Don't get me wrong — the list of scheduled performers for the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards sounds great. There's everyone from Britney Spears to Future to Rihanna to Ariana Grande with Nicki Minaj. Even Nick Jonas and the Chain Smokers (featuring Halsey) will take the stage. But doesn't it sound like someone is missing? If you were wondering where a certain Lemonade singer's name was, MTV just dropped a major hint that Beyoncé may perform at the VMAs after all. And if that's the case, an already awesome award show will become even better. Update: The official MTV VMAs Twitter account has confirmed that Bey will in fact perform this year.
Earlier: Before you get in formation, let's examine the evidence here. In a not-so-subtle move on Saturday, MTV's Facebook page posted a photo of a giant billboard with Bey at Madison Square Garden (where the VMAs are taking place on Sunday night). No, the caption didn't say, "Expect a surprise performance from Queen Bey!" Instead, they let one emoji speak for itself: a lemon. Is that not the biggest clue ever? A lemon emoji to hint that Beyoncé will perform a song (or hopefully multiple) from Lemonade .
After all, it is called the Video Music Awards and what music videos made a bigger impact this year than Bey's entire visual album-slash-HBO special? Beyoncé is nominated for 11 awards, including Video of the Year for "Formation." So, you know what? This means that this really is Bey's show and we're all just watching. Plus, an inside source told Billboard that Beyoncé will perform. The site also cited the Los Angeles Times, who wrote earlier this week that Bey has been in "top secret rehearsals." Definitely sounds like she's up to something.
Of course, MTV could have been simply sharing their excitement for Bey's nominations, hence the Facebook post. But that would be a major tease if that's the case. The fact that they posted a huge photo and emoji related to the singer sure seems like they're hinting at something, but still wanting to keep it a surprise. Because isn't that Beyoncé's go-to- move? Her 2013 album dropped out of nowhere and Lemonade remained a mystery until the actual TV special aired. She likes to keep her fans waiting and then pull off major surprises.
For these reasons, I'm rooting for a Bey performance. In the very least, she better have something special planned. MTV just got my hopes up — big time.
