Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion Deliver Debut Performance of ‘Bongos’ at 2023 MTV VMAs

Andrew Unterberger
·1 min read
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Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion brought the big beat to the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark on Tuesday (Sept. 12), with a performance of their brand-new collaboration, “Bongos.”

Cardi kicked off the performance, as she was lowered to the stage on a giant disco ball, with her hair let loose like ’70s Donna Summer. She was accompanied by shirtless male bongo players upon her arrival, and dancers in neon green and blue two-piece bathing suits joined her once the song kicked in.

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Megan then appeared on a separate stage, flanked by her own set of backup dancers and doing her signature twerking. After her verse, Cardi joined her to link arm in arm to walk back to the main stage for song’s high-intensity dance breakdown. Taylor Swift and Ice Spice seemed to enjoy the performance, as the show cut to them bouncing along in the audience.

The pair’s new single was released on Friday (Sept. 8), as their first teamup since the blockbusting “WAP” in 2020. That song debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, and its culture-shocking video was nominated for four VMAs in 2021, though it was ultimately denied all four.

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion are also both nominees at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. Cardi is up for best collaboration, for her guest turn on Glorilla’s “Tomorrow 2,” while Megan Thee Stallion’s “Her” video is nominated for three of the technical awards: best direction, best art direction and best cinematography.

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