Lady Gaga Brings ‘Chromatica’ to the VMAs With a Dizzying, Futuristic Medley

Lady Gaga invited Ariana Grande back into the world of Chromatica for a medley of songs from her latest album at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards.

Gaga’s performance begins in a bedroom where a vintage VMA preview plays on an old-school TV. She bursts out of bed, showing off her purple bondage bikini as “Chromatica II” starts playing. As she makes her way past a stripper pole and naked mannequins, she joins her dancers for the song “911.” She then transitions into “Rain on Me,” later joined by Grande. Both sported masks while belting the single.

During a quick change, Grande departs the stage and Gaga struts to a pink piano shaped like a cranium for a stripped-down version of “Stupid Love.” The dancers re-joined Gaga on stage for an amped-up, live band take of the album’s lead single.

.@ladygaga took us on a JOURNEY through #CHROMATICA with this incredible #VMA performance! 💖 pic.twitter.com/jBjaUpZtfG

— MTV (@MTV) August 31, 2020

Gaga and Grande lead the nominations at the VMAs this year with nine nominations each, including Video of the Year and Song of the Year for “Rain on Me.” Lady Gaga was also nominated for Artist of the Year — alongside Justin Bieber, DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion, Post Malone and the Weeknd — and for Best Quarantine Performance for her rendition of “Smile” on One World: Together at Home. Grande is nominated twice in Best Collaboration, for “Rain on Me” and for her Justin Bieber duet “Stuck With U,” which is also nominated for Best Music Video from Home.

Earlier this month, Lady Gaga launched Gaga Radio, streaming on Apple Music every Friday. Her first guest on the show was Chromatica producer BloodPop.