It was a night of redemption at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night.First, there was country star Morgan Wallen — who had been banned from performing at the Grammys and the Country Music Association Awards for a video that surfaced in early 2021 of him using the N-word — getting the chance to take the stage at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
He milked the opportunity by going gospel for maximum sympathy with his song “Don’t Think Jesus.” Then there was Travis Scott performing publicly for the first time since last December’s Astroworld tragedy that killed 10 concertgoers.
With baby mama Kylie Jenner in the audience, he missed an opportunity to make any kind of a statement with a mystifying medley of “Mafia” and “Lost Forever” that looked and felt more like a “Mad Max”-esque video.And then there was the 40th anniversary tribute to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” near the end of the show in which Maxwell — delivering a sexy, silky-smooth rendition of “Lady in My Life,” complete with a sequined black jacket and not one but two gloves — showed much love for the King of Pop despite the child molestations that have marred his legacy. “We love you, Michael Jackson!” he said at the end of his performance.But the emotional highlight of the night came when another superstar Jackson — Janet — got a standing ovation and then presented the Icon Award to Mary J.
Blige. It was one of the show’s truly iconic moments as queen recognized queen — and you could feel all the love and respect for both women.It provided some much-needed star power on a night when the biggest winner — Olivia Rodrigo, taking home seven trophies — wasn’t even in attendance.
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