The Weeknd, Maluma, Among Newly-Added MTV VMA Performers
The artists will join an all-star line-up that includes J Balvin, CNCO, Doja Cat, BTS, and Roddy Ricch.
The Weeknd, CNCO, Roddy Ricch, and Maluma are the newest additions to the high-profile line-up of performers at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards. The artists will join BTS, J Balvin, and Doja Cat in a variety of performances around New York City for the August 30 awards ceremony.
Yesterday, it was announced that the 37th annual Video Music Awards would not take place, as planned, at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic forced organizers to take precautions, and prepare instead for outdoor performances, without audiences.
According to a joint statement from MTV and the Barclays Center, the 2020 Video Music Awards will “pay homage to the incredible resiliency of New York with several outdoor performances around the City with limited or no audience, adhering to all state and city guidelines.”
The Weeknd is up for multiple awards at this year’s Video Music Awards, thanks to his latest album, the record-breaking After Hours. In addition to a nomination for Artist of the Year, The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” is up for five awards, including Video of the Year, Best R&B Video, and Best Direction.
Last Friday, The Weeknd (aka Abel Tesfaye) thrilled fans with an immersive concert on TikTok. The Weeknd Experience, which marked the platform’s first-ever augmented-reality live-stream, offered performances of After Hours tracks like “Save Your Tears,” “Blinding Lights,” and “In Your Eyes,” (featuring an appearance by Doja Cat). The visually-stunning set encouraged fans to donate to the Equal Justice Initiative, which is working to end mass incarceration and racial inequality.
Earlier today, the video for “Smile” – a collaboration between The Weeknd and the late Juice WRLD – premiered. The wistful, animated video features 3-D renderings of both artists – including Tesfaye in his red After Hours suit.
“Smile” marked the first pairing of the two artists. The prolific Juice WRLD, who passed away in December at the age of 21, teased the pair’s work in a tweet from last September. “Me and the Weeknd would make a diamond record…” That tweet was shared on the rapper’s Instagram account several days ago, alongside the link to the single. “Smile” appears on Juice Wrld’s best-selling posthumous album, Legends Never Die.
Listen to the best of The Weeknd on Apple Music and Spotify.
