Through sparkle and stupor, the American Music Awards displayed a confident yet confused music scene on Sunday. While some performers seduced the cameras in front of LED-soaked sets, other artists found strength in their transparency.
After two hours of awkwardly contrasting performances and poorly timed jokes, Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist winner Selena Gomez took the stage to accept her award