MTV VMAs: Iconic Latin Performances

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The 2024 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) gave us a night full of emotions and unforgettable moments that will go down in history. On September 11, the coveted awards, aimed at celebrating achievements in music and music videos, were held in grand style in New York.

It was a ceremony we covered in detail at LOS40 USA, where Taylor Swift and Post Malone emerged as the top winners. But there’s another piece of news that excites us greatly: the growing presence of Latin stars in the line-up of performers at the UBS Arena.

The truth is that award shows in the United States often lack a greater representation of our Spanish-speaking stars (who are numerous and highly successful), but that wasn’t the case this year. Performers such as Karol G, Anitta (with special guest Tiago PZK), Rauw Alejandro, and Camila Cabello all shined on stage. There was speculation about a possible appearance by Rosalía during LISA’s performance to sing ‘NEW WOMAN’, but the Catalan artist left us wanting more this time.

This isn’t the first time our artists have set the bar sky-high. In previous editions, figures like Shakira, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, and Ozuna made their own historic marks on the ceremony. We take this iconic moment to reminisce about the most iconic performances by our Latin stars at the VMAs.

Karol G

Karol G returned to the VMAs after a year of success with Mañana Será Bonito, breaking all the records. The Colombian star appeared at the gala with a new look, symbolizing fire. For her performance, she sang her global hit ‘Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,’ getting even Taylor Swift and Post Malone up and dancing.

At last year’s ceremony, Karol G had the Prudential Center in New Jersey on its feet with an explosive performance of ‘Tá Ok’ and ‘OKI DOKI,’ featuring a powerful choreography by Parris Goebel.

Anitta

The queen of funk carioca won over the American audience once again with a medley of ‘Paradise,’ alongside Fat Joe and DJ Khaled, her viral hit ‘Alegría’ with Tiago PZK, and ‘Savage Funk.’

This isn’t Anitta’s first time at the VMAs. In 2022, she dazzled with an incredible performance of ‘Envolver’ (which we completely understand, as we also witnessed it at the iconic edition of the LOS40 Music Awards). Additionally, the creator of Funk Generation, who we’ll also see perform tonight, didn’t hesitate to show off some powerful moves from the popular genre, of which she has become a global icon.

Rauw Alejandro

Rauw was undoubtedly one of the most anticipated performers of the night. The Puerto Rican artist is experiencing an incredible rise in popularity with his American audience, who eagerly celebrated his performance of ‘Touching The Sky,’ ‘Diluvio,’ and ‘Déjame Entrar.’ He also highlighted the concept of Cosa Nuestra, the title of his upcoming album. The Playa Saturno artist delivered a West Side Story-inspired performance and was, without a doubt, one of the standout voices of the night.

Camila Cabello

Camila Cabello reappeared at the VMAs to perform two songs from her most recent album, C, XOXO, ‘Godspeed,’ and ‘June Gloom.’

At the ceremony, she crossed paths with her fellow artist and ex-partner, Shawn Mendes. And the truth is, we still don’t know why their 2019 joint performance isn’t already in the history books. The two, who will meet again at this year’s VMAs, showed incredible chemistry during their performance of ‘Señorita,’ the collaboration that accompanied their love story over time.

Shakira

Shakira undoubtedly proved she could easily handle a Super Bowl halftime show with her 10-minute performance, featuring a medley of her most recent and iconic hits: from ‘Te Felicito’ and ‘TQG’ to ‘Loba,’ ‘Whenever, Wherever,’ and ‘Hips Don’t Lie.’

Peso Pluma

The Mexican artist solidified a streak of hits and international projection with a special appearance at the 2023 gala, performing his hit 0LADY GAGA.’ Although he won’t be attending this year’s awards due to being in the middle of his Éxodo Tour, Peso Pluma remains a significant figure in global music for his country.

Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny owns the show wherever he goes, and he did just that in 2022 with his performance of ‘Titi Me Preguntó’ from his hugely successful album Un Verano Sin Ti, which led to the most successful tour ever by a Latin artist. This year, the Puerto Rican is the only Spanish-speaking artist nominated in the Artist of the Year category, competing against industry heavyweights like Ariana Grande, Eminem, Sabrina Carpenter, SZA, and the most sought-after artist, Taylor Swift.

Ozuna and Rosalía

How could we forget when Rosalía brought flamenco fusion to the VMAs? The Catalan artist delivered a brilliant performance of her collaboration with Ozuna, ‘Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi.’