogue, a couple things stand out to me. I love that variation of the "Versailles Glide" they do across the floor, imitating the distinctive walk of Marie Antoinette and her courtiers that made them appear to be hovering above the ground rather than just walking like mere mortals. And then just the air of supreme confidence that they are absolutely owning the room. It shows on Madonna's face from the moment she hits the stage til she is carried away. It says "yes, I know." That attitude is really a key element to pulling off such a performance.
Saw it live when it aired and was mesmerized. Definitely on the top 3 performances from the MTV awards for me. Her first performance was on the very first MTV MVA's where she sang Like A Virgin and it was pretty much all people talked about. She was the headline of most newspapers, magazines and newscasts for her "scandalous" display. Iconic from the start, it's definitely worth reacting to if you haven't already.
Performances like this show why Madonna is the icon she is no one else can match this not then or now. Madonna was made for the stage and her stage presence is spell binding. Thats why all the others look up to her.
I was 13 when I saw it live on TV. Blown away isn’t the word! And I was already a massive fan and was expecting her to be as amazing as her express yourself performance the year before. She topped herself and everyone else with this. Still not beaten. Gagas Paparazzi performance comes closest.
Saw it in 1990. Everyone was talking about it for days. Made every other performance that year look lazy and amateurish. Back then, if you didn't record it on your VCR, you didn't expect to ever see it again - so people were asking for copies from those who did record it. Still enjoy watching it occasionally on UA-cam. It's an iconic performance in MTV and pop history. 🏆
Another one from the Patreon archive! I'm on holiday for two weeks until early September and I've pre-recorded everything for Patreon (Madonna, Mariah, Whitney, Lana). That is all recorded and I should be able to upload them all at the right times while I'm away. Here's what I will post between now and the end of August on Patreon: MARIAH CAREY Got To Be Real - with Patti Labelle MADONNA I'M BREATHLESS - Full Album Reaction, Angels With Dirty Faces (demo) + Supernatural WHITNEY HOUSTON Home / Ain’t No Way - Merv Griffin Show 1983, The Greatest Love of All in tribute to Muhammad Ali on his 50th birthday LANA DEL REY Pink Champagne / Let Me Love You Like A Woman (Ultraviolence Demo), HONEYMOON - Full Album Reaction I have nothing else recorded so if I can post anything to UA-cam in the last two weeks of August, it will be songs taken from those above, or stuff out of the Patreon archive. If you're not into those 4 artists, you'll have to wait til September for anything different sorry. This is going to be a strictly Mariah / Madonna / Whitney / Lana zone! Stay subscribed and check out my playlists. I'll be back with more variety in September! Thanks, Jonny x
A small part of this performance is the use of fans and the sound effects. She often adds an ingenious complication to her performances and that flip was so risky. She’s an amazing performer.
I often wondered what would have happened if any one of the three dropped their fan during that fan flip. It would have completely ruined the entire performance. LOL
@@taintedlife2618 hahaha. Ok, so I guess you were always present at the rehearsals then? LOL. Ok. And um, what performance after this one? This was the ONLY time she ever performed Vogue with this choreography and the fans etc. This was a one off performance and she never performed the song like this again. So please go back to sleep with your nonsense.
I've watched this probably a million times or more ever since it was aired on MTV back in the day. God knows the state of the VHS tape I recorded it on! Anyway, it was the most talked about in the papers the next day.. due to the obvious cheeky stunts during the performance! What a shocker! LOL!
The lip synch was deliberate as a mannered drag performance homaging the ballroom scene from which Vogue was derived. And if you pay attention every single move is on beat with the music. Finally if you Google it this performance shows up on best of lists - PS - I actually use this as the jump off point to discuss her work in my upcoming book
Plus, I think she was on the Blonde Ambition Tour, and was performing this songvlive every night, with totally different choreography. This was so we'll rehearsed you'd think this was the version shecdid every night.
Madonna's performance was "Living Life Like a Queen: Channelling Maria Antoinette's Excesses" and living a life of royalty with Maria Antoinette's Entourage. Behind the Scenes of a Royal Court along with her Indulgent Life and where the sex comes into play in Madonna's performance is an actual fact - "The queen had abandoned the marriage bed because the king, who suffered from phimosis, could not 'honour' her. Seven years after their wedding, Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette had still not consummated their marriage. So Maria Antoinette lived a life of Luxury and Scandal.
No doubt. She’s an ardent student of history and a voracious reader of books and literature. Her intellectual and artistic interests are deep…quite unlike any post modern pop artist.
