Good evening, friends! Tonight is the American Music Awards, the annual event where the American public is allowed to pretend like it cares about the music industry as the biz’s most important releases either get pushed out to retail ahead of their street dates or get shoved into a dusty corner of the retailers with which they’ve struck exclusive distribution deals. And as if to underscore the whole “why people don’t care about the music business” ideal,” I’m watching the red carpet show, which apparently has contracted at least partial hostship duties to Nicole “You Know, I’m In The Pussycat Dolls” Scherzinger, who is apparently contractually obligated to flaunt her ass as she conducts awkward interviews with the likes of Steven Tyler and Ne-Yo in hopes that people actually care about her existence and maybe buy a copy of Doll Domination so as to easily conjure up further posterior-related fantasies in the comfort of their own home. Full coverage after the jump!
7:45 p.m. So far in the pre-show, Corbin Bleu has made fun of High School Musical, Ne-Yo and Nicole Scherzinger have told the crowd that they’ll be performing medleys, and Steven Tyler and Joe Perry have both tried really hard to camouflage the fact that they’re relying on canes to get around.
7:46 p.m. The background music this year is all being credited, no doubt so people get reminded that oh, yeah, Beyonce sang that song about putting a ring on it.
7:48 p.m. Natasha Bedingfield: A leather suit and diamonds. There’s something to be said for “bold fashion choices in the face of global economic collapse,” and that something may be, “oh, screw off, chick who wrote the theme for The Hills.”
7:50 p.m. Alicia Keys–so good last year!–is wearing earrings that look like they were fashioned from EPs. She is also promising “three of the most diverse people you’ve seen on one stage at one time” for her performance of “Superwoman,” which is closing out the night and which apparently is part of this year being The Year Of The Woman. And one of those women: Natalie Imbruglia! I thought she’d been in hiding!
7:59 p.m. Nicole Scherzinger is now looking for a job “hosting.” Well, I guess the music thing isn’t working out…
8:00 p.m. Christina Aguilera opens the show with a business-casual take on “Beautiful.”
8:01 p.m. Song No. 2 of the “seven songs in seven minutes” medley is “Keeps Gettin’ Better,” for which Christina has ditched the blazer. Is it me, or does she sound like she quaffed a big glass of milk right before she went onstage?
8:02 p.m. And now it’s time for “Genie In A Bottle,” which has resulted in her adding a skirt to her ensemble. So much fabric crammed into these seven minutes!
8:03 p.m. “Dirrrty” results in the removal of the skirrrty and her ensemble looking suspiciously Madonna-like. Oh, what am I talking about, “suspiciously.”
8:04 p.m. “Ain’t No Other Man” = a top hat and a little lace jackety-thingy! I’m really impressed at whoever did the wardrobe styling for this bit, as they figured out how to conjure up period details with just like, scraps of fabric. Maybe it was the result of a Project Runway challenge? It is in LA right now, even if this season will never be seen because of all that legal wrangling.
8:05 p.m. “Fighter” results in her sorta-awkwardly whipping down the jackety thingy and turning it into an ass-coverer. This outfit, I tell you, is like the Transformers of clothing.
8:06 p.m. Many people in the front row: Not amused.
8:07 p.m. Speaking of not being amused, here’s Jimmy Kimmel!
8:08 p.m. Oh, he said that Chinese Democracy was a “brand old album.” Get it? Christ, another three hours of this…
8:10 p.m. This is apparently “the youngest American Music Awards show ever.” And yet, Jimmy Kimmel’s jokes: All old.
8:11 p.m. Apparently this “year of the woman” idea has been beaten into every presenter from above, as Jamie Foxx is talking about an eight-year-old Destiny’s Child song while sleepwalking through his presentation of the Favorite Soul/R & B Artist category.
8:13 p.m. Rihanna wins. She is wearing a dress that seems to be fashioned from pieced-together dryer sheets.
8:14 p.m. Haha, did you guys know that Lil Wayne has a lot of tattoos? Hahha, you guys! Hilarious!
8:14 p.m. Night Of The Women continues with a performance by New Kids On The Block.
