Tonight, all you need to hear (and watch) Beyonce sing about “Becky with the good hair” is a spot with good wi-fi.
The “Lemonade” singer, Alicia Keys and Nicki Minaj are headlining music streaming service Tidal’s benefit concert, Tidal X: 1015, live from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. But the sold-out show is also being live-streamed for Tidal members and non-members.
Angie Martinez is hosting the concert, which also includes Lauryn Hill, Common, TIP, DNCE, Robin Thicke, Emeli Sandé, Prince Royce, Blood Orange, Salva, Cipha Sounds, Ross One and Bebe Rexha. The show features up-and-coming Tidal artists like Marc E. Bassy, Lil Yachty, Dave East, Kevin Garrett, Danielle Bradbery, Sir The Baptist and Levi Carter.
All proceeds will benefit education-focused nonprofits, including Shawn Carter Foundation, #YESWECODE – An Initiative of the Dream Corps, Building Bridges to Wealth, LitWorld, Music and the Brain, Ferrell Girls Preparatory Academy and Usher’s New Look.
Tidal, which is owned by Beyonce’s husband, Jay-Z, costs $9.99 a month for its standard plan and $19.99 for high fidelity music. It is the exclusive streaming home of Beyonce’s “Lemonade” visual album, as well as new releases from a diverse range of performers including Jason Aldean, Rihanna,Nick Jonas and the late Prince.
9 Most Unforgettable Moments at 2016 MTV Video Music Awards (Photos)
Any show that gives Kanye West four minutes of time to riff on whatever he wants is bound to be crazy. And the 2016 Video Music Awards did have its moments. Click on to see....
The show opened with Rihanna. Here's hoping you really like her, because you would see her perform multiple times throughout the evening, performing medleys of her many hits.
Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj offered up a duo early in the show. This was a fairly subdued VMAs, although there were plenty of bleeped-out profanities during some numbers.
Alicia Keys came out and noted that it was the 53rd anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington in 1963. Then she began delivering a poem that evolved into full-throated song.
The show had no real "host," but comedy team Key and Peele appeared throughout the night as a social-media-obsessed pair of emcees. You had to listen carefully to catch all the banter.
Kanye West delivered four minutes of .... well, what exactly? Hard to say. This was the pop star at his most restrained, giving shout-outs to former girlfriend Amber Rose and his wife, Kim Kardashian. But he did compare himself to Steve Jobs and other geniuses.
This was supposed to be one of the evening's main draws. Britney Spears was appearing at the VMAs for the first time in more than 10 years. Fairly subdued performance by MTV standards, but it gave the Brit-Brit fans what they craved.
Beyonce was a big winner for the night. She took home Moon Man trophies for video of the year, female video and breakthrough long-form video.
Jimmy Fallon enlivened the show by making fun of some guy named Ryan Lochte.
Drake and Rihanna closed the show. Drake delivered a tribute to Rihanna, whom he called one of his idols, and she accepted the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award.
From Beyonce to Jimmy Fallon, the freewheeling award show had something for almost everyone
Any show that gives Kanye West four minutes of time to riff on whatever he wants is bound to be crazy. And the 2016 Video Music Awards did have its moments. Click on to see....