Johnny.. just an FYI.. this is your Blond Ambition/Truth or Dare crew right here on the stage. These are the same dancers and backing singers that you'll be seeing a lot of. They are in the "Vogue" music video as well. These dancers participated in a documentary in 2016 called "Strike a Pose" in which they described how being on tour with Madonna... and being in "Truth or Dare" affected their lives. If you notice the part you chose to replay... his foot almost gets stuck in her dress, and she cracks a smile after that.
Also, if you watch closely, about midway through the video, you can see one of the little white "puff balls" used to decorate the back of her hair fly off when she does a spin. When you see the back of her head you can see one is missing and you can see it lying on the stage.
I watched it. I was a teenager...Madonna was life and watching it was off the hook! It was brilliant. Timeless. No one can beat it. Express yourself at the Awards...second
8:30 People went nuts over this "Vogue" number!! It made waves!! We, the Gen-X teenagers at the time (1990), were all the rave and awe with MADONNA's Victorian era concept-- soooo unique, soooo cool, and simply amazing!! I can recall our parents (the Gen-Boomers) scolding us "for watching a pr0stitute" perform with sexy moves on international TV/cable TV. It is now 2024 and we can still say at those detractors: "Yeah right!! Those old folks can kiss our @$$es!"
another epic Madonna moment. waiting all night for her to come out... and then she & her crew did _that?_ my jaw was literally on the floor! truly iconic on a whole other level! they slayed! *BEST VMA PERFORMANCE... **_EVER!_*
The actual reason why the performance was lip synched was because she was at the absolute peak of her career in 1990. She has never been as bigger as this again. Think how big GaGa was during her Fame Monster days and 1990 M was still bigger than that. There were M articles in Newspapers and magazines every day. Most of these were stupid made up storie Because she was such a huge star though on TV and radio broadcasts of the BAT she swore on multiple occasions. Saying Fuck and Cunt many times during shows. Then because the MTV VMA's were broadcast completely live they said that she could not be given a live microphone. So they decided that if she was going to be lipsynching then they would not bother pretending with microphones. It would also make voguing much better and easier with both hands free.
If it has HAS been topped, in someone's mind it would only be by Madonna! It's STILL ranked #1 MTV VIDEO AWARDS PERFORMANCES EVER, I understand! Thank you Johnny 👍🩵
I was in my late teens when I watched this live on MTV. As a closeted Gay teen I wept over this performance. Just for the sheer artistry and (like you said) the concept. The magnitude of it was talked about for months later in the small conservative town I grew up in here in the states. And it still effects me the same way to this day.
We were all expecting an elaborate “old Hollywood musical” style performance. So when she hit us with Marie Antoinette NOBODY was prepared! That’s how you become a superstar and known as “the mother of reinvention”! 🔥🔥🔥
As a gay man, I did watch that performance live on TV with a few my other gay friends, and we went crazy. Right after that performance, you can’t believe how many queens in the clubs were performing that not copying that MTV performance but the song.
I remember watching it live and I would have been 13, think it’s still one of her best performances. The part which you re run the dancer steps on her dress and it pulls as they separate you see her smile and then gain composure shows her to be normal and yet so untouchable to me anyway.
I remember it clearly and I was as flabbergasted then as I am watching it now. Such a good concept and respectful to history too, And not dropping the fans (which apparently happened in rehearsals ...)!
I'm not sure anyone expects her to sing live. Mostly over a backing tracking track with auto-tune seems the best way for Madonna. I've seen her live a few times and tbh I prefer it when she isn't distracted by trying to sing. She is without doubt a staggering performer regardless of vocal talent.
NONE of your inferior, less talented favorites could ever do something like "Lo Que Siente La Mujer" from Madonna's Drowned World Tour where beautiful singing AND dancing happen together in one performance ua-cam.com/video/axlNwcRga7Q/v-deo.htmlsi=bR_ffJfzJzjWtIQq I'm sorry but when it comes to DOING IT ALL - songwriting, singing, dancing...Madonna has reached the points that are impossible for others to surpass...you can hire the best vocal coach to sing "perfectly", yet you can't touch Madonna's brilliance as a SINGER, never in a million years...sorry
u need to do Black Cat Janet from the same show! VMA 1990. she opened, and madonna closed I believe. the reason they had beef back in day is Madge's Documentary from the following year following her through this performance -- she and her dancers trash Janets performance and dancers. just a pop culture kid bit. both icons who im sure get a long now. but good to see them give it. Janets more rock and organic (with ridiculously choreo) vs the artsy performance art of madge's where's her mic btw?
