chloe x halle: ungodly hour - 2020 vmas
Context
Chloe x Halle are a Grammy-nominated R&B/pop duo on Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment, acclaimed for their harmonies and inventive staging. In 2020, the MTV VMAs went mostly virtual, with performances pre-recorded under strict conditions. For the preshow, Chloe x Halle performed Ungodly Hour in a segment that became one of the night’s defining moments.
The Performance
Directed by C. Prinz with creative direction from Andrew Makadsi, the set was built as a self-contained music video. In mirrored metallic looks, the sisters delivered live vocals and precise choreography against a minimal stage transformed by light. The aim was to capture the song’s late-night atmosphere with bold, futuristic energy.
Laser Design
White lasers were the signature element. Narrow beams sliced through haze, framing the performers in shifting lines and planes of light. As the sisters moved, the lasers glinted off their mirrored metallic suits, creating flashes of reflection that heightened the futuristic look. Each sequence was timed to movement and rhythm, turning light into a visual architecture that carried the song’s intensity. Captured fully in-camera, the beams gave the performance a sharp, immediate presence.
Reception
Aired worldwide on MTV, the performance was singled out as one of the best of the 2020 VMAs. Vulture called it “one of the best performances of the night,” while Glamour praised its “rave-like lighting.” Fans flooded social media with clips, many insisting Chloe x Halle deserved the main stage. Blogs highlighted “the looks, the energy, the lasers, the lighting” — a response that captured how the reflective costumes and laser effects worked together to define the set.
Outcome
The white-beam laser design gave Ungodly Hour its unforgettable identity. It amplified the sisters’ choreography and harmonies, caught the light on their metallic suits, and delivered a preshow performance remembered as a standout VMA moment.
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