8:15 p.m. Um… apparently none of the dress rehearsals involved the backing music. What is up with the mix on this performance? Oh, well. At least Donnie Wahlberg can still rap… and segue into “The Right Stuff!” Yes, we’re back in medley territory, everyone.
8:17 p.m. That synchronized crotch-grab right before “Please Don’t Girl” kicked in sure gave the song a new meaning.
8:17 p.m. Eesh, this medley is really hanging rough. Who on earth is running sound for this performance? Can they be fired before they under-EQ again?
8:18 p.m. Well, at least Jordan hit that high note.
8:19 p.m. Why are people standing up? Are they getting ready to walk out in protest of the lousy sound? That’s the only explanation that makes sense here.
8:22 p.m. We’re back! And somehow the sound running through Jimmy Kimmel’s mic is running OK.
8:23 p.m. Paris Hilton and T-Pain: Somehow, the world has not swallowed itself in a black hole of vapidity. (Also, T-Pain’s speaking voice is really high? Who knew?)
8:24 p.m. Favorite Pop/Rock Male: Chris Brown. Everyone’s standing up again. Don’t people know what an ovation is supposed to mean?
8:25 p.m. Oh, here’s Scott Weiland. His Teleprompter-reading is, uh, more unfortunate than his answers to direct questions.
8:26 p.m. And of course, he introduced Pink’s performance of… “Sober.” Yipes.
8:27 p.m. Pink is overcoming the terrible sound sorta ably.
8:29 p.m. I sort of want to do an interview with someone in charge of mixing performances like these, just to see why musical performances on TV are such a challenge. (See also pretty much any episode of Saturday Night Live this season.) Is it because it’s being mixed for the audience in the venue? I don’t get it.
8:32 p.m. There is something incredibly sad about every Britney Spears promotional appearance these days. A deadness behind her eyes.
8:34 p.m. For a second I thought this music introducing David Cook was actually “Pretend We’re Dead.” Talk about taking that, Corporate America.
8:34 p.m. Hey, look, a rumor that Axl Rose is going to show up! I hope he comes out for “Superwoman.”
8:35 p.m. Taylor Swift’s set seems to be left over from a past performance by Evanescence. She is getting super-emotional.
8:37 p.m. That song was sad.
8:38 p.m. Time for some Dancing With The Stars cross-promotion! Lance Bass, presenting the, uh, Favorite Country Band, Duo, Or Group (We’re Just Trying To Cover Our Bases) Award.
8:38 p.m. Ugh, Rascal Flatts win. Not that I really had a dog in this particular fight, but Rascal Flatts are just so awful.
8:40 p.m. Oh, hey, it’s Ne-Yo! And there’s a giant monster swinging up the horn-heavy arrangement of “Miss Independent” somewhere backstage, apparently.
8:42 p.m. This medley brings up an important point: Wouldn’t Ne-Yo have done a much better James Bond theme than, uh, pretty much anyone else tasked with the job in the past few years?
8:43 p.m. Think about it: He could even use the mic stand as a weapon in the video! Man, this is so great–that bit with the mirror!!–but the sound is eating it all up. Makes me want to see him live ASAP.
8:43 p.m. Now, see, that is what you give an ovation to, crowd. I swear, the grade inflation in society today…
8:47 p.m. Jimmy Kimmel has apparently decided to be on whatever Scott Weiland is on. And here’s Nickelback to present the Favorite Hip-Hop Album Award. Chad Kroeger’s all blown out, you guys! Actually, anyone notice that they’re all looking kinda Rascal Flatts-y these days?
8:48 p.m. Kanye West wins the Favorite Hip-Hop Album Award… for Graduation. 9/11(/07), never forget y’all.
8:49 p.m. “I wake up in the morning thinking about what stereotypes I’m going to break…. It’s our responsibility as musicians to push each other.”
8:50 p.m. He’s calling for a return to ’60s/’70s rock grandeur. Bigger than the Beatles! “I wanna be Elvis!” And–well, let’s just hope his story ends more elegantly.
8:50 p.m. Jesse McCartney has turned into Frankie Muniz.
