" Flawless " was performed live by Beyoncé during the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards on August 25 , as part of a medley consisting of songs from her self-titled album . The rendition of the song came towards the end of her set list , following an interlude of " Superpower " . Adichie 's words began appearing on the screen on the stage with bold , pink letters and background dancers started appearing on the dark stage . At the end of the speech , the word " feminist " in capital letters was flashed on the screen and the singer was seen next to it in a silhouette . As she launched into the song , Beyoncé asked the crowd " How did you wake up this morning ? " . Towards the end of the performance , a line from the remix version featuring Nicki Minaj was heard in the background and the singer immediately continued with a performance of " Yoncé " . Throughout the entire performance , she was dressed in a jeweled bodysuit . Nadeska Alexis , writing for MTV News praised the bold , feminist statements made during " Flawless " and felt that Beyoncé changed the soulful vibes of the other songs for " all out breaking-it-down " . Eliana Dockterman of '' Time '' magazine considered the performance of the song to be a peak of the singer 's medley and praised its feminist theme for being presented to an audience consisting mostly of teenagers . Following the song 's live performance at the VMAs , its sales in the US increased by 1,237 % the next week
2014 MTV Video Music Awards
2014 MTV Video Music Awards
Flawless (Beyoncé song)