This legendary performance clearly did NOT need a mic and it's still better than anything Janet has ever done 😂😂😂 And when Madonna had her mic, like when she sang "Sooner or Later" at the Oscars in the following year (1991), again, it's totally beyond Janet's capability. I don't think Madonna even remembers who "Janet Jackson" is.
awwww u poor unfortunate soul. women support women these days and they're both such icons that im sure they have deep respect for each other. just surviving and still being relevant and doing arena tours with both Janets 50+ and madonna's 40+ year careers. their music is my life. you either lack maturity or need to see a therapist. be well. and any actual singer will tell you janet is more capable vocalist with intricate techniques and a beautiful tone of an angel and well, madonna also admitted shes a better dancer. I hope in my life and theirs they do something together or a retrospective on what they both went through. be well, child. @@CrystalCoffin
You should check out Janet Jackson's live performance of Escapade. It was a really great performance along these lines with big stage presence and dance.
This is exactly right (@robertfraser)...she wasn't present at the rehearsals and the MTV execs approved of the performance up front as they had been shown the costumes and knew it was lipsynched..so there was no chance of there being an outrageously sexual performance which would be going out live to millions of viewers... And how wrong they were...which isAt who she gave the two fingers up the nose sign to.... her peak of peaks hahaa
![Madonna - Vogue (Live MTV VMA's 1990) [REACTION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/w8wwoWOdn2o/mqdefault.jpg)
It’s still ranked as the No1 greatest MTV music award performance ever… Not bad for a 33 year old performance. 💚
This is absolutely the best pop music performance of all-time.
This is what "Stage presence" is. Royal perfomance!
This was History being made. The Queen of Pop unrivaled. 👑
The performance of the century!!!
He's right: BREATHTAKING
No one has yet to come close to the artistry of Madonna.
saw the original broadcast and was blown away, didnt expect any less from the Icon Madonna
Great reaction. No question the best performance on MTV award show!
Best MTV performance ever. She was introduced by Arsenio Hall (actually, if memory serves me well, what he said was "I'm not gonna waste time with the introduction, ya'll know the one and only Madonna") and there's some history there. The fan flip was the first time the three managed it as in rehearsals, one of them would drop it. Of course she's miming, that the whole point. It was always intended as a live theatrical performance, given the parameters she was operating within. It was a strange night. Every category was either Don Henley (old, established, "legend") or Madonna (still seen as an upstart), and then Sinead O'Connor (actual upstart) walked away with the coveted awards. Eight years into her career, Madonna was still very much an outcast and not considered a musical heavyweight. It's almost as if her time had "come and gone" without proper recognition from her peers (I know she says it "doesn't matter", but it does matter). At the height of her fame and power , she'd just wrapped Blond Ambition but Justify My Love and Truth or Dare hadn't come out yet. Of course that would mark the end of her first career peak and it would take another 8 years to get the critical acclaim that is now indiscriminately bestowed on artists one or two albums in. I blame autotune; it makes everyone a "singer" and detaches performance from the art of music making. I suppose the internet is the "late night television" of today, allowing new generations to discover artists about whom they'd know nothing otherwise. 33 years later, the significance of this performance can now be appreciated by people whose parents weren't even born at the time. So there's that.
Madonna at this point, was not seen as an upstart still, what are you talking about? This was the start of her imperial phase and was in league with MJ & Prince as pioneers. Lol
@@kristianberg4264 You really don't have a clue, do you? Don't bother me again.
It’s funny that you said you wanted to cry. Because EVERY time I watch this performance, it brings me to tears because of how incredible the entire thing was. Even though she lip synced, it didn’t matter. Madonna’s Vogue is one of the top 10 pop songs in music history in my opinion. Not just her music, but in pop music in general. And this performance of Vogue was the absolute pinnacle of her career. This performance was HUGE in that afterwards, it was ALL OVER the news and solidified her as the Queen of Pop. I still think this was her best performance of ANY of her performances during her entire career and she still has never topped this. It wouldn’t have been as good if she sang it live because of the dancing and yes, we all know her voice isn’t great live, so lip syncing it was the right decision. I remember when this first aired on tv during that MTV awards show. She closed the show with this performance and completely brought the roof down and it blew up all over the world. I can’t believe you’ve never seen this before. I’ve watched it dozens of times and even have it on her Immaculate Collection VHS tape lol. Madonna peaked with this performance hands down. She was already at the top of the music world before she did this, but this put her well above anything anyone did at the time.
