Swift,West live up to the hype at MTV Video Music Awards

He derided himself as a jerk; she told him he wasnt as bad as his misdeeds.

He derided himself as a jerk; she told him he wasnt as bad as his misdeeds. He gave a sarcastic ode to his boorish behaviour; she sang of an opportunity to grow from a very public stumble.

Both Kanye West and Taylor Swift took the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday and addressed a matter from last years VMAs that had refused to die. Their separate but equally emotional performances seemed to provide resolution to the incident,while overshadowing the shows other moments,including Lady Gagas eight VMA wins,and her meat dress.

This years Swift-West drama was a sequel to 2009s unscripted debacle in which West interrupted Swifts acceptance speech to proclaim that her trophy should have gone to Beyonce. The incident left Swift with hurt feelings,but West was the one who was seriously damaged from an intense backlash that took both a personal and professional toll.

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As this years VMAs drew closer,the buzz of a possible Swift-West showdown grew daily. Both were nominated for awards,both were expected to perform and each has an album coming out this fall.

West increased the potential of fireworks with a recent rant on Twitter in which he apologised to Swift and talked about how he had suffered emotionally and economically. Swift was to sing about last years most talked-about moment.

But instead of skewering West in song as Swift has done to others,she offered an olive branch with her song Innocent,due to appear on her new album: Every one of us has messed up,too… I hope you remember today is never too late to be brand new.

Wests song,which was preceded by scattered boos from the audience,didnt seem to address the incident,but talked about the obnoxious behaviour that has too often overshadowed his musical talent.

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With all that pathos,no other celebrities could really compete. Still,Lady Gaga tried as the most outrageously dressed and thats saying something,given Katy Perrys barely there outfit and Ke$has garbage bag-dress.

Gaga accepted her video of the year award with an outfit sure to anger PETA: a dress and chapeau made of what seemed to be cuts of raw beef. She arrived in an outfit by the late Alexander McQueen: a Victorian-inspired gown and a Mohawk feather headdress atop a long white wig,with monstrous stilettos. She changed into a black dress so overflowing she needed help to get onstage to accept her trophy.

Cher gave Gaga her best-video award and noted she had been raising eyebrows when Lady Gaga was still Baby Gaga.

There were few other highlights,despite performances by Usher,Eminem and Rihanna,Justin Bieber and Linkin Park,and appearances by Nicki Minaj and the cast of MTVs Jersey Shore.