The 2020 MTV Video Music Awards air tomorrow live from New York City.

With the global health crisis still being a reality, MTV has shifted from its traditional inside venue to an outside format.

This year’s show will focus on the strength of New York City with performances taking place all around the city with limited to no audience.

With the bleak quality of 2020 this year’s show needs an extra boost of life. How befitting it is that the network announced actress, singer and philanthropist Keke Palmer as this year’s host.

That Grape Juice‘s Chet Kincaid caught up Palmer ahead of the show and spoke with her new about new EP ‘Virgo Tendencies’ and the 2020 VMAs – in which she discussed her preparation for the big night as well as sharing an exclusive with us.

Read below…

That Grape Juice (Chet): You look beautiful as ever. The VMAs are this Sunday. Can you let us know how you are preparing for the big day?

Keke Palmer: Thank you. Oh my gosh, a lotta Zoom rehearsals, a lot of re-reading, writing, and just getting things perfected as far as you know, my voice and how we keep that a part of the show in entirety. As well as a lot of COVID testing.

TGJ: Can you let us in on any big secrets for the show?

Keke: OK! I can let you in on one big secret. I think it’s a secret. One of our locations is like a drive-in location. So we still get the fan engagement and get that energy goin’ and give you that feeling of, oh my gosh, I wish I was there but I didn’t take enough COVID tests, (feel it?). I’m kidding. [Laughing].

TGJ: Exciting! So this week saw us treated to your EP ‘Virgo Tendencies.’ Track Number 8, ‘Quarantine Blues,’ is so appropriate. How have the last few months inspired the creative process for this EP?

Keke: Yas! I had some of the songs prior, but most of the project and the attitude of the project was produced at the beginning of COVID. Kinda when I first realized that, oh, 2020 is about to be, you know, on somethin.’ You know what I mean? I kinda was looking for an escape. And I wasn’t having the same kind of outrageous schedule that I usually have, so I was it left me more time to really hone in musically on what I wanted to say.

And so that was kinda my escape and I just dove into it and started thinking of ideas. First it was just [individual] songs and then I was like, well, maybe I can put this all together, and that slowly became ‘Virgo Tendencies: Part 1.’

TGJ: Right. And we’re loving the sound of it.

I feel like you have this timeless touch with Pop hits and I just wanna say thank you for blessing us over the last 13 years for ‘Keep it Movin’’ featuring Big Meech. Every summer that is my summer anthem. So I just wanna thank you for that.

Keke: Oh my gosh, thank you!

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Tune into the 2020 MTV VMAs tomorrow, August 30, at 8pm EST on MTV and The CW.

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[Photo Credit: MTV / Lawrence Murray]