Remix gets the party started ahead of the awards show

Aug 31, 2015 10:03 GMT  ·  By
Iggy Azalea performs with Demi Lovato at the VMAs 2015, on "Cool for the Summer" remix
   Iggy Azalea performs with Demi Lovato at the VMAs 2015, on "Cool for the Summer" remix

Before Nicki Minaj officially opened the MTV Video Music Awards 2015, which were held last night at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles and aired live on MTV, Demi Lovato got the party started with a brand-new remix of her latest hit, “Cool for the Summer.”

The remix included a surprise appearance from Australian rapper Iggy Azalea, with the live performance being, as expected, summer-themed, including plenty of impractical bathing suits, volley balls, glitter and confetti, and one inflatable kiddie pool that was used to carry off Demi from the stage at the end.

In case you were wondering how come you didn’t catch the performance during the show, it’s because it preceded it: Demi and Iggy performed outside, on a stage specifically set up for this purpose.

Demi’s upcoming album is called “Confident” and, to promote it, she’s been talking a lot about body image issues and particularly about how she came to learn to love her curves. She has a history of eating disorders, self-harm and substance abuse, so coming to love her body when the entire industry was telling her it was not “perfect” meant a huge progress for her.

You can see this change in Demi in this new performance (assuming, of course, that you haven’t seen the “Cool for the Summer” official music video, which is just as fierce and hot): she’s fierce, she’s sassy and she’s not afraid to show it off.