MTV VMAs 2023: 5 most viral moments ranked

The 2023 MTV VMAs delivered an unforgettable evening filled with Taylor Swift's wins, a sensational Shakira medley, a reunion of *NSYNC, and a plethora of spectacular performances.

The live broadcast, originating from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, not only honored the outstanding achievements in music but also paid tribute to the finest in Latin music, the event celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, making it a star-studded gathering.

A slew of candid moments from the evening went viral on the internet. Read on to catch them all.

1. Megan Thee Stallion and Justin Timberlake’s heated backstage talk

How could the VMAs conclude without at least one proper controversial moment. This year’s controversy featured a backstage interaction between Megan Thee Stallion and NSYNC member Justin Timberlake. The interaction seemed to be heated, with Megan pointing her finger at the Mirror singer.

But sources later revealed that their discussion was totally heartwarming.

"Timberlake was simply introducing himself to Megan. "Meg loves Justin. She was saying, 'No, no, no, we've never met before,'" a source told Us Weekly. "It was their first time meeting, and she was excited."

Another tipster told Variety that "He said, 'It's so nice to meet you,' and she said 'No, no this don't count, this don't count. We gotta meet proper," adding, "It was very cute."

2. Selena Gomez’s reaction to Chris Brown’s nomination announcement

The Calm Down singer did not seem pleased at all with Chris Brown’s nomination for Best R&B for his cameo on Chloe Bailey's song How Does It Feel.

 As Selena heard the controversial popstar’s name, she scrunched up her nose in clear disapproval of his nomination.

3. Taylor Swift’s reaction to NSYNC reunion

It was a nostalgic moment as the members of NSYNC, including Joey Fatone, Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, and Chris Kirkpatrick, made a reunion appearance at the beginning of the show on Tuesday night.

They had the honor of presenting Taylor Swift with the award for the Best Pop Video, recognizing her outstanding work on Anti-Hero.

"I’m not doing well pivoting from this to this," Swift said after taking her trophy. "I had your dolls, I like, what … are you doing something? What’s going to happen now?" she asked. "They’re going to do something and I need to know what it is."

"You’re pop personified so to receive this from your golden pop hands is really, it’s too much."

4. Taylor Swift’s epic dance moves and reactions

No one had more fun at the 2023 VMAs than Taylor Swift. The Karma hitmaker was seen grooving away to Demi Lovato and Shakira’s performances among many other artists. 

Her reaction to Stray Kids’ sharply coordinated moves is also worthy of mention. The Korean group literally made her jaw drop. 

5. Selena Gomez’s ‘horrified’ reaction to stage mishap during Olivia Rodrigo’s performance

Olivia Rodrigo began the awards show with a mash-up of songs from her latest album, Guts. However, during her performance of Vampire, her set encountered a mishap. While on stage, a red drape unexpectedly fell, and sparks flew, leading a man to rush out to assist the Grammy-winning singer.

Amid the commotion, the camera captured Gomez, who appeared visibly shocked by the unfolding situation. Gomez's eyes widened, and she instinctively raised her hand to her temple as Rodrigo left the stage, and the lights dimmed.