2021 AMAs

Giveon Offers A Stirring Rendition Of ‘Heartbreak Anniversary’ At The 2021 AMAs

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Giveon was one of the many artists in 2020 to make the best of quarantine times and break out into the mainstream music world. He released two EPs, Take Time and When It’s All Said And Done, which were later repacked into one 13-song project When It’s All Said And Done… Take Time. However, after 2020 concluded, Giveon kept things a bit quieter outside of landing his first No. 1 song thanks to Justin Bieber’s “Peaches” with him and Daniel Caesar. Things could be picking up for Giveon and it comes as stopped by to 2021 American Music Awards to perform “Heartbreak Anniversary.”

The performance was both a soulful and stirring rendition of the highlight track from Take Time as the Long Beach singer used the moment to showcase his vocals to the world. Giveon’s performance at the AMAs is just the latest in what’s been an uptick in activity for the Long Beach singer. Back in September, Giveon released his first post-When It’s All Said And Done… Take Time era single with “For Tonight.” The emotive track finds the singer longing for a single moment of intimacy with a special woman in his life. He later delivered an intimate rendition of the song during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

You can watch clips from Giveon’s AMAs performance above.

Bad Bunny, Julieta Venegas, And Tainy’s AMAS Performance Of ‘Lo Siento BB:/’ Gave A Glimpse Of The Future

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The American Music Awards featured a truly innovative performance when Bad Bunny, Julieta Venegas, and Tainy hit the stage to perform “Lo Siento BB:/” with a futuristic aesthetic that saw Julieta dressed as a robot with a television head (a la the Saga comic series) and Bad Bunny suited up as a cyclops robot that may remind viewers of HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey or GLaDOS from the Portal games.

Bad Bunny has been everywhere in 2021, performing his hits “La Noche De Anoche” and “Te Deseo Lo Mejor” on Saturday Night Live, on which he also appeared in a goofy musical sketch in which he became a talking plant and sang about last year’s lockdowns; he performed “Dákiti” at the 2021 Grammy Awards; and he even got to live out a childhood dream, settling a Twitter feud with WWE wrestler The Miz at this year’s Wrestlemania, where he won decisively by pinning his foe.

He followed up that triumph by reprising “Te Deseo Lo Mejor” at the Billboard Music Awards, then set about launching his next new music campaign with “Yonaguni” and “De Museo” after announcing the tour dates for his 2022 circuit, El Último Tour Del Mundo — which took less than a week to become Ticketmaster’s fastest-selling tour in history. Unfortunately, his most recent planned performance at day two of Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival was scrapped in light of the disastrous incident that took place on the first night of the event, but with tonight’s performance, he bounced back nicely and, considering his deft handling of his last handful of performances, we can likely expect plenty of intriguing new moves from the Puerto Rican superstar soon.

Watch Bad Bunny’s AMAs performance above.

Tyler The Creator Bundles Up In A Chilly AMAs Performance Of ‘Massa’

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For his American Music Awards performance, Tyler The Creator popped out from backstage with a puffer jacket and his customary ushanka, rapping “Massa” in front of a house set in a snowy tableau. For some reason, he was wearing shorts. Unlike some of his previous performances, this one was relatively muted, as he stayed pretty much stationary in front of the door before stepping out into the snow, adding more and more passion to his performance while snow fell from the sky. And when the performance was done, he hopped on the back of a Vespa and cruised off the stage, as coolly as he entered.

Tyler The Creator’s big year kicked off in June with the release of the initial teasers for his new album, Call Me If You Get Lost. After putting up billboards promoting a phone number with a special, constantly-changing message from Tyler (which turned out to be the album’s interludes), he shared the first video, for “Lumberjack,” two weeks later.

He quickly followed up with a flurry of new videos and comedic sketches, including videos for “Wusyaname,” “Juggernaut,” and “Corso,” while his performance at the 2021 BET Awards solidified the hype for the album. Upon its release, it was critically acclaimed — you can read Uproxx’s own review here — and became his second album to debut at no. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Tyler also expanded his directorial portfolio with a music video for Maxo Kream, “Big Persona” (on which he also rapped), and a hilarious commercial for Converse that brought together NBA legend Bill Walton with gangsta-rap futurist Vince Staples. He certainly earned his slot on the AMAs’ appearance setlist, and his performance more than justified the show’s faith in him.

Watch Tyler The Creator’s AMAs performance above.