Her voice is great live but with the amount of dancing she does that over complicates things and Vogue is one of the songs that sounds strange sang.
@@taintedlife2618 I wouldn’t say its great live. I guess its very good live if she is just standing still and singing a song, but like Britney Spears, Madonna cannot sing live whatsoever if shes dancing around too much. Some can, like Kylie Minogue who sings live during 90% of her performances while still dancing/moving on stage. Of course Kylie never dances around as much as Spears or Madonna.
Just wait til I tell you that I've never actually seen the music video for Vogue before....
@@bridgethegapreactions insane LOL. I thought you were gay!! Haha. Seriously though, as great as the actual music video for Vogue goes, this MTV awards performance was better than the actual music video.
@@trevorbayers2175None of your inferior, less talented favorites could ever do great dancing PLUS singing live well like what Madonna did for "Lo Que Siente La Mujer" on Drowned World Tour ua-cam.com/video/axlNwcRga7Q/v-deo.htmlsi=bR_ffJfzJzjWtIQq
Which is one of the LAST songs
Madonna reached places others could NEVER reach even in their dreams...songwriting, dancing, and SINGING...sorry
Think of it this way. It’s the House of Madonna performing at a Ball. Performers at Drag Balls, where Vogueing is originated, lip sync in their show as they compete as a House to win trophies. Madonna took the underground scene and made it visible to the world. This performance is a piece of history in music and in culture. This was when LGBTQ, especially gay men were believed to be the cause of AIDS pandemic and this thought was justified by everyone, the government as well.
Perfect description!
Her best friend Debi Mazar was the person who first introduced her to the culture of Vogue. She had become friends with Louis Xtragaganza. Debi had told Louis that she was bringing her friend down and Louis couldn't believe it was M! ❤❤
This is great, thank you. It's a culture and scene that I'm completely oblivious to - I'll be honest and say that the depth and significance of this one was a bit lost on me. I knew there was *something* important going on, just didn't quite know what it was. Yours and others' comments are amazingly helpful, thanks
She's wearing Glen Close's dress in Dangerous Liason!!!! Glen stated this too!!
Camila Cabello paid tribute to this Madonna VMA performance. She performed on Saturday Night Live, her song "Cry For Me." She and her dancers dressed similarly, they had fans, and the staging was inspired too, although on a smaller scale.
This is an iconic performance! And it's ok to cry a little just because it's amazing :) I remember seeing this live in the middle of the night and it blew everybody's mind :)
Displaying extreme confidence here, she looks like the cat that got the cream..the song, the costumes, the staging, the cultural references all come together to create magic and one of many creative peaks. It's only grown in stature. Comparing the pomp and glamour of French courtyard and gay ballroom knowing that both are equally ove the top and humourous
Love the parallel between the vogue ball performance conventions and the Louis XVI performance conventions.
I was 22 when I saw it on MTV and was so amazed at her ballsy move to perform a full drag performance on that industry show. The wigs, the costumes, the make up, the perfect lipsync, the choreography. It was so outrageous that any one of my gay friends smart enough to have taped it on VHS immediately became socially important because we could watch it again at their house. (There was no internet.)
I was there for that historic moment
Still my fav performance
Best “drag show” ever 😃😃😃
Marie Antoinette having a party in the 90s
Taking the elements of the time period the clothing and dance all incorporated into a pop song performance. It was amazing and yes I watched it live. I was he went under her dress! He squeezed her breasts! Lol, there was a lot happening besides the hijinks. The fans were incredible. How all 3 ladies perfectly flipped their fans in synchronicity was really awesome. I don't mind the lip-synching on this performance at all. It was about the performance and showmanship. Wonderful even if it shocked my virgin eyes, lol!!
One year before "Dangerous Liaisons" with Gleen Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeifer and Keanu Reeves, made a huge sucess and won some Oscars, including best costume design. This performance is a "vogue version" for that movie.
This performance was not based on the movie "Dangerous Liaisons", although Madonna did wear a gown that Glenn Close wore in that movie. Choreographer Vincent Paterson has a video here on UA-cam and he explains that he came up with the concept for this performance and it was based on Marie Antoinette and her court. He also owned the 3 white fans that were used in this performance.
Nevah a flaw......
