She’s just gonna shake, shake, shake. Taylor Swift may not have performed at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, but she still managed to steal the show from the moment she stepped onto the black carpet.
The “Shake It Off” singer, 32, turned heads when she arrived at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Sunday, August 28, in a sparkling silver Oscar de la Renta dress and sky-high heels. The look, which she paired with a sleek updo and her signature red lip, reminded fans of her 2017 music video, “Look What You Made Me Do,” in which Swift reclined in a bathtub full of diamonds.
The songwriter continued to shine inside the arena, where she was spotted singing and dancing along to multiple performances. When Fergie joined cohost Jack Harlow for a performance of his hit single, “First Class,” — her first live performance in 4 years — Swift bounced up and down in her seat to cheer for the former Black Eyed Peas member, 47. The camera also caught the Pennsylvania native dancing to Lizzo alongside Dylan O’Brien, who accompanied her to the show.
Swift made sure that the Teen Wolf alum, 31, also joined her onstage when “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” won Breakthrough Long Form Video later in the show.
“Before this, I had directed and written my music videos, but I had never directed a short film before. … We put our entire hearts into this trying to make something that might be worthy of the love that you, the fans have shown this song,” the Cats star said in her speech. “Thank you for this beautiful indication that we did something right.” (Swift also won Best Direction for the 10-minute clip.)
When it was other stars’ time to shine, Swift was just as intent on celebrating them. The “Red” singer was spotted rapping along to “Super Bass” during Nick Minaj‘s Video Vanguard Award performance. When the rapper, 39, arrived onstage to give her acceptance speech, fans saw Swift encouraging those around her to give a standing ovation.
However, Swift’s most headline-grabbing moment took place at the very end of the night, as she accepted the Video of the Year award. “You guys, I’m just so proud of what we made, and I know with every second of this moment that we wouldn’t have been able to make this short film if it weren’t for you, the fans,” an overwhelmed Swift said, as the audience screamed for her. “Because I wouldn’t be able to rerecord my albums if it weren’t for you.”
She continued: “You emboldened me to do that, and I had sort of made up my mind that if you were gonna be this generous and give us this, it might be a fun moment to tell you that my brand new album comes out October 21.”
Keep scrolling to relive all of Swift’s most memorable VMAs moments:
