The MTV Video Music Awards aired Aug. 30 and this year, while still being focused on the music, the show emphasized the many artists rekindling friendships, losing some and for others, making a comeback.

The top artists gathered together at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. Artists attended the event to find out who released the best tracks and captivating music videos.

The event featured performances by an array of artists. Fans watched at home and waited to narrow down which artists were flops or cheer for those who were phenomenal.

The award show kicked off with the premiere of Taylor Swift’s new music video for her latest “1989” single, “Wildest Dreams.”

While viewers, in the audience and at home, swooned over the love story that was told through the video, they were not ready for what came next.

Swift and Nicki Minaj united on stage months after their Twitter dispute regarding Video of the Year nominations.

Minaj’s final song, “The Night Is Still Young” served as Swift’s cue to rise out of the stage to join her in a duet. A transition into “Bad Blood” followed, causing uproar in the audience.

Their matching, flaming red outfits along with the tribal setting on the stage added a subtle touch to show the unity amongst the pop stars.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis performed their latest release “Downtown.” Their stage design was set up to mirror the setting shown in the songs music video.

While it was all very pleasing to the eye with a playful atmosphere, the music itself did not give off the same impression.

Some took to Twitter to compare this song and its vibe to Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” which has become incredibly successful. Unfortunately, since its seemed that those at home took this performance as their phone break, this record may not receive the same recognition.

However one has to applaud these artists for keeping alive the video magic since that is what this show is all about.

Next in line was R&B artist The Weeknd, who never fails to show his live vocals are comparable to those of his recorded tracks.

He performed his hit single “Can’t Feel My Face,” and he managed to get celebrity best friends Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez out of their seats to dance, along with Kanye West and many others. Any artist that manages to get West out of his seat must have accomplished something great.

However, The Weeknd;s stage presence was not as exciting, with stoic, colored lighting, cross beams and an eventual ring of fire, there was nothing outstanding to pair with the singing.

“Cool for the Summer” singer Demi Lovato also graced the stage. Shamelessly showing that she is no longer the Disney pop princess that many remember her to be. Rocking out to the provocative new single, Lovato brought a beach party vibe to her stage, even going as far as crowd surfing in a blow up pool. There was a great and positive reaction from the audience, who embraced her new edge and her special guest, Iggy Azalea.

Following Lovato’s performance, Justin Bieber made a triumphant return.

Without an introduction, backlights on stage presented Bieber’s silhouette as he jumped into his first song “Where R Ü Now.” While the stage was bare, the LED effects on screen and on the floor were impressive as they were synced to the dancers and their movements.

Justin’s apparel choice, however, was not so impressive. It seemed as though he made very little effort to look presentable as he settled with an all-black laid back attire paired with a matching black baseball cap that covered most of his face.

When shifting into his next and final song, his new single “What Do You Mean?,” a voice-over narration played. Bieber narrated the video and talked about his own journey and growth throughout the years.

Without warning, he was then raised into the air with a harness over a ring of laser lights, when he came back down, he finished the song and broke into tears.

Finally, YouTube sensation Tori Kelly made her first VMA appearance and did not disappoint those who had not yet heard her soulful and powerful voice.

Belting out her newest single, “Should’ve Been Us.”

Kelly showed the audience the true power that her voice holds – the same voice that Simon Cowell shut down on American Idol in 2010.

He may not have been impressed then, but years later the audience that awarded her with a standing ovation was mesmerized by her falsettos and flawless execution of this vocally demanding song.

The rest of the night was accompanied by Pharrell Williams’ patriotic presentation. 21 Pilots, A$AP Rocky and host Miley Cyrus closed the show off with what was a very questionable performance.

By the end of the night, it is fair to say that there was an equal ratio of the good and the bad with this year’s performances.

Along with this, viewers were left with two final and crucial pieces of information: we should aim to have a squad as cool as Taylor’s, who won the Video of the Year award and we should be on the lookout for Kanye’s future presidential campaign.