Backed by dancers dressed in red white and blue, Pharrell Williams (wearing black and white) took over the outdoor stage at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards Sunday night (Aug 30) with an empowering performance of his hit song “Freedom.”

“Tonight we come to let loose. Tonight we come to dance,” the 42-year-old singer/producer/rapper told the flag-waving crowd. “They try to put us in a box… but we say no more. Tonight we change things. We will express ourselves and have a good time and let all that go.”

Watch Pharrell turn up in his “Freedom” performance at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards below:

Pharrell also performed “Come Get It Bae” in an unaired clip. Check that out here:

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