‘VMA’ Viewers Pan George Michael Tribute, ‘Downright Disrespectful’
When the VMAs aired on Sunday, September 27th, they promised a few incredible tributes. Dolly Parton, who passed at the end of August, was honored by Kacey Musgraves. This made everyone emotional, and then there was a multi-artist tribute to George Michael, who died in 2016. It was meant to be beautiful and nostalgic, but sadly, it did not land. Keep reading for more on what fans deemed “downright disrespectful.”
George Michael Passed Away On Christmas 2016
Since the early eighties, George Michael was a staple on the music charts. He began with Wham! and then became a solo artist, completely reinventing himself. George was a sex symbol, but more than that, he was an incredible artist with chart-topping hits such as “Faith,” “Father Figure,” “Freedom 90,” and so many more. His passing left a gaping hole in the music industry, and it seemed long overdue that he would be honored at the VMAs. Sombr, RAYE, Teddy Swims, and Adam Lambert were chosen for the epic VMA performance, with Sombr opening the tribute.
Unfortunately, aside from Adam Lambert, the performance was slammed by viewers who felt that this was massively disrespectful. They believed that MTV had a decade to gather the best of the best, those who would do George Michael justice. Rather, they selected the flavors of the moment, threw them up on the stage and let them go:
- MTV had 40 years’ worth of artists to get for this, and this is what they dug up? Downright disrepectful.
- It was odd. Like they just picked a random group of goofy people and didn’t even check to see if they could sing. At least Adams part was ok
- Was so disappointed. Had to go to YouTube to watch his Unplugged ,just to get that crap from my ears.
- Horrible. Embarrassing. George Michael deserves true artists who knew him and worked with him to give him the proper tribute he deserves.
It was also noted that many of the people in the audience, aside from guest attendees, were not even singing along.
Not Even Going Back
After reading the critiques of the performance, some George Michael fans were not even going back to watch the VMA performance. They said it was not worth it, and did not want to be disappointed. It was hard because many did like these artists individually, but were upset with how they wrecked the tribute. Maybe the VMAs will see how badly they are being spoken of, and they will do better in 2027.
Did you watch the VMAs, and what were your thoughts on the George Michael tribute? Finally, did it make you sad for him? Let us know in the comments below.
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