This is the best example of why having a powerful singing voice IS NOT ENOUGH
to become THE ABSOLUTE QUEEN GODESS OF POP. Mariah, Celeine, Barbara Streisand, Whitney, Christina Aguillera and a few others, all have more powerful voices than Madonna, but NONE OF THEM could pull off this performance and convince you for five minutes straight, that they are Mary Antoinette. The artistry displayed here is OSCAR worthy.
preach to the kids ❤❤
No pop star would ever be able to replicate the impact of this performance. Not Ariana, Not Taylor, Not Miley, Not Gaga, not even Janet was able to.
Do you know why? If you go back and watch the videos from the Album 'Madonna' (the first one), you can see the stunning relationship she has with the camera. And then compare her to her contemporaries (Samantha Fox, Sabrina etc.).
She has such charisma and provocative boldness. She's got balls bigger than most men.
And then of course there is her dancing and her visual artistry.
Uh...
@@lavinder11 I suspect you were not alive then?
@@samhartford8677 I was.
@@lavinder11 And you cannot distinguish between Samantha Fox/Sabrina and Madonna?
The lip syncing is what people did in the ballrooms, house competing to each other and channeling movie stars, fashion icons and singers. Madonna invented the “Lipsync for your life” moment and the mannequin challenge!
The woman is incredible. Sheer visual brilliance. And I love the fan flip. Your smile when she enters says it all!
This is on par or maybe even exceeds when MJ first did the Moonwalk on stage and people just flipped out. It’s referenced frequently by other artists and even by M herself in a future tour performance of Vogue. There’s literally so much to say about this performance, and yes I saw it live on the night of the awards and yes, people were gagged. As others have mentioned, Vogue is a celebration of queer/black/Latinx culture from NYC where they perform in ‘balls’, competing in.l various categories and performing specific dance styles and moves that uplift the dancers’ confidence and self esteem. Most ballroom performers were young kids kicked out of their homes for being queer, and several were living with HIV. Voguing and ballroom gave them a community, ‘houses’ that took them in and gave them a sense of chosen family, and a way to express their creativity. What’s brilliant about this performance is juxtaposing ballroom culture with a Ball in Marie Antoinette’s court… and combining dance moves from the 1800s and the late 20th century. The sexual references of course can go back to the rumours of Marie’s alleged infidelity (with men and women) and Madonna’s image as a sexually liberated woman in power and control, with a court of people in thrall with her. The other thing that HAS to be mentioned is the flip of the fans, which for all three women to get right on the night of the performance was epic… they failed every other time in rehearsal. The fans are also another clever touch overall. Fans were a means of flirtation and communication with potential lovers in the 1800s, and fans in ball culture were often used as punctuation… to emphasize a point or statement, often to ‘shade’ someone else. I love how M and the choreographer combined these very different eras to create something absolutely magical and a performance that’s never really been topped artistically on an award show.
This is the most detailed explanation of vogueing / ballrooms / houses etc... I've seen yet, thank you. I really know none of this stuff.
yes to all but you may confuse ambitious appropriation completely redone for mass while also moving needle forward. as a 10 year old - I didnt know until my 20s that voguing was not even her creation but the nyc movement. its amazing. but....its also an amazing song, well produced and the word vogue is amazing. yet rmr in her bridge, she references the "vogue" of the 30s-50s great actresses...not the lgbtq+ black founders of the art. all good bc she was, has always been and always be someone who propelled the movemennt forward. but ya gotta be objective. esp how she kept on appropriating - which is all good - with her r&b album. and all good its just to haters of JT appropriating, it happens all the time and then reinterpreted by artist. and I also applaud madonna for doing pop that can be accessible to 10-50 year olds. of all decrees. shes amazing.
@@Goose-1999You not knowing should be totally on you. Madonna has always been respectful and never claimed to invent. She was simply shedding light.
@@JuanHardy-n8n and thank god for that for me and the mass bc the song would never have taken off if THAT was the visual imprint left in peoples heads. thank god indeed. and the mass audience who bought in is what made the song so popular and one of her biggest. also, where the f in above does she rep that culture. again, avant garde luxury. thank you for your service. now sashay away.
@@Goose-1999 Lord
Trivia- the dress that Madonna has on in this iconic performance was worn by Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons. The film that really inspired this entire vision of Vogue for the VMA’s.
Vince Paterson said he read a biography of Marie Antoinette and came up with this. Not Dangerous Liasons.
@@TrevorPalmatiershow - it is known as the “Marie Antoinette” number, but Madonna and her back dancers have both stated that Dangerous Liaisons was discussed during a game of charades in France. So the concept was probably both.
