The biggest names in the music industry all gathered at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Tuesday night to celebrate the 2018 American Music Awards. Tracee Ellis Ross, executive producer for the award show and star of Black-ish, hosted and showed off her many wonderful outfits. Filled with just as many musical performances as there were awards, the audience got a little bit of everything during the award show. Here are the top performances from the night:
Taylor Swift’s opening performance
If you haven’t realized that Taylor Swift has evolved as an artist, here’s your chance. The reputation singer opened the show by walking out of a giant cobra set. The performance of “I Did Something Bad” opened dark and sultry then was filled with pyrotechnics and infectious dancing. Swift exuded an unapologetic manner and domineered the stage. After picking up wins in every category she was nominated in, the pop singer became the most decorated female musician in AMA history. She won Tour of the Year, Best Pop/Rock Album, Favorite Female Artist, Pop/Rock and Artist of the Year.
Twenty One Pilots first performance since its album release
Alternative-rap duo Twenty One Pilots has been riding a high since the release of its third studio album Trench. Released Friday, the concept album has received both critical and fan praise. For the AMAs the duo – composed of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun – performed the lead single “Jumpsuit.” The bit contained a set with a car that was set on fire, which is a reference from the “Jumpsuit” music video. The car initially appeared in Blurryface’s “Heavydirtysoul” music video. Subdued and relaxed, the performance was a nice juxtaposition to Taylor Swift’s opening sequence. Though lowkey, Joseph’s vocals were still guttural, rough and raw with emotion, showing just why Twenty One Pilots resonates with so many listeners.
Jennifer Lopez premiered a song
Featured in her newest film, Second Act, pop diva Jennifer Lopez premiered her song “Limitless.” Written by master songwriter Sia, “Limitless” is an emotional, yet powerful tribute to strength, especially the strength of women. Lopez shined in silver attire and she dialed back her hardcore dance skills to showcase her stunning vocals. Surrounded by stunning dancers, Lopez gave a performances that screamed female empowerment, something that has been prevalent due to today’s political climate. If the performance doesn’t move you, the least it will make you do is appreciate the long-lasting career and talent of Lopez.
Panic! At The Disco covers Queen
If any band could cover Queen and do the late, great Freddie Mercury justice, it would be Panic! At The Disco. The band pretty much consists of soley Brendon Urie, however, bassist Nicole Row and guitarist Mike Naran have been added as replacement touring members. Performing from an arena in Australia, the band performed the classic “Bohemian Rhapsody.” No stranger to covering the song, it’s easy to see why Urie is such a good fit for it. His operatic and theatrical vocals soared and mixed bits of falsetto with lower, gruff vocals. Urie is really a man that can do it all, and with the impending release of biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, it’s a no brainer why the band covered the iconic tune.
The Aretha Franklin tribute
Losing influential music icons is never easy, especially when it’s the Queen of Soul. Aretha Franklin graced the world with songs such as “Respect” and “Son of a Preacher Man,” but Franklin often sang gospel music. To honor the icon, Gladys Knight, Donnie McClurkin, CeCe Winans, Ledisi and duo Mary Mary performed monumental gospel songs. From Knight’s opening with “Amazing Grace” to Mary Mary’s powerful ending, it was clear the audience had been taken to church. As the opening narrator explained, Aretha will always be “our friend, our sister, our queen.”