Silk Sonic Opens The 2021 AMAs With A Luscious Performance Of ‘Smokin’ Out The Window’

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Nine months after Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak — aka Silk Sonic — made the world instant fans with their debut single “Leave The Door Open,” SIlk Sonic delivered their debut album An Evening With Sonic earlier this month and boy did they deliver. The project came attached with nine songs and contributions from Thundercat, Bootsy Collins, James Fauntleroy, and D’Mile. In addition to “Leave The Door Open,” An Evening With Sonic was also led by “Skate” and new fan-favorite “Smokin’ Out The Window.” A little over a week after that album arrived, Silk Sonic brought their talents together to open the 2021 American Music Awards.

The duo kicked off the award show night with the performance of “Smokin’ Out The Window.” As expected, Bruno and .Paak were dressed to the nines for the performance as they passionately sang about a former lover who did them wrong. Their performance also looked very similar to the music video that was released with the track.

The performance arrives after Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak announced that they’d be hosting their own limited-edition Silk Sonic radio series on Apple Music. “Over the course of four one-hour episodes, the pair feature Silk Sonic-inspired sets of all of their favorite records, ranging from old-school hits to R&B jams, hip-hop, funk, disco, and everything in between,” a press release said about the show. “From surprise guests to even more surprising conversation, it’s your turn to be a fly on the wall and spend some time with the kings of smooth.”

You can watch Silk Sonic’s 2021 AMAs performance above.

An Evening With Sonic is out now via Aftermath/Atlantic. Get it here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Megan Thee Stallion Will Not Perform At The 2021 AMAs Due To An ‘Unexpected Personal Matter’

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Megan Thee Stallion was set to perform with BTS tonight at the 2021 American Music Awards. Unfortunately, the rapper was forced to cancel. She took to Twitter to apologize for the unexpected change. “Hotties I was so excited to go to the @AMAs and perform with @BTS_official,” she wrote. “But due to an unexpected personal matter, I can no longer attend. I’m so sad! I really can’t wait to hit the stage with my guys and perform #BTS_Butter real soon!”

BTS and Megan shared their remix of “Butter” at the end of August, but the road to its release was a bit turbulent. Prior to its arrival, Megan was forced to petition for the song’s release after her label 150 Certified Entertainment tried to block her from dropping it. Megan requested “emergency relief from the Court” in order to release it and hours later, a judge ruled that she free to do so.

As for the 2021 American Music Awards, which her “WAP” collaborator Cardi B will host, Megan already took home the award for Favorite Female Artist — Hip-Hop. She also received nominations in the categories Favorite Trending Song and Favorite Album – Hip-Hop.

Despite Megan’s absence, AMA organizers confirmed that BTS will still perform “Butter,” in addition to “My Universe,” alongside Coldplay, on the show.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Cardi B Shares What To Expect For Her Upcoming Hosting Gig At The 2021 American Music Awards

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The 2021 American Music Awards will go down on November 21, and while many are stoked for performances by the likes of Megan Thee Stallion BTS Olivia Rodrigo, and Bad Bunny, they’re also excited about who’s hosting. That would be Cardi B, and based on the rapper’s charisma, Sunday’s show should be a fun one. Ahead of her hosting gig, Cardi revealed what viewers can expect from her on Sunday.

“I’m the host, but I feel like the performers and their performances, it’s like their night, you know what I’m saying?” Cardi said during an interview with Variety. “Like when you perform, it’s your night. And I’m just going to be myself.” She added, “There are going to be certain things that I read on the teleprompter, but I’m just going to freestyle it because I don’t like feeling like I’m talking like a robot.”

Cardi also expressed her love for BTS, but according to her, she’s not the only one in her family who’s a fan of the K-pop group. “I like BTS a lot, but let me tell you something: My daughter [Kulture] likes BTS a lot a lot,” she said.

You can read Cardi’s full interview with Variety here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Megan Thee Stallion, BTS, Olivia Rodrigo, And More Will Perform At The 2021 American Music Awards

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The list of nominees for this year’s American Music Awards was unveiled last month. It’s a star-studded list, and so far, the list of artists set to perform at the Cardi B-hosted ceremony (which airs on November 21 on ABC) packs a punch, too. Organizers announced its first batch of performers this morning and the list includes Megan Thee Stallion, BTS, Olivia Rodrigo, and Bad Bunny.

