The Billboard Music Awards show, broadcast Sunday night from Las Vegas, was a satisfyingly predictable night of awards complemented with spectacular and surprising performances. The Billboard Music Awards are given to artists based on chart performance, which, while less exciting, sets them apart from the Grammy Awards, which are based on standards that seem more ambiguous and arbitrary. Viewers on Sunday could count on awards for artists who sold the most records, had the most radio airplay or succeeded in getting the most downloads.
Big winners of the night included Eminem and Justin Bieber, both walking away with an astounding six awards. Eminem won "Top Artist" and "Top Male Artist," while Bieber deservingly received "Top New Artist," as he has taken the world by storm in the last couple of years.
The performances, however, really stole the show, with each artist wowing the audience with their trademark styles and hit songs. Beyonc's performance of her new smash single "Run The World (Girls)" was the highlight of the night. Dressed in a warrior outfit, Beyonc danced onstage by herself in front of a large green screen. She controlled and interacted with what was happening on the screen behind her as she danced, and Beyonc clones joined her in the intense choreography. The army of women taking over the stage to join Beyonc drove the message home girls run the world. Beyonc also stole the limelight from the big winners of the night with her acceptance of the "Millennium Award" for her career achievements and impact on the music industry. I have no doubt she will be returning next year to accept awards for her upcoming record, "4."
The Black Eyed Peas, who won the "Top Duo/Group" award, brought their trademark high-energy to the stage, transporting the audience to a trance-like music otherworld with a medley of their clubbiest anthems including "Just Can't Get Enough," "I Gotta Feeling" and "Boom Boom Pow." While these hits ramped up the energy of the show, it was unfortunate that they did not play any of their older material that focused more on Fergie's vocal ability and less on Auto-Tune, which they now use even on will.i.am's rap sections. Nonetheless, the Black Eyed Peas deserve credit for their fantastic job of maintaining sales and widespread popularity all in the spirit of Billboard during this change in their music style.
The low point of the evening came when Britney Spears joined Nicki Minaj and Rihanna in their respective numbers. Spears' lip-synching in both performances was uninspired, and while her presence alone got the audience excited, it did not enhance Minaj and Rihanna's music. Minaj rapped and sang one of her better songs, "Super Bass," and then transitioned into her rap featured on Spears' "Till The World Ends (Remix)." Spears burst on stage to sing the chorus, adding her high-profile presence but not much substance.
Cee Lo Green's intergalactic performance was by far the coolest of the night. During the performance, he and his piano floated up from the stage in front of a night sky backdrop. He started off super smooth with the Gnarls Barkley favorite, "Crazy." Decked out in glitter that covered everything from his shades to his suit to his piano, Green flipped in the air while still sitting at his piano to transition to an altered orchestration of "Forget You."
So as usual, the substantive elements of the Billboard Awards were the performances while the awards are expected, the performances are controversial and contain plenty of enjoyable surprises.
