![Taylor Swift Opens 2019 MTV VMAs With ‘Lover’ and Drag Queen-Assisted ‘You Need to Calm Down’](https://townsquare.media/site/252/files/2019/08/taylor-swift-vmas1.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Taylor Swift Opens 2019 MTV VMAs With ‘Lover’ and Drag Queen-Assisted ‘You Need to Calm Down’
Taylor Swift opened the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards with a show-stopping performance of "You Need to Calm Down" and "Lover."
The 29-year-old singer hit the VMAs stage on Monday night (August 26) to sing two new songs off her new album Lover, which she dropped late last week. YouTube star and Swift's close friend Todrick Hall joined her, as did a number of drag queens, during the pop-centric performance that featured rainbows and the words "Equality Act" on the screen, before she grabbed her guitar to sing "Lover" live for the first time.
It was the first time Swift has hit the VMAs stage since her performance of "Bad Blood" in 2015.
The pop star is nominated for a whopping ten 2019 VMAs for her singles "You Need to Calm Down" and "ME!," which include Song of the Year, Best Collaboration, Video for Good, Song of the Summer and more.
Ahead of her performance, Swift teased fans with an Instagram Story, revealing she'd be performing two songs. "I'm not just going to be opening up the show with one song, I get to do two," she excitedly announced. "One of the songs I'll be performing is one that I've never performed live before so wish me luck."
As most fans know, Swift has a rather complicated history with the awards show. In 2009, she was involved in what is still considered one of the most-talked-about moments in recent pop culture history after Kanye West interrupted her acceptance speech to declare Beyonce had the best video of the year.
2019 MTV Video Music Awards Red Carpet
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