See Rihanna, Fall Out Boy perform "Shut Up And Drive" at the 2007 MTV VMAs
This is Flashback, where we’re reminiscing about some of the most iconic and obscure moments in alt-rock history. This week, we’re homing in on Fall Out Boy’s historic performance with Rihanna.
Back in 2007, Fall Out Boy made music history at the MTV VMAs. Not only did the pop-punk outfit deliver a searing rendition of their hit “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs” from their third album Infinity On High, but an iconic live performance of Rihanna‘s Good Girl Gone Bad single “Shut Up And Drive.” The pop track already had a rock edge, but during their set at The Palms in Las Vegas, Fall Out Boy added grittier guitar riffs and Rihanna’s vocals took a more syrupy turn.
Read more: 10 great Fall Out Boys songs you’ve likely never heard
In an interview with MTV, bassist and songwriter Pete Wentz recalled that the band “got to take over the suite completely and do basically whatever we wanted,” adding that they “decided to just have a punk-rock, CBGB-type show.”
While they have yet to collaborate, back in 2015, Wentz brought up Rihanna’s name again during an interview with Notion Magazine following the release of Fall Out Boy’s sixth studio album, American Beauty/American Psycho. “I’d really like to do something cool with Rihanna,” he said.
Relive the performance below.
