-I'm just gonna stand.
I'm wearing shorts.
I never wear shorts in my life,
so I'm gonna just stand.
-You're gonna stand
for the whole interview?
-Yeah, I don't know how to sit.
Hold on, cut to close-up
while I figure it out.
-Yeah, okay, yeah.
-Is this okay?
-That's fantastic, yeah.
-Is that all right?
-Yes.
-Oh, my God, am I out?
Is it all out?
-No, it's not.
No, it's -- Everything --
-I'm fine?
-Fantastic.
Yeah, it's great.
-Okay, cool.
-You can't see anything?
-Let's talk about your new --
[ Laughter ]
No, I'm just kidding.
-[ Laughing ]
-No, I'm just kidding.
I want to talk about --
Somebody just threw up.
[ Laughter ]
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for that opening,
the tribute to Aretha Franklin.
That was so --
[ Cheers and applause ]
Only you.
Dude, I know --
I just love you so much.
You met Aretha, right, once?
-I did.
I met her a few times.
We sang at the White House,
and she was so sweet.
And she was, like, so cute.
And I was like...
-She really is.
-I was like,
"How are you a real person?"
-I know, yeah, right?
-Yeah, no.
It's an honor to have met her,
and we're gonna celebrate her.
-Yeah, we are.
-And -- Yeah.
-Didn't she send you a thing?
You told me this story.
-Oh, yeah.
Oh, my God.
So she called me.
-Yeah.
-And she called me one time.
This is one time only,
called me.
And she goes,
"Hi, it's Aretha."
And I was like, "Franklin?"
[ Laughter ]
-How many Arethas do you know?
Yeah.
-Yeah, I was like, "Aretha?"
-Yeah.
-There's only one.
Oh, yeah.
So I was like, "How are you?
How are you?"
Yeah. It's cool.
-She goes, "I'm good, I'm good.
You know,
my nephew or grandson --"
I don't remember
which one it was,
'Cause it was Aretha Franklin
on the phone,
and I didn't know
what was happening.
-Yeah.
[ Light laughter ]
-She was like, "As an artist,
I want to send you some music,"
and I was like, "Oh, my God.
I'd be honored to listen.
Like, thank you
for thinking of me.
Like, send it.
Just, like, text me --
Text me the MP3 or something."
And she's like, "Well,
I don't know how to do that,
so I'm gonna send it to you."
And like four months later,
I got a package
with, like, a CD, like --
[ Laughter ]
-Her grandson
is now 45 years old, yeah.
[ Laughter ]
-Yeah.
Like, months later, I got it.
It was nice.
It was great.
-We have kind of an anniversary,
'cause the VMAs --
You're performing at the VMAs.
You're up for awards
this Monday on MTV.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Well-deserved.
-Yes, thank you.
-You're performing
"God is a Woman."
[ Cheers and applause ]
-I know.
I missed the scoop.
-Here's the things
you're nominated --
Video of the Year,
"No Tears Left to Cry."
Artist of the Year,
Best Pop Video,
Best Cinematography,
Best Visual Effects.
I mean, come on!
[ Cheers and applause ]
[ Imitates bat hitting ball ]
Just hitting them
out of the park, pal.
