Nicki MInaj Saved Katy Perry's Super Awkward 2017 VMAs Performance

Katy Perry closed out the 2017 Video Music Awards with a performance of her new single "Swish Swish," but it was Nicki Minaj who got the crowd on their feet. Perry's performance featured a giant basketball and a sexy orange corset, but it was Nicki Minaj who saved Katy Perry's 2017 VMAs performance when she emerged from the basketball to rap her verse on the song. The second Minaj, wearing a skin-tight, latex referee outfit, emerged onto the stage, the crowd, previously sitting down and nodding their heads politely to the track, got up out of their seats.

Look, I think even Katy Perry's most passionate fans can agree that "Swish Swish" is not the pop star's best. The song, which lacks the fun of her older hits like "Hot N Cold" and the emotional resonance of "Firework," is a fun track to be sure, but was it really enough to close out the VMAs? Well, with Minaj's help, it sure was. Not only did the crowd in the arena get on their feet when Minaj started rapping, but fans on Twitter also perked up, with many praising Minaj and the performance. Some fans were generous to both performers. Others, not so much.

Here's the performance:

And here's what Twitter had to say:

Nicki Is The Queen, Sorry Katy

Some Were Brutal To Katy (Yikes, Guys)

But Mostly People Were Just Grateful For Nicki

To be fair to Perry, the singer did pull double duty at the awards show, playing the role of host and performer. By the end of the night, it's possible viewers were just suffering from Katy Perry fatigue. Either way, given the shift in energy once Minaj joined the stage, it's clear that two pop divas are better than one.