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The 2015 Billboard Music Awards were much more than just the unveiling of Taylor Swift’s new music video of “Bad Blood.” This year’s BBMAs had plenty more going on. One Direction looked to the future while paying tribute to their past, Mariah Carey did the same, Sam Smith worked his magic from across the country and Kanye West brought the curtain down in true Kanye West fashion. There were lots of moments to remember, but these are the iconic top ten:
1.) Kanye West Went Hard:
It’s true: About 20 percent of Kanye’s BBMA performance went unheard, as a fiery, shriek-laden dual performance of “All Day” and “Black Skinhead” was cut out from the broadcast. But when was the last time an awards show performance got so real? Kanye pushed the anticipation for his album just a little higher. You can call it hip-hop, call it punk, call it rock n’ roll — whatever it was, it shook the audience up and left them wanting more.
2.) Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” Music Video Premiered:
After a week’s worth of buildup from Taylor Swift herself and other well-known celebrities that were featured in Swift’s video, the action packed, feminist super-hero video was finally unveiled. As promised, Taylor played a Katniss Everdeen-inspired assassin, backed by a star-studded crew that included Lena Dunham, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift’s idols Ellen Pompeo and Mariska Hargitay, and many more. But of all the co-stars, Kendrick Lamar was a pleasant surprise adding a never-before-heard guest verse while giving “Bad Blood” a raw remix treatment.
3.) Empire Came to Life:
Empire‘s first season is in the books, but the hit show briefly came to life onstage at the Billboard Music Awards. Three artists/actors performed a variety of their Empire hits: Gary Numan and Jussie Smollett performed “You’re So Beautiful,” but not before Smollett and Estelle nailed their duet, “Conqueror.”
4.) Taylor Swift Made the List Yet Again:
Taylor Swift didn’t just premiere the “Bad Blood” video. The much-hyped unveiling was merely a hint at the big things to come from Taylor as the night wore on. Swift had plenty of reasons to share PDA with Calvin Harris as she went onstage to accept awards for Top Artist, Top Female Artist, Top Billboard 200 Album, and the fan-voted Billboard Chart Achievement Award.
5.) One Direction Shoutout to Zayn Malik:
One Direction was at their first awards show as a quartet, but they refused to forget Zayn Malik. After all, 1D won the prize for Top Duo/Group, which reflected the efforts of the band as a five-some for most of the past year. “There’s one more person to share this with,” Liam Payne said, wrapping up the first acceptance speech of the night, “and that’s our brother Zayn.”
6.) “See You Again” Collaboration in Honor of Paul Walker:
What would the Billboard Music Awards be without a powerful collaboration? Wiz Khalifa brought the rap, Charlie Puth brought the soulful vocals (and some grand piano) and Lindsey Stirling brought the violin. All in all, it was a powerful collaboration prefaced perfectly by Furious stars Ludacris and Tyrese, who shouted out the “late, great Paul Walker.”
7.) Sam Smith – Isn’t He Charming?
Sam Smith won the award for Top Male Artist but was not able to accept it, as he was stuck in New York City recovering from vocal surgery. Even from across the country, Sam’s charm permeated the crowd. Smith accepted his prize with a video that featured a hello to Taylor Swift, a shout out to Nicki Minaj’s bum, and an offer to Ed Sheeran to form a Chippendale dancer duo. Click here to see the full nominee and winner list from last night.
8.) Fall Out Boy Teamed Up With Wiz Kalifa:
There were plenty of collaborations at the BBMAs this year, but this one had more natural chemistry than most. Fall Out Boy and Wiz Khalifa are set to tour this summer, so getting onstage for a song made perfect sense. Together, they performed FOB’s crowd-pleaser “Uma Thurman,” backed by a posse of dancers in Uma’s iconic outfit from the film. Wiz added a verse of his own before the final chorus.
9.) Mariah Carey – Then & Now:
To celebrate her Las Vegas residency, Mariah Carey busted out a medley of her 1990 debut single “Vision Of Love” and her new single “Infinity.” It’s been a lengthy career of Billboard hits for the singer, and pre-performance video gave a little refresher to those on hand. For her last note, was there any way Mariah wasn’t going to make it count?
10.) A Night to Remember By Nicki Minaj:
Flanked by black-clad dancers, Nicki Minaj appeared before a purple backdrop to perform “The Night is Still Young” before David Guetta appeared onstage for a spirited rendition of “Hey Mama.” Really though, it was Nicki who stole the performance — while flames danced beside the French DJ and acrobats flipped through the air, Minaj’s powerful performance received a standing ovation from the enthusiastic crowd.
-by Albany Reed