@@joelscottarnold3262 Choreographer Vincent Paterson has a video here on UA-cam and he explains that he came up with the concept for this performance and it was based on Marie Antoinette and her court. He also owned the 3 white fans used in the performance and they were sold at auction in 2022 for $75,000.00 for the set of 3.
Yes it was discussed in France with the dancers during the last days of the Blond Ambition Tour!!! Then Vincent Patterson only by coincifence was reading the book to be honest.
Beyond just the overall audacity of staging such an unexpected re-imagining of Vogue, a couple things stand out to me.
I love that variation of the "Versailles Glide" they do across the floor, imitating the distinctive walk of Marie Antoinette and her courtiers that made them appear to be hovering above the ground rather than just walking like mere mortals.
And then just the air of supreme confidence that they are absolutely owning the room. It shows on Madonna's face from the moment she hits the stage til she is carried away. It says "yes, I know."
That attitude is really a key element to pulling off such a performance.
The most brilliant performace on the VMA's ever! She brought performance to a whole new level without even actually singing a single word.
Saw it live when it aired and was mesmerized. Definitely on the top 3 performances from the MTV awards for me. Her first performance was on the very first MTV MVA's where she sang Like A Virgin and it was pretty much all people talked about. She was the headline of most newspapers, magazines and newscasts for her "scandalous" display. Iconic from the start, it's definitely worth reacting to if you haven't already.
I actually haven't!
I remember watching this live as a teenager. This performance was legendary immediately.
Performances like this show why Madonna is the icon she is no one else can match this not then or now. Madonna was made for the stage and her stage presence is spell binding. Thats why all the others look up to her.
I was 13 when I saw it live on TV. Blown away isn’t the word! And I was already a massive fan and was expecting her to be as amazing as her express yourself performance the year before. She topped herself and everyone else with this. Still not beaten. Gagas Paparazzi performance comes closest.
Saw it in 1990. Everyone was talking about it for days. Made every other performance that year look lazy and amateurish. Back then, if you didn't record it on your VCR, you didn't expect to ever see it again - so people were asking for copies from those who did record it.
Still enjoy watching it occasionally on UA-cam. It's an iconic performance in MTV and pop history. 🏆
Another one from the Patreon archive!
I'm on holiday for two weeks until early September and I've pre-recorded everything for Patreon (Madonna, Mariah, Whitney, Lana). That is all recorded and I should be able to upload them all at the right times while I'm away.
Here's what I will post between now and the end of August on Patreon:
MARIAH CAREY
Got To Be Real - with Patti Labelle
MADONNA
I'M BREATHLESS - Full Album Reaction,
Angels With Dirty Faces (demo) + Supernatural
WHITNEY HOUSTON
Home / Ain’t No Way - Merv Griffin Show 1983,
The Greatest Love of All in tribute to Muhammad Ali on his 50th birthday
LANA DEL REY
Pink Champagne / Let Me Love You Like A Woman (Ultraviolence Demo),
HONEYMOON - Full Album Reaction
I have nothing else recorded so if I can post anything to UA-cam in the last two weeks of August, it will be songs taken from those above, or stuff out of the Patreon archive.
If you're not into those 4 artists, you'll have to wait til September for anything different sorry. This is going to be a strictly Mariah / Madonna / Whitney / Lana zone! Stay subscribed and check out my playlists.
I'll be back with more variety in September!
Thanks,
Jonny x
A small part of this performance is the use of fans and the sound effects. She often adds an ingenious complication to her performances and that flip was so risky. She’s an amazing performer.
I often wondered what would have happened if any one of the three dropped their fan during that fan flip. It would have completely ruined the entire performance. LOL
@@trevorbayers2175the fans were always dropped in rehearsals and this performance and the one after it were the only times they got it right.
@@trevorbayers2175 just the stress of that 😱 I guess that comes with the territory 💥💥
@@taintedlife2618 hahaha. Ok, so I guess you were always present at the rehearsals then? LOL. Ok. And um, what performance after this one? This was the ONLY time she ever performed Vogue with this choreography and the fans etc. This was a one off performance and she never performed the song like this again. So please go back to sleep with your nonsense.
@@taintedlife2618which other performance after it?
I've watched this probably a million times or more ever since it was aired on MTV back in the day. God knows the state of the VHS tape I recorded it on! Anyway, it was the most talked about in the papers the next day.. due to the obvious cheeky stunts during the performance! What a shocker! LOL!
