Lady Gaga Makes Masks Hot in Fiery VMAs Stupid Love/Rain on Me Mash-Up

Gaga also won the VMAs' first Tricon Award for excellence in multiples areas of artistry.

Tracy E. Gilchrist

Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP of Editorial and Special Projects at equalpride. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.

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Tracy E. Gilchrist

August 31 2020 12:23 AM EST

August 31 2020 8:28 AM EST

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Lady Gaga delivered a history-making performance at the MTV VMAs on Sunday, essentially showing much of the free world that a mask worn right can be very hot. For their hit "Rain on Me," a masked Ariana Grande joined Gaga onstage for the performance that did not include an in-house audience.

A vocal proponent of mask-wearing and staying safe at this time, Gaga meshed fashion and fetish with her masks at the show. Promoting her Chromatica album, for which she won four VMAs (Grande and BTS also won four each), at one point, Gaga took to the piano to perform a churned-down version of "Stupid Love" before busting out with a high-energy performance.

In all, Gaga wore seven different masks throughout her performances and acceptance speeches. "Stay safe, speak your mind, and I might sound like a broken record, but wear a mask. It's a sign of respect," she said, according to Vulture.

Gaga was also awarded MTV's first-ever Tricon Award, which honors excellence in artistry across platforms including music, acting, fashion, and more.

"I want to share this award with everybody at home tonight. Everybody at home that is their own form of a Tricon," Gaga said as she accepted the award. "I wish for you to think right now of three things that define who you are and take a moment to reward yourself for your bravery. This has not been an easy year for a lot of people. But what I see in the world is a massive triumph of courage."