Normani’s VMA Lap Dance Routine Was a Janet Jackson Tribute

Are you sitting down? You may want to take a seat, because Normani and Teyana Taylor just delivered one of the sexiest moments in VMAs history. Her highly-anticipated set delivered, with production that included breastplates, a monochrome silver color palette, and an R-rated Janet Jackson homage that sent us all scrambling for an extra set of batteries.

At the end of her performance, Taylor was strapped to a modified St. Andrews cross. For the uninitiated, a St. Andrews cross is associated with BDSM; it’s a piece of furniture that allows limbs to be restrained and spread apart. Normani proceeded to dance on the St. Andrews cross and straddle Taylor, gyrating her hips and grasping at Taylor’s chestplate in sapphic bliss. There was grinding, there were sensual near-kisses, and Normani definitely sat on Taylor’s face — backward.

Normani gave us an incredible feat of acrobatics and dancing, sure, but also one of the most gorgeous reference to Jackson’s iconic live lap dances. Back in her heyday, Jackson’s concerts featured a very notable audience participation segment. She selected a man from the audience, and he was brought up on stage and strapped to a St. Andrews cross. Jackson began vertically lap dancing on the luckiest guy in the venue, who usually, uh, showed his excitement through his clothes and howls of pleasure. Imagine being this man. Just imagine.

It was definitely a more respectful and traditional Jackon family tribute than the one Madonna opened the show with earlier in the night.