The lip synch was deliberate as a mannered drag performance homaging the ballroom scene from which Vogue was derived. And if you pay attention every single move is on beat with the music. Finally if you Google it this performance shows up on best of lists - PS - I actually use this as the jump off point to discuss her work in my upcoming book
Iconic to this day and there's been no comparison! Oh to be a teen again watching this for the first time on TV!!! 💖💖💖
Wow this brings back big memories. I was almost 8 years old and begged my parents to let me watch. Still so exciting to watch all these years later
Leí alguna vez que en esta presentación ella está usando uno de los vestidos que usó Glen Close en la película Dangerous Liaisons, de 1988.
Plus, I think she was on the Blonde Ambition Tour, and was performing this songvlive every night, with totally different choreography. This was so we'll rehearsed you'd think this was the version shecdid every night.
Yes, I watched it then and loved it.
Madonna's performance was "Living Life Like a Queen: Channelling Maria Antoinette's Excesses" and living a life of royalty with Maria Antoinette's Entourage.
Behind the Scenes of a Royal Court along with her Indulgent Life and where the sex comes into play in Madonna's performance is an actual fact - "The queen had abandoned the marriage bed because the king, who suffered from phimosis, could not 'honour' her. Seven years after their wedding, Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette had still not consummated their marriage. So Maria Antoinette lived a life of Luxury and Scandal.
No doubt. She’s an ardent student of history and a voracious reader of books and literature. Her intellectual and artistic interests are deep…quite unlike any post modern pop artist.
Johnny.. just an FYI.. this is your Blond Ambition/Truth or Dare crew right here on the stage. These are the same dancers and backing singers that you'll be seeing a lot of. They are in the "Vogue" music video as well. These dancers participated in a documentary in 2016 called "Strike a Pose" in which they described how being on tour with Madonna... and being in "Truth or Dare" affected their lives. If you notice the part you chose to replay... his foot almost gets stuck in her dress, and she cracks a smile after that.
I always loved that part where his foot got caught on her dress and then she almost laughed.
Awesome, I'm so excited to watch that tour
Also, if you watch closely, about midway through the video, you can see one of the little white "puff balls" used to decorate the back of her hair fly off when she does a spin. When you see the back of her head you can see one is missing and you can see it lying on the stage.
I’m waiting so so much for the celebration tour reaction on December 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
That’s right his show was likely not cancelled or rescheduled. Mine was rescheduled but waiting on dates and have to rebuy tickets 🙄
We are at the Ball, there's no need for a microphone. God Save the Queen!
I watched it. I was a teenager...Madonna was life and watching it was off the hook! It was brilliant. Timeless. No one can beat it. Express yourself at the Awards...second
I was a 9 year old little gay boy watching that on TV and loved it.
8:30 People went nuts over this "Vogue" number!! It made waves!! We, the Gen-X teenagers at the time (1990), were all the rave and awe with MADONNA's Victorian era concept-- soooo unique, soooo cool, and simply amazing!! I can recall our parents (the Gen-Boomers) scolding us "for watching a pr0stitute" perform with sexy moves on international TV/cable TV. It is now 2024 and we can still say at those detractors: "Yeah right!! Those old folks can kiss our @$$es!"
another epic Madonna moment. waiting all night for her to come out... and then she & her crew did _that?_
my jaw was literally on the floor! truly iconic on a whole other level! they slayed!
*BEST VMA PERFORMANCE... **_EVER!_*
Yes! The song was still rather fresh in performances. Most thot she would do the same as BA Tour but damn did she surprise everyone!
ICONICCCCCCCCCC
The actual reason why the performance was lip synched was because she was at the absolute peak of her career in 1990. She has never been as bigger as this again. Think how big GaGa was during her Fame Monster days and 1990 M was still bigger than that. There were M articles in Newspapers and magazines every day. Most of these were stupid made up storie
Because she was such a huge star though on TV and radio broadcasts of the BAT she swore on multiple occasions. Saying Fuck and Cunt many times during shows. Then because the MTV VMA's were broadcast completely live they said that she could not be given a live microphone. So they decided that if she was going to be lipsynching then they would not bother pretending with microphones. It would also make voguing much better and easier with both hands free.
That makes the most sense to me and I never thought of that.
That's a great explanation.
If it has HAS been topped, in someone's mind it would only be by Madonna!
It's STILL ranked #1 MTV VIDEO AWARDS PERFORMANCES EVER, I understand!
