There were no Adele, Beyoncé, or Harry Styles present.
However, there was the Ticketmaster-crashing Taylor Swift at the 50th American Music Awards on Sunday evening at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Although she did not perform, the 32-year-old “Shake It Off” diva received the most honors of the evening, including Artist of the Year, for her attendance. This gives her a record-breaking forty AMAs.
Swift won the prize for Favorite Pop Album for her re-recorded album “Red (Taylor’s Version),” which was more 2012 than 2022.
In addition to T-sweep, Swizzle’s the following are more highlights and lowlights of this year’s AMAs.
Best: Pink is the opening act
As the biggest female pop artist of the evening, Pink opened the concert with her new single “Never Gonna Not Dance Again,” which got the party started in a joyous, contagious manner as she roller-skated into the Microsoft Arena. Pink, who is 43 years old and shows no signs of settling into mom pop, undoubtedly got this party started.
Pink kicked off the American Music Awards with “Never Gonna Stop Dancing”
via Getty Images: ABC
American Music Awards host Wayne Brady performed not one but two musical numbers.
Images from Getty for dcp
Wayne Brady’s musical numbers are the worst.
After his already mediocre introductory monologue, presenter Brady embarked into a gimmicky bleepfest that quickly became tiresome. He even brazenly promoted his presence on the “Dancing with the Stars” finals on Monday. Surely there were other available artists who would have been preferable to Brady performing another another number later in the performance.
Dove Cameron, a lesbian singer, won New Artist of the Year at the AMAs.
Getty Pictures
Best: Dove Cameron’s pro-queer speech
The first award of the evening, New Year Artist of the Year, was handed to a 26-year-old lesbian singer who utilized the opportunity to honor the LGBTQ community while addressing the horrible killings at Club Q in Colorado Springs.
After receiving the award from actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, a veteran LGBTQ supporter, she declared, “I want to begin by declaring that any award I receive will always be devoted first and foremost to the gay community as a whole.” “You guys have carved out a space for me to be myself and compose music about it, and I’ve never felt safer, more loved, or more supported. I hope my music may offer you a semblance of that same feeling. In light of the tragedy that occurred at Club Q in Colorado Springs, I want to emphasize the significance of LGBT visibility and our community.
Bebe Rexha and David Guetta performed “I’m Good” at the AMAs.
Bebe Rexha and David Guetta are the Getty Images for dcp’s worst examples.
One of the greatest criticisms of the AMAS is when performers sing songs that are either too fresh for anybody to recognize or too unimportant compared to the music that actually mattered in a particular year. Such was the situation when Rexha, a minor celebrity at best, sang “I’m Good” alongside an army of male dancers dressed in black latex trousers and muscle shirts. But it was more along the lines of “I’m Meh.”
At the AMAs, Brazilian musician Anitta got her freak on with hip-hop legend Missy Elliott.
Images from Getty for dcp
Best: Anitta — and Missy Elliott!
As Rexha was attempting much too hard, the Brazilian diva was effortlessly seductive in a black catsuit while a male dancer carried her microphone on stage. Bringing some South American heat to the American Music Awards, the winner of Favorite Female Latin Artist did a mashup of “Envolver” and “Lobby” with Elliott joining Anitta to get her freak on.
Jimmie Allen (shown with presenter Wayne Brady) sang “Coal Miner’s Daughter” at the AMAs as a tribute to Loretta Lynn.
Images from Getty for dcp
Best: Jimmie Allen honors Loretta Lynn
Before presenting Carrie Underwood, breakout country sensation Allen, one of the African-American performers diversifying the genre, sang “Coal Miner’s Daughter” as a touching tribute to the late, great Lynn. It was a poignant homage that reversed the typical gender and race associations with the classic. And you got the impression that Lynn was smiling as she looked down.
Carrie Underwood’s aerial performance at the American Music Awards failed to soar.
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Carrie Underwood’s aerial fail is the worst.
Although Underwood contributed much-needed star power to the event, she appeared completely out of place attempting to steal Pink’s Cirque du Soleil performance while donning a rainbow leotard. Performing “Crazy Angels” off her “Denim & Rhinestones” album, it sounded like production overkill for a vocalist that only has to stand there and belt like the vocal beast she is.
Pink sang “Hopelessly Devoted to You” from “Grease” in tribute of Olivia Newton-John at the AMAs.
Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Worst: the homage to Olivia Newton-John
Pink’s second performance of the evening, in which she sang “Hopelessly Devoted to You” in tribute to the late, adored “Grease” actor, was not terrible — she sounded good — but it was still disappointing. It just wasn’t the right song for her, just as the feathered gown wasn’t the right outfit, and a medley with other songs and other singers would have done Newton-John more credit.
When Stevie Wonder paid homage to Lionel Richie at the American Music Awards, it was legend honoring legend.
The Lionel Richie obituary is a REUTERS Top Pick.
The homage to Richie that capped the event was far more appropriate, offering the night’s emotional and musical high points. First, the ageless Motown veteran Smokey Robinson introduced Richie, delivering the quality and vintage legacy that was lacking from the majority of the performance. Richie, who was also freshly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, gave a very sincere acceptance speech for the Icon Award, urging young musicians to try to influence future generations.
Stevie Wonder(!) and Charlie Puth played a jubilant mashup of Richie’s classics, including “Three Times a Lady,” “Easy (Like Sunday Morning),” “Brick House,” and “All Night Long (All Night Long).” It finished with a star-studded rendition of “We Are the World” that made 1985 seem like yesterday.