Yung Lean Premieres 'Storm II' at 2026 VMAs — SkimNews
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- Yung Lean and GENER8ION premiered 'Storm II' live at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, marking their debut performance at the ceremony.
- Yung Lean opened the performance by grabbing a Moon Person and smashing it on the ground, then ended by spitting a blue ice cream cone into the camera lens as the song faded out.
- Damien Jalet choreographed the staging, which featured dancers in school uniforms directly mirroring the 'Storm' music video.
- 'Storm' earned four VMA nominations: Video of the Year, Best Long Form Video, Best Direction (Romain Gavras), and Best Choreography.
- The Video of the Year category pitted 'Storm' against visuals from Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter, and Taylor Swift.
- Romain Gavras previously won the VMA for Best Direction for M.I.A.'s 'Bad Girls,' and Jalet is known for his work on Thom Yorke's short film 'Anima.'
Why it matters: 'Storm' landed four VMA nominations including Video of the Year, placing Yung Lean and GENER8ION's avant-garde visual in direct competition with mainstream pop heavyweights like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Bruno Mars. Director Romain Gavras, a prior VMA Best Direction winner, adds genre credibility to the Best Direction bid, while Jalet's choreography nomination extends his crossover from film into the awards mainstream.
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