Lorde and Nicki Minaj Will Not Perform at the 2021 MTV VMAs

Last week, MTV announced that Lorde would no longer be able to perform at this year's Video Music Awards scheduled for this Sunday, September 12. Now, Nicki Minaj has revealed that she, too, won't be on the performance lineup.

On Friday, when a fan tweeted asking if she would be performing at the award show, the rapper responded, "I just pulled out. I’ll explain why another day. But I love those guys at MTV. thank you Bruce. I love you so much. Next year we there baby."

The "Starships" artist was not originally scheduled to take the stage, although it's possible the network was considering her to fill Lorde's slot or appear for a surprise performance—something fans have been told to expect.

While Minaj has yet to give a reason as to why she passed on the opportunity, Lorde recently opened up to her fans about why she backed out. According to the singer, the COVID-19 protocols set in place for the event would not allow her to perform her song as she intended.

She explained, “We were planning this insanely amazing many-bodied intimate dance performance, not fully understanding the (very necessary!) safety protocols that are in place...I can’t make something less than outstanding for you guys.”