The American Music Awards 2009 are under way, airing live on ABC. We're the show live, so stay tuned to ledger-enquirer.com for details.
The show opened with an extended performance by Janet Jackson. She sang a medley of her greatest songs, including hits like "Miss You Much," "What Have You Done for Me Lately," "If" and more. She also performed her newest song, "Make Me." Then, she wrapped up with her 1997 hit, "Together Again." Even though Janet didn't directly mention Michael Jackson during the song, it seemed to pay tribute to her brother.
Then, the awards kicked off. Here's what has happened so far:
8:08: Paula Abdul takes the podium, reminding us that fans decide the winners of the AMAs.
8:10: The Black Eyed Peas win best pop/rock band, duo or group.
8:15: Rascal Flatts win best country band, duo or group.
8:17: Daughtry performs "Life After You." It's a typical guitar-heavy performance, no major frills. The song is good, though.
8:20: Shakira performs, opening her number with a step routinte. She's accompanied by a leotard-clad step troupe. She sings "Give It Up to Me" while donning a slinky black getup. In its original form, the song features Lil Wayne, but he's not here for this performance. The song is heavy on the pelvic thrusts, to say the least.
Yikes. I just lost my Internet connection. Sorry, guys. I blame it on Kanye West trying to sabotage a future Taylor Swift win.
Anyway, while I was struggling with the Internet, Keith Urban performed "Kiss a Girl" while wearing a glittery shirt and a pocket chain...yes, all in the same outfit. Then, Kelly Clarkson sang "Already Gone' while accompanied by a small stringed orchestra. It was good, but I'm kind of craving the energy of her "Since U Been Gone" days.
8:44: Taylor Swift wins favorite female pop/rock artist. Did she really deserve to beat Beyonce and Lady Gaga? I don't know. Anyway, Taylor's not there, but she accepts the award via video from her tour.
8:46: Jay-Z and Alicia Keys sing a very classy version of "Empire State of Mind." Maybe my favorite performance so far.
8:51: Green Day wins best alternative rock group.
8:58: Kate Hudson's outfit is on the verge of a serious upper-body wardrobe malfunction.
8:59: Black Eyed Peas perform "Meet Me Halfway" and "Boom Boom Pow." And then...a guitar bit from "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Between robots, bright lights and Fergie's skimpy tutu look, there's a lot going on here.
9:06: Michael Jackon wins favorite male soul/R&B artist. It's his 22nd AMA. Jermaine Jackson accepts, with his kids on stage. "Thank you so much, we love you Michael."
9:13: Keith Urban wins favorite male country artist. It's his first AMA.
9:14: "American Idol" winner Kris Allen takes the stage...as a presenter. Ouch. I wonder how he feels about the fact that runner-up Adam Lambert secured a spot as a performer?
9:15: Beyonce wins favorite female soul/R&B artist. She's not there to accept. No video acceptance, either.
9:16: Rihanna performs "The Wait is Ova." She's wearing a weird white getup that involves spikes and holes. It even lights up. This one will likely divide fans...and non-fans. Does anyone else prefer "Russian Roulette"?
9:26: Carrie Underwood performs "Cowboy Casanova." Her shorts/dress getup is a bit odd, but overall it's an entertaining performance. Not too original, though.
9:30: Lady Gaga performs! She sings "Bad Romance" while wearing a flesh-colored bodysuit and a light-up mask and vest thing. Two minutes into the song, she's crawling on the floor. Yes! Then, she smashes a giant mirror to climb into a space containing a piano. Her mask is now off, but the piano is on fire. Yes, real flames. She plays the piano and sings "Speechless." So dramatic, so Gaga. She's now smashing water bottles. The song concludes with giant flames bursting out of the piano.
9:35: Of course, top fan Perez Hilton raves about Gaga's performance. He tells the audience there's "so many divas on one stage and I haven't gotten into a fight with any of them yet." The night is young, dude.
9:41: Mary J. Blige performs "I Am." It's vocally solid, but a bit boring. OK, maybe a LOT boring.
9:45: Time for the T-Mobile Breakthrough Artist award. It goes to country act Gloriana. Huh? How did they beat Lady Gaga? Something tells me there was some serious mom texting going on. It's the award that lets viewers vote during the show, after all.
9:47: Gloriana accepts the award, poking a little fun at themselves. A member asks audience members to raise their hands if they just asked who Gloriana is.
9:48: Jennifer Lopez performs her new single, "Louboutins." There's a boxing ring setup, but not much creativity beyond that. It looks like she falls mid-dance, but plays it off. Not very well, though. Overall, the whole thing is very underwhelming. So much advance hype, so much disappointment. I'm craving some Adam Lambert.
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