Megan and BTS will be performing together to give their “Butter” remix its television debut. It’s not clear what song(s) Rodrigo will deliver for her AMAs debut, but Bad Bunny is set to perform “Lo Siento BB:/.”

More performers are expected to be announced soon, but one who won’t make the cut is Morgan Wallen. He’s up for two awards due to his performance on the charts, but AMAs organizers noted last month, “Morgan Wallen is a nominee this year based on charting. As his conduct does not align with our core values, we will not be including him on the show in any capacity (performing, presenting, accepting). We plan to evaluate his progress in doing meaningful work as an ally to the Black community and will consider his participation in future shows.”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Cardi B Will Bring Her Big Personality To Host The 2021 AMAs

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Over the years Cardi B has become as well-known for her boisterous personality as her club-friendly music. According to Billboard, she’ll soon apply that personality to the task of hosting the upcoming American Music Awards. The show, which will air live on Sunday, November 21 from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, has been kind to Cardi since her 2017 breakthrough with “Bodak Yellow,” giving her five wins at previous shows along with three nominations this year. She also performed “I Like It” with Bad Bunny and J Balvin at the 2018 AMAs.

In a statement, Cardi said, “When I received the invite to host the AMAs, I was so excited. I’m ready to bring my personality to the AMAs stage! Thank you to Jesse Collins, ABC, and MRC for making this happen.” Cardi’s selection makes her the fourth Black woman to host the AMAs in five consecutive years. In 2017-18, the show was hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross; in 2019, Ciara took over hosting duties; and last year’s show was MC’d by none other than Taraji P. Henson.

The nominees, which were announced last Thursday, include Ariana Grande, BTS, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and The Weeknd, who are all nominated for Artist Of The Year, while the show’s host Cardi B is nominated for Favorite Female Hip-Hop Artist alongside Coi Leray, Erica Banks, Megan Thee Stallion, and Saweetie.

The 2021 American Music Awards will air live at 8:00 pm ET on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu. You can still vote for various awards here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Weeknd, Drake, Ariana Grande, And Others Lead The List Of 2021 AMAs Nominations

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The 2021 American Music Awards aren’t that far away, as the AMAs are set to go down on November 21 on ABC. The nominees weren’t known before today, but the full list was revealed this morning.

Artist Of The Year is a crowded field, as it features Ariana Grande, BTS, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and The Weeknd. Rodrigo is also up for New Artist Of The Year, alongside The Kid Laroi, 24kGoldn, Giveon, and Masked Wolf. There’s also a lot going on in the Favorite Male Pop Artist field, as nominated there are Drake, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Lil Nas X, and The Weeknd. Meanwhile, up for Favorite Female Pop Artist are Grande, Doja Cat, Dua Lipa, Rodrigo, and Swift.

As for rap, up for Favorite Male Hip-Hop Artist are Drake, Lil Baby, Moneybagg Yo, Polo G, and Pop Smoke, while nominated in the female category are Cardi B, Coi Leray, Erica Banks, Megan Thee Stallion, and Saweetie. On a related note, Ye (formerly Kanye West) is up for Favorite Gospel Artist, competing against Kirk Franklin, Koryn Hawthorne, Maverick City Music, and Tasha Cobbs Leonard.

Voting for this year’s awards is set to open at 9:30 a.m. ET, and fans can vote today through November 16 by searching for “AMAs” on TikTok.

Check out the full list of nominees below.

Artist Of The Year
Taylor Swift
Ariana Grande
BTS
Drake
Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd

Favorite Trending Song
Erica Banks — “Buss It”
Måneskin — “Beggin”
Megan Thee Stallion — “Body”
Olivia Rodrigo — “Drivers License”
Popp Hunna — “Adderall (Corvette Corvette)”

New Artist Of The Year
24kGoldn
Giveon
Masked Wolf
Olivia Rodrigo
The Kid Laroi

Collaboration Of The Year
24kGoldn Feat. Iann Dior — “Mood”
Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez — “Dákiti”
Chris Brown and Young Thug — “Go Crazy”
Doja Cat Feat. SZA — “Kiss Me More”
Justin Bieber Feat. Daniel Caesar and Giveon — “Peaches”

Favorite Music Video
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak) — “Leave The Door Open”
Cardi B — “Up”
Lil Nas X — “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”
Olivia Rodrigo — “Drivers License”
The Weeknd — “Save Your Tears”