Thank you Johnny 👍🩵
I was in my late teens when I watched this live on MTV. As a closeted Gay teen I wept over this performance. Just for the sheer artistry and (like you said) the concept. The magnitude of it was talked about for months later in the small conservative town I grew up in here in the states.
And it still effects me the same way to this day.
I’m surprised the series #Bridgerton haven’t did this number for their ball scene. 😁
I was 12 and not allowed to watch it, but I caught bits of it. The next day, people were basically speechless, not knowing what to say except WOW.
We were all expecting an elaborate “old Hollywood musical” style performance. So when she hit us with Marie Antoinette NOBODY was prepared! That’s how you become a superstar and known as “the mother of reinvention”! 🔥🔥🔥
As a gay man, I did watch that performance live on TV with a few my other gay friends, and we went crazy. Right after that performance, you can’t believe how many queens in the clubs were performing that not copying that MTV performance but the song.
I remember watching it live and I would have been 13, think it’s still one of her best performances. The part which you re run the dancer steps on her dress and it pulls as they separate you see her smile and then gain composure shows her to be normal and yet so untouchable to me anyway.
I remember it clearly and I was as flabbergasted then as I am watching it now. Such a good concept and respectful to history too, And not dropping the fans (which apparently happened in rehearsals ...)!
never been fan of her but damn this must be one of the best live performance ever (despite lipsinging). iconic with every detail perfect
IN MY NEXT LIFE, Im COMING BACK as MADONNA...MISSY ELLIOTT & JUDGE JUDY yo... ❤
Think I’ve seen this performance a 100x I look forward to the next 100 💁🏻♂️
Best performance EVER (to this very day), on the MTV Video Music Awards!
I watched it live, and my reaction was the same as yours. Amazing review once again
The real Marie Antoinette would have loved this. 😁
Wait until you see her halftime show...
I'm not sure anyone expects her to sing live. Mostly over a backing tracking track with auto-tune seems the best way for Madonna. I've seen her live a few times and tbh I prefer it when she isn't distracted by trying to sing.
She is without doubt a staggering performer regardless of vocal talent.
NONE of your inferior, less talented favorites could ever do something like "Lo Que Siente La Mujer" from Madonna's Drowned World Tour where beautiful singing AND dancing happen together in one performance ua-cam.com/video/axlNwcRga7Q/v-deo.htmlsi=bR_ffJfzJzjWtIQq
I'm sorry but when it comes to DOING IT ALL - songwriting, singing, dancing...Madonna has reached the points that are impossible for others to surpass...you can hire the best vocal coach to sing "perfectly", yet you can't touch Madonna's brilliance as a SINGER, never in a million years...sorry
Live Video Performance
The Queen of reaction.
Still mind blowing!
u need to do Black Cat Janet from the same show! VMA 1990. she opened, and madonna closed I believe. the reason they had beef back in day is Madge's Documentary from the following year following her through this performance -- she and her dancers trash Janets performance and dancers. just a pop culture kid bit. both icons who im sure get a long now. but good to see them give it. Janets more rock and organic (with ridiculously choreo) vs the artsy performance art of madge's
where's her mic btw?
This legendary performance clearly did NOT need a mic and it's still better than anything Janet has ever done 😂😂😂
And when Madonna had her mic, like when she sang "Sooner or Later" at the Oscars in the following year (1991), again, it's totally beyond Janet's capability.
I don't think Madonna even remembers who "Janet Jackson" is.
awwww u poor unfortunate soul. women support women these days and they're both such icons that im sure they have deep respect for each other. just surviving and still being relevant and doing arena tours with both Janets 50+ and madonna's 40+ year careers. their music is my life. you either lack maturity or need to see a therapist. be well. and any actual singer will tell you janet is more capable vocalist with intricate techniques and a beautiful tone of an angel and well, madonna also admitted shes a better dancer. I hope in my life and theirs they do something together or a retrospective on what they both went through. be well, child. @@CrystalCoffin
❤❤❤❤❤
You should check out Janet Jackson's live performance of Escapade. It was a really great performance along these lines with big stage presence and dance.
React Lady Gaga paparazzi Vma live perfomance
This is exactly right (@robertfraser)...she wasn't present at the rehearsals and the MTV execs approved of the performance up front as they had been shown the costumes and knew it was lipsynched..so there was no chance of there being an outrageously sexual performance which would be going out live to millions of viewers... And how wrong they were...which isAt who she gave the two fingers up the nose sign to.... her peak of peaks hahaa