Known as culture’s biggest night, the 2024 BET Awards celebrate the achievements of Black artists across America and abroad. Hosted during Black Music Month, the award show continues to be a centerpiece towards Black entertainment and art. As the night brought memorable performances from Hollywood’s hottest talents, one thing was clear: Black women and girls are dominating music. 

Megan Thee Stallion Kicks off the Night with “HISS”

Hot off the release of her third studio album “Megan,” Megan Thee Stallion opened the night at the BET awards with her chart-topping hit “HISS.” Weaving snake imagery and motifs through her music, she is reborn on the BET stage. Emerging from a white egg, she sported a metallic while making easy work of her performance. It was fierce and full of energy. But this should not come as a surprise, given that she’s been polishing her performances through the duration of her “Hot Girl Summer” Tour. After “HISS,” she moved to “BOA,” a spunky rap song that samples Gwen Stefani’s “What You Waiting For?” And of course it wouldn’t be a Megan Thee Stallion performance without sickening choreography. The last song in her medley was “Where Them Girls At.” However, this did not come without showing love to fellow peers like Victoria Monét and Coco Jones. “BET, where my girls at? … Where my twin at? Where Victoria at… Coco, you look pretty in the front.” One could only hope for more after such an electric performance.

Victoria Monét Wins Big and Performs “On My Mama” & “Alright”

Theatrics and all, Victoria Monét is the artist of our generation. Performing “On My Mama” and “Alright” off her 2023 album Jaguar II, Monét brings her music videos to life. “On My Mama” harkened back to the 2000s reminiscent of summer nights, cookouts, and old school hip hop re-imagined. Joined by prolific producer and DJ KAYTRANADA, the highlight of her set was “Alright.” Evoking the energy of the Jacksons, she paid homage through a “Smooth Criminal” inspired costume change. 

Donning an elegant all white suit with black trims, she moved through femininity and masculinity with ease. Showered in blue lights, the performance was sensual. For her last costume change, she wore a light blue-gray two piece in a fountain of raining water. As she rides through the Jaguar II era, she’s also racking up wins. Winning the Her Award and Video of the Year Award for “On My Mama,” she offered a rather humble acceptance speech. “I’m so proud to be a Black woman… I just wanna say shoutout to everyone who’s in the category.” During her acceptance speech, she focused on community, acceptance, and unity amongst women in the music industry. 

Kid Performers VanVan and Heiress put on Night’s Cutest Stage

Performing their recent single “Be You,” social media darlings Savannah “VanVan” McConneaughey and Heiress Diana Harris (daughter of rapper/actor T.I. and R&B singer-songwriter Tameka “Tiny” Harris), wowed the audience with their energetic performance. Centered front row on a classroom-designed stage wearing bright costumes, five-year-old rapper VanVan and eight-year-old singer Heiress schooled the audience on how to put on a show-stopping performance. Despite their young age, VanVan and Heiress put on a set comparable to industry veterans. With natural movements, stable vocals, colorful staging, and a catchy song that had the crowd singing along, the future is definitely bright for these young stars.

GloRilla Shows Who’s Boss with Medley of Hits

If it wasn’t clear already, GloRilla is a certified hit maker. Emerging from the ceiling on a parachute, she started her set with a performance of “Yeah Glo!” off her project Ehhthang Ehhthang. Hitting the ground running, her dancers were hyped, perfectly matching GloRilla. The energy continued to rise when she performed “TGIF,” a remix of KOTO’s “so silly!” With over 225,000 creations, the song has been dubbed the single of the summer. Closing off the performance strong, Megan Thee Stallion joined GloRilla to perform their song “Wanna Be.” Their chemistry was undeniable. After all, GloRilla is Megan’s supporting act on tour – so it only makes sense that the two were like best of friends.

Highlighting Country Music Originators and Contemporaries

A stand out in the country scene, Tanner Adell is the country princess everyone should be adding to their playlist. With recent releases like “Cowboy Break My Heart,” she moves between country, trap, and pop. Earlier this year, she was featured on Beyoncé’s hit album COWBOY CARTER with the song “BLACKBIRD.” 

Offering an abbreviated version of the genre’s history, Taraji P. Henson reminded audiences that country music is rooted in Black culture. Shaboozy then delivered a soulful performance of his song “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”. The production was impeccable, with intricate stage design. Bringing the bar to life, the performance features all Black dancers, background singers, and instrumentalists, a true love letter to the Black South. He also brought out J-Kwon to perform with him. 

A Different World Cast Reunites 

The 1987 sitcom A Different World was and continues to be monumental for centering on the experiences of Black students and young adults at the fictional HBCU (Historically Black College and University), Hillman College. To this day, many Black college students cite the show as the reason why they decided to attend a HBCU. So, when cast members Darryl M. Bell, Charnele Brown, Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardsion, Dawnn Lewis, Glynn Turman, Cree Summer and director/producer Debbie Allen reunited on stage to present the night’s Best New Artist award, the audience couldn’t help but get excited. The cast has been visiting HBCU campuses on their “A Different World HBCU College Tour 2024” since February to celebrate the show’s 35th anniversary and lasting legacy.

Tyla Racks up Wins and Performs “Jump”

With the rise of Amapiano, South African artists like Uncle Waffles, TxC, and Tyla have been thrusted to the global stage. Tyla in particular saw meteoric success with her 2023 hit song “Water.” Mixing R&B with Amapiano, her buttery smooth voice contrasts with fiery dances and even sharper stage presence. And it’s quite clear that the world simply can’t get enough. She won her first GRAMMY this year for Best African Music Performance and is now BET’s Best New Artist and Best International Act. “I just want to dedicate this one to Africa… To all the African superstars before me who didn’t get all these opportunities I’m getting.”

With every performance, Tyla continues to prove exactly why she’s reached the top. Performing “Jump,” she mixes Amapiano, dancehall, and rap. Unifying cultures, Tyla continues to put South African culture on the global stage. Skillibeng and Gunna were also a treat. Bringing light to Caribbean culture, Skillibeng in particular brought Moko Jumbis on stage.

Going to Sunday Service with Big Latto

Starting off with an emotive performance of an unreleased song, Latto delivered a versatile set. Joined by DJ Von, she performed her latest song “Big Mama.” a playful and infectious pop-rap record. It is clear that Latto’s years in the rap industry paid off during her performances as she executed choreography with flawless breath control. This comes after her historic Hot 97 ATL headline Birthday Bash show. Halfway through “Big Mama,” she weaved in her scathing and braggadocious  “Sunday Service.” She continues to prove why she’s at the forefront of the women’s rap space.

As the BET Awards continue to hold its place as a staple within Black culture, one can only wonder what is to come for future award shows down the line. 

Want to read more content about Black artists who are shaping the culture? Read our coverage of Rapsody’s album Please Don’t Cry here!

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