Doja Cat’s 2020 VMAs performance had a throwback nod to MTV News

All hail TikTok queen Doja Cat. The 24-year-old singer and rapper, who rose to viral fame on the short video platform, made her VMAs debut at the 2020 show, performing her hit songs “Say So” and “Like That.” Doja, whose real name is Amalaratna Zandile Dlamini, started her performance with a throwback nod to MTV …

All hail TikTok queen Doja Cat.

The 24-year-old singer and rapper, who rose to viral fame on the short video platform, made her VMAs debut at the 2020 show, performing her hit songs “Say So” and “Like That.”

Doja, whose real name is Amalaratna Zandile Dlamini, started her performance with a throwback nod to MTV News, pretending to be an anchor named “Something Quirkier.”

Fans loved the hat tip to the iconic news show, which first aired in 1987 and was hosted by Kurt Loder.

“Do I show my age if I say that @DojaCat MTV news throwback really spoke to me?” one Twitter user commented.

Wearing a barely-there nude bodysuit, the singer frolicked around the stage with mask-clad dancers bumping and grinding to the mashup.

The Los Angeles native was nominated for three awards this year, including song of the year for “Say So,” which pit her up against heavy-hitters Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and Post Malone. She was also nominated for the Push best new artist category and best direction for the song’s music video. Check out the full list of nominees and winners here.

The big night marked a high point in a career marked by 2020 chart success and all the “cancel culture” backlash that comes with it. After making waves in the indie scene and on SoundCloud starting when she was a teenager, she hit mainstream success in 2019 with “Say So,” a frequent soundtrack to dance-friendly TikToks and the unofficial theme song for pandemic-bored teens. Her recent collaboration with Nicki Minaj on the song shot her to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 this year.

Doja Cat was meant to perform with artist J Balvin before he dropped out of the awards show, citing COVID-19 concerns.

Doja Cat attends the 2019 BET Awards on June 23, 2019.

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Rapper Doja Cat performs onstage during Day 2 of the Rolling Loud Festival at Banc of California Stadium on Dec. 15, 2019.

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Doja Cat performs on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Feb. 26, 2020.

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In this screengrab, Doja Cat speaks during SHEIN Together Virtual Festival to benefit the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO powered by the United Nations Foundation on May 9, 2020.

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