Eminem's 'Love The Way You Lie' Wins VMA Performance Poll

On Thursday (September 9), MTV officially announced that Eminem will kick off the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards with a live performance (his first on the VMA stage since 2002). Opening up the show is a true honor — one that has been held by such luminaries as Madonna, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Usher and Diddy. The first performance always sets the tone for the rest of the night, so the pressure is on, but if there is anybody who can step up to the plate and knock one out of the park, it's Slim Shady himself.
But what will the man born Marshall Mathers actually perform when the lights go down and the curtain rises on the stage at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles? We asked just such a question yesterday and left the opinions up to Em's teaming legion of fans. Now that the poll has closed, a clear winner emerged.
In a not entirely surprising development, Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie" took home a huge portion of the total vote, with 56 percent of all the endorsements falling on the side of the chart-topping track. Since the song features a guest appearance by Rihanna, many of the people voting for the song also demanded an appearance by the singer, noting that they have not gotten the opportunity to perform the song on television yet, and considering it was one of the biggest hits of the summer, it would be an appropriate tag-team on a show so heavily focused on collaboration.
The second place winner was a bit of a shock, as 18 percent of the vote went to "Cold Wind Blows," the song that kicks off Recovery. It's a sharp, intense song full of lyrical savagery and Em's tribute rage, and while it would be an unusual choice as an opener, it would certainly put a healthy dose of adrenaline in the room.
"No Love" came in third place with nine percent, followed by the seven percent of people who would like to see Em do anything with Dr. Dre. (Considering the two have paired up on the Home and Home shows recently, it wouldn't be an impossibility.) "Not Afriad" came in fifth with five percent of the vote (even though the video for said song is nominated for a bunch of VMAs) while "Won't Back Down" and a random collaboration with Jay-Z each grabbed two percent.
No matter what Eminem chooses to perform on Sunday night (September 12), we can expect it to be heavy, intense and wildly entertaining. It'll be a great way to start one of the biggest happenings in music.

Posted  by Kyle Anderson in VMAs
Thank's.