Favorite Male Pop Artist
Drake
Ed Sheeran
Justin Bieber
Lil Nas X
The Weeknd

Favorite Female Pop Artist
Ariana Grande
Doja Cat
Dua Lipa
Olivia Rodrigo
Taylor Swift

Favorite Pop Duo or Group
AJR
BTS
Glass Animals
Maroon 5
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak)

Favorite Pop Album
Ariana Grande — Positions
Dua Lipa — Future Nostalgia
Olivia Rodrigo — Sour
Taylor Swift — Evermore
The Kid Laroi — F*ck Love

Favorite Pop Song
BTS — “Butter”
Doja Cat Feat. SZA — “Kiss Me More”
Dua Lipa — “Levitating”
Olivia Rodrigo — “Drivers License”
The Weeknd and Ariana Grande — “Save Your Tears (Remix)”

Favorite Male Country Artist
Chris Stapleton
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen

Favorite Female Country Artist
Carrie Underwood
Gabby Barrett
Kacey Musgraves
Maren Morris
Miranda Lambert

Favorite Country Duo or Group
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Lady A
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band

Favorite Country Album
Chris Stapleton — Starting Over
Gabby Barrett — Goldmine
Lee Brice — Hey World
Luke Bryan — Born Here Live Here Die Here
Morgan Wallen — Dangerous: The Double Album

Favorite Country Song
Chris Stapleton — “Starting Over”
Chris Young and Kane Brown — “Famous Friends”
Gabby Barrett — “The Good Ones”
Luke Combs — “Forever After All”
Walker Hayes — “Fancy Like”

Favorite Male Hip-Hop Artist
Drake
Lil Baby
Moneybagg Yo
Polo G
Pop Smoke

Favorite Female Hip-Hop Artist
Cardi B
Coi Leray
Erica Banks
Megan Thee Stallion
Saweetie

Favorite Hip-Hop Album
Drake — Certified Lover Boy
Juice WRLD — Legends Never Die
Megan Thee Stallion — Good News
Pop Smoke — Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon
Rod Wave — SoulFly

Favorite Hip-Hop Song
Cardi B — “Up”
Internet Money Feat. Gunna, Don Toliver, and Nav — “Lemonade”
Lil Tjay Feat. 6lack — “Calling My Phone”
Polo G — “Rapstar”
Pop Smoke — “What You Know Bout Love”

Favorite Male R&B Artist
Chris Brown
Giveon
Tank
The Weeknd
Usher

Favorite Female R&B Artist
Doja Cat
HER
Jazmine Sullivan
Jhené Aiko
SZA

Favorite R&B Album
Doja Cat — Planet Her
Giveon — When It’s All Said And Done… Take Time
HER — Back Of My Mind
Jazmine Sullivan — Heaux Tales
Queen Naija — Missunderstood

Favorite R&B Song
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak) — “Leave The Door Open”
Chris Brown and Young Thug — “Go Crazy”
Giveon — “Heartbreak Anniversary”
HER — “Damage”
Jazmine Sullivan — “Pick Up Your Feelings”

Favorite Male Latin Artist
Bad Bunny
J Balvin
Maluma
Ozuna
Rauw Alejandro

Favorite Female Latin Artist
Becky G
Kali Uchis
Karol G
Natti Natasha
Rosalía

Favorite Latin Duo or Group
Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
Calibre 50
Eslabon Armado
La Arrolladora Banda El Limón De Rene Camacho
Los Dos Carnales

Favorite Latin Album
Bad Bunny — El Último Tour Del Mundo
Kali Uchis — Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)
Karol G — KG0516
Maluma — Papi Juancho
Rauw Alejandro — Afrodisíaco

Favorite Latin Song
Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez — “Dákiti”
Bad Bunny and Rosalía — “La Noche De Anoche”
Farruko — “Pepas”
Kali Uchis — “Telepatía”
Maluma and The Weeknd — “Hawái (Remix)”

Favorite Rock Artist
AJR
All Time Low
Foo Fighters
Glass Animals
Machine Gun Kelly

Favorite Inspirational Artist
Cain
Carrie Underwood
Elevation Worship
Lauren Daigle
Zach Williams

Favorite Gospel Artist
Kanye West
Kirk Franklin
Koryn Hawthorne
Maverick City Music
Tasha Cobbs Leonard

Favorite Dance/Electronic Artist
David Guetta
Illenium
Marshmello
Regard
Tiësto

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.