8:51 p.m. Leona Lewis’ dress: Dominatrix gone Swarovski?
8:54 p.m. I have nothing to say about this song, except that it seems to have been unearthed from a time capsule buried sometime around the release of Emotions.
8:57 p.m. Seriously, if Leona Lewis is at the forefront of the New Vanguard Of Pop Stars, the music business is even more screwed than I thought. What about her is interesting, is special at all? At least Kanye has aspects of his personality that are compelling. Shit, at least he has a personality.
8:59 p.m. Oh no, Jimmy Kimmel made the same Elvis/Kanye joke I did :(
9:00 p.m. Billy Ray Cyrus and his plugs take the stage. And, aww, he’s introducing his daughter, who’s just turning 16, but whose speaking voice sounds as seasoned as a Golden GIrl’s.
9:01 p.m. And apparently her attitudes toward the paparazzi are just as seasoned, given the opening “dance” bit of this performance.
9:02 p.m. OMG ON-STAGE SLIDE??? She really does have it all.
9:03 p.m. Oh, these high notes are sort of unfortunate.
9:04 p.m. Favorite Male Country Artist is presented, and Contractually Obligated ABC Cross-Promotion Girl is towering over poor Archie.
9:04 p.m. Brad Paisley wins. Uh, where exactly was Play No. 1?
9:05 p.m. Political jokes by Brad Paisley. Ah, edgy.
9:06 p.m. There’s no way this Tom Cruise Top Gunning Down Hitler flick can be any good at all, right?
9:09 p.m. The Bachelor fills me with such ra–hey, it’s Coldplay! Complete with giggly Chris Martin?
9:10 p.m. Viva La Vida is an album that I have pretty much no problem with. The title track is fun to sing along with in the car. The songs are completely not worthy of being switched off. (Although how much paper is being wasted with this confetti drop, huh?)
9:14 p.m. Richie Sambora and Colbie Caillat… uh, sure. Here’s Favorite Pop/Rock Album!
9:15 p.m. Alicia Keys’ As I Am wins. Wait, she’s nominated in three more categories? We have a lot more show to go here, people.
9:16 p.m. I wish there was a live cam feed so we could see the GIANT LEAFBLOWERS that are no doubt blowing away the confetti right now.
9:22 p.m. I guess the members of the Wu-Tang Clan not being able to name the Jonas Brothers is supposed to be some metacommentary on the fragmentation on music?
9:23 p.m. Terrence Howard! Will he go on a tear about his Iron Man snub? No, he’ll just stick to the script. Ah well.
9:24 p.m. Fact-checking moment: “I Stay In Love” is not a hit.
9:27 p.m. Yeah, I guess that was OK.
9:28 p.m. And now, it’s That Dude Who Deflowered Jessica Simpson and That Lady Who Ruined How I Met Your Mother! Side note: Were people really clamoring for the return of Scrubs? Doesn’t Zach Braff have some overly maudlin “I’m an overeducated white boy” movie to make?
9:29 p.m. Taylor Swift wins Favorite Country Female. She is surprised. She is surprised? OK, this bit of her schtick is starting to get a little Melinda Doolittleish.
9:30 p.m. Daughtry, with lead Daughtry in a very shiny suit, is presenting Favorite Pop/Rock Female.
9:31 p.m. I want Mariah to win if it means Jack McBrayer will accept her award. But alas, the prize goes to Rihanna.
9:33 p.m. Who would buy a Fergie shoe?
9:37 p.m. Dear ABC: Please stop trying to make Private Practice happen. Also stop trying to make The Fray happen. Especially since this dude really can’t do the whole “lower register” thing, and the possibility of people caring about this song without visual aids from Lost is near-nil.
9:42 p.m. And now it’s time for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Male Artist. You will recall there is no “female” counterpart for this particular category, because, well, yeah.
9:42 p.m. Kanye wins. I guess they’re not frisking audience members for cameras.
9:43 p.m. Kanye passes his award along to Lil Wayne! He seems to be a little unclear on the AMAs’ nominating period, but hey, it’s understandable.
9:43 p.m. Ashley Tisdale is here and showing the audience how many times she can say the word “T-Mobile” in 60 seconds.
9:44 p.m. The Jonas Brothers win the Sponsored By A Phone Award, and they are continuing the shiny-suit trend. What is this? Did Jessica McClintock branch out into menswear?
9:46 p.m. The-Dream gives himself a shout-out for writing “Single Ladies.”
9:46 p.m. So as to have a different “feel” than SNL, this version of the song opens with a Copacabana-worthy intro.
9:47 p.m. BRB DANCING ALONG
9:49 p.m. Queen Latifah is putting her hand up, as is some dorky white lady.
9:50 p.m. One thing that’s nice about this year is that at least a few of the people singing can really freaking wail. No endless “Baby Love” here–oh, wait, they just announced the Pussycat Dolls. Ah, crap.
9:54 p.m. Oh, Christ, this Fray track again? How much money are you getting, ABC?
9:56 p.m. Can you gauge presenters’ relative importance by how network-promotional the people they’re paired with are? What does it mean that Akon is stuck with Someone Else From Dancing With The Stars?
9:57 p.m. Alicia Keys wins Favorite Soul/R&B Album, and she gives a Flavor Flav “Woooowwwww” in celebration. Also, there’s no way that the final performer of the night doesn’t win the final award of the night, right?
9:58 p.m. I’m pretty sure that was the first Obama reference of the evening.
9:59 p.m. Demi Lovato’s presentation style: Awkward eighth-grade president. Which is actually pretty endearing.
9:59 p.m. Instead of bursting through a potentially treacherous glass wall, the Jonas Brothers have decided this year to induce seizures in their audience via bright green lasers.
10:00 p.m. This is harder to look at than that GMail theme that’s designed to emulate an old-school VT100!
10:01 p.m. Why did it take me until just now to realize the Disney/ABC connection here? Blame my immersion in Guns N’ Roses. Also, the lasers.
10:03 p.m. Please discuss the Pussycat Dolls’ performance among yourselves while I fix myself a drink. This song is awful. Also, you just know they are all wearing the trenchcoats for the purposes of FLASHING.
10:04 p.m. Look, they all have names on their stripper poles! And the one in the middle still can’t sing live worth a hip-thrust!
10:05 p.m. Be careful what you wish for, because you just might have to endure Nicole Scherzinger being shoved down America’s throat one more time.
10:06 p.m. I guess Jimmy Iovine’s “influence” means that the Dolls get enough time to incorporate their dance remix. Just what we all needed.
10:07 p.m. “Actress” Ali Landry just called the American Music Awards some sort of hip-superlative. Does that mean the MisShapes are there?
10:12 p.m. Surprise, it’s Justin Timberlake. I mean, who would have thought that someone who made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live last weekend, and the TRL finale the day after that, and who has a new charity single out, would appear at an awards show?
10:13 p.m. A year after being brought in front of the mtvU Woodies’ confused crowd for vague humanitarian-focused reasons, Annie Lennox is being honored by the AMAs for being generally awesome. Can I just say that “No More I Love Yous” is kind of my jam?
10:15 p.m. Ah, a performance! Of “Why,” I believe. This song is also up there.
10:16 p.m. Although she seems to have also sipped from Xtina’s milk stash.
10:17 p.m. This performance would be a lot more powerful without the Career Retrospective Video Medley playing behind it.
10:20 p.m. Lots of applause. Everyone is standing, but the meaning behind that particular gesture has been a bit drained of meaning this evening.
10:21 p.m. Lots of words beginning with “m” in her speech.
10:22 p.m. She’s 53?! This gives me hope for 20 years from now.
10:26 p.m. That scene of Sally Field frowning dejectedly just made me want to watch Soapdish all over again. Come on, everyone! Half an hour to go!
10:28 p.m. It’s an ad for Barbados. Is this part of the reason Rihanna won?
10:28 p.m. Natasha Bedingfield causes me to ask, “Is the 10 p.m. hour filled with performances that were the result of favor-trading or what?”
10:28 p.m. (And I like some of her songs, but come on, a three-song medley of her and two tracks by the Pussycat Dolls?)
10:29 p.m. I guess it could be worse: This awards show could have some sort of Lauren Montag (or whoever) tie-in.
10:30 p.m. “Pocketful Of Sunshine” is such an oddly dreary-sounding song. I like the chorus a lot, but there’s something about the track as a whole that’s just so… rainy. I know, I know, it’s an odd adjective, but close your eyes and see if you don’t conjure up a drizzly image.
10:31 p.m. Was that two songs? Wasn’t it supposed to be three? Did I miss something? Did her brother stop in and do a bar of “Gotta Get Thru This” while I blacked out momentarily?
10:32 p.m. Speaking of dreary, here’s Rihanna… performing “Rehab”… with an eyepatch on? I guess this is her attempt to out-accessorize Sasha Fierce’s Krugerhand.
10:33 p.m. I like how her backup singers are wearing the Little Dom Peep outfits Ri-Ri wore during her “Umbrella” phase. Hey, everybody, it’s important to recycle!
10:35 p.m. Well, that’s over, and I think that one of the biggest singles artist of the past year just got less airtime than Nicole Scherzaface And Her Band Of Roving Bimbos. Total Doll Domination SoundScans to date: 166,767!
10:39 p.m. Motley Crue! Vince Neil would like to remind you just who his band is! Tommy Lee is also wearing a shiny suit! Mick Mars is standing up all by himself!
10:40 p.m. Daughtry wins the Favorite Pop/Rock Duo Or Group. The satin quotient of the clothes on this stage is making my eyes bleed.
10:42 p.m. Seriously, the amount of gold satin covering Tommy Lee could fashion three or four prom dresses.
10:42 p.m. Kanye West is now performing in Tron II: The Red LED District.
10:44 p.m. I like the fake calliopes on this song still. And I really like how Kanye is so, so into this performance. Jumping into every note! Spitting out the vitriol!
10:46 p.m. And now, Sarah McLachlan. If she sings the song from the ASPCA ads, I’ll have a real reason to cry tonight, instead of just one that’s lamenting the Pussycat Dolls’ existence.
10:47 p.m. Oh no :(
10:47 p.m. Pink is harmonizing nicely. At least the producers decided against showing the sad puppies and kittens behind them.
10:48 p.m. I really love Pink’s voice. Sarah’s lilt is playing against her gruffness in a pretty incredible way.
10:50 p.m. That was lovely. Seriously. Simple and moving and well-performed.
10:53 p.m. Toxic Twins time. Joe Perry is walking with a cane.
10:54 p.m. These two are also toxic when it comes to reading a TelePrompTer.
10:54 p.m. Artist Of The Year: Chris Brown? Really?
10:55 p.m. He would have given it to Coldplay! Everyone’s so generous tonight!
10:55 p.m. Faceless announcer on Alicia Keys: “She’s been called ‘a genius’ and ‘brilliant.’” By Clive Davis.
10:57 p.m. “For my first surprise, here’s the woman I was sitting next to all night!”
10:58 p.m. And now… Kathleen Battle. Well, a soprano wasn’t exactly the big finish I was expecting, but hey, music in America takes all kinds, right?
10:59 p.m. Alicia and the Queen are impressed. (As am I, I guess. Although I liked last year’s reggae bit better.)
11:00 p.m. And… the big finish! Everyone’s hugging! Jimmy Kimmel is making a dumb joke! All of the other winners are being chyroned on the screen–holy crap, that Alvin & The Chipmunks soundtrack beat out Mamma Mia!? Oh, America. Oh, American Music Awards.
The complete list of winners, in case you want to see whose street teams successfully stuffed the e-ballot boxes:
POP/ROCK MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist: Chris Brown
Favorite Female Artist: Rihanna
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Daughtry
Favorite Album: Alicia Keys, As I Am
COUNTRY MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist: Brad Paisley
Favorite Female Artist: Taylor Swift
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Rascal Flatts
Favorite Album: Carrie Underwood, Carnival Ride
RAP/HIP-HOP MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist: Kanye West
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Three 6 Mafia
Favorite Album: Kanye West, Graduation
SOUL/RHYTHM & BLUES
Favorite Male Artist: Chris Brown
Favorite Female Artist: Mary J Blige
Favorite Album: Alicia Keys, As I Am
T-MOBILE BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
Breakthrough Artist: Jonas Brothers
INSPIRATIONAL
Favorite Artist: Third Day
ALTERNATIVE ROCK MUSIC
Favorite Artist: Linkin Park
ADULT CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
Favorite Artist: Jordin “Only 18″ Sparks
SOUNDTRACKS
Favorite Album: Alvin & The Chipmunks
LATIN MUSIC
Favorite Artist: Enrique Iglesias
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Artist of the Year: Chris Brown
And my unofficial award:
BEST THING ABOUT THE NIGHT: Ne-Yo, duh.
OMG, a jeweled eyepatch! I’m going to take that as a subtle protest at the cancellation of Pushing Daisies!
So, am I really missing anything important due to my futile boycott, or is it just another award show/pop culture trainwreck like VH1 attempts with their flaccid award shows that basically reward their own talking heads?
All this talk of Annie Lennox videos makes me miss music videos. Remember when VH1 used to play all their videos A-Z on either Fourth of July or Labor Day? remember when MTV used to play videos? or when the jokes about no videos on MTV were fresh? and when MTV video airings didn’t involve awkward interviews between No Age and Pete “The Most Punchable Face in the Known Universe” Wentz?
@Taigan: Oh, I’m sorry I just woke up from the Natasha Beddenfield-induced nap I was taking!
@Taigan: Speaking of Pushing Daisies, i’d like to hear everyone’s excuse for not watching it. Or not telling their friend about. Or not forcing it on their friends.
I’m going to miss my Kristin Chenoweth/Anna Friel fix each week when that show’s gone. There’s no justice in the world. Pushing Daisies gets canceled and Two and a Half Men lives another day.
OMG Maura I forgot all about Daniel Bedingfield…I totally hearted I gotta get thru this haha!!
@DocStrange: TV is an unjust universe. I’m still smarting over Veronica Mars.
@DocStrange: Here’s my excuse, they changed it from Wednesdays to Tuesdays and I wasn’t able to watch this season :(
I was addicted last year so I feel bad, like I personally lead to the cancellation. I blame ABC for messin’ with the day, I don’t get off work till 8:30 on Tuesdays!
Motley Crue, seriously WTF?
Yay! I heart Daughtry I surely thought Coldplay was gonna take this one…
@DocStrange: I liked it, but sometimes it was so cute that I had to pause it and come back to it a couple of days later.
@Maura Johnston: I miss VM so much that I keep rewatching the dvds (and noticing new things).
I see all your Pushing Daisies and Raise you Dirty Sexy Money.
@DocStrange: I watched PD and I’m a Neilsen household.
Life is cruel.
When did it become DAW-TRY? I’ve always heard it DOE-TRY.
I’m sorry but Tommy Lee is still hot.
Paging Max Headroom, you left your headlights on.
Kanye as usual more interesting than all that has come before.
@Taigan: I’m like that with Home Movies actually. That show… sigh, it was too good for the Adult Swim masses.
@highlifer: Um hey…Eli Stone! That’s like a full house of unjust tv cancellations!! :(
That was my show!!! And I really did try to get others to watch that one…
@highlifer: Not even trying for those high notes, but no one thought he was a real singer anyway.
@Maura Johnston: Veronica Mars. That’s another one.
It seems the only sanity left on Network TV is “30 Rock” and “The Office”, and the only reason those two are alive (they’re just as bad in the ratings as PD) is that they’ve become ingrained in American pop culture and NBC execs actually like them.
I feel the worst for poor Bryan Fuller. This is what, his third, great, intelligent, show to be canceled?
@Jerkwheat: I don’t think they count you. Neilsen has it in for anything good.
@bankerboy12485: It’s still on Wednesdays. In fact, one of the reasons it died was “Knight Rider” on the same night.
@highlifer: I’ve NEVER heard DOEtry, always DAWtry.
@Maura Johnston: Every time I watch Home Movies I can’t believe how good it is.
kanye’s vocoder/auto tune mic sounds like hes gurgling something…not sayin its balls, but he’s defeating the point of using Autotune and being as subdued as the song and performance should be.
and I take it back, the Tron set designer called.
WOW. Sarah…way to uherm…detract from the drama of Kayne..
who made these set times?
THIS IS THE DYING ANIMALS SONG!!!!!!!!
Sarah McLachlan and Pink…too awesome!
@DocStrange: Oh wait, it is still on Wednesday nights isnt it…yikes then I dont know what my excuse is!
OMG I love this Sarah McLaughlin/Pink duet…and its making me sad because it reminds me of that animal commercial.
@bankerboy12485: Haha maybe it’s just the way people pronounce it here with a Baltimore accent.
HAHA again, I turned away to type and turned back and think “Why does Sarah McLachlan look like Pink?” Who sounds great btw.
@highlifer: They sound amazing together!
Maybe it is the Baltimore accent? But I’m like 15 miles outside of Philly, the 2 accents aren’t that off from each other are they? lol
Sarah Mac + Pink = my favorite performance of the night if not for Ne-Yo.
@lempha: same here.
there’s still Coldplay residue in the aisle.
Was it me or did that last performance feel cheap? Why didn’t Sarah get a medley? “Angels” is a nice song, and I dig its her most ‘notable’ song but I always attach it to her campaign to adopt cats and dogs from shelters and suicide and death and now I’m very sad…Not even the awkward dancing of Chris Martin can cheer me up…sorta.
Steven Tyler is awesome still…I dont care lol!
I’m guessing those are prescription sunglasses so they can see the teleprompter.
@Taigan: Finally, Sarah MacLachlan has gotten off her couch where she shows people pictures of sad animals and reminds the world that she was relevant at one point in time.
I hope they make the Pink Sarah duet available for download somewhere!
why does Alicia Keys sound like Jaime Foxx…like they’re trolling for dates?
I had a strange feeling Queen Latifah woulda shown up to freestyle…
ok I forgot Queen could flow like that lol…I’m liking this so far!
maybe she could’ve performed “Building A Mystery”. A song about a homeless Jesus could’ve certainly made the room slightly cheerier.
so was this the new girl power?
That was really cool!
Maura: I hoped you noticed in the credits that the winner for Best Soundtrack was Alvin and the Chipmunks.
um…so my last two comments didn’t submit did they? or is there a lag because the Idolator server can’t handle the crushing load of 25 people?
I still love how they explain how they come up with this, the stats n figures…I especially love the clip show credits, like they’re saying, “In case you switched to watch something else, here’s what you missed until Youtube has them posted tomorrow morning!”
this was….boring?
@DocStrange: the latter. sigh
And there’s your proof: America loves sped up music made to resemble the alleged vocal styles of rodents then one with a really good Belle & Sebastian song on it.
@bankerboy12485: I was just thinking the same thing.
@Invisible Circus: This is the American Music Awards. They’re kind of like exhibition Football. It doesn’t matter in the slightest. In fact, my blog’s year end music awards matter more than the American Music Awards.
@DocStrange: LOL yeah I guess there are too many of us crashing the server huh?
And on related news, my left headphone has just died on me for no apparent reason. Either that or the Skullcandy corporation does not like Cabaret Voltaire.
@DocStrange: 26 people! The commenting system has brought on an overwhelming sense of nostalgia.
I enjoyed the whole thing, I have to say…in ways that surprised me!!!
Taylor Swifts’ “emotions” are incredibly calculated (like her relationship with a Jonas) but she is good at what she does.
I thought the Jonas Brothers were great, but I usually do - it was a more mature performance for Joe if a particularly squeaky one for Nick and like most I totally enjoyed Ne-Yo. And Beyonce and Annie Lennox.
And WTF Miley needs to learn to breathe. What a lame song for a “live” showcase.
NKOTB made me cringe but I think their performance took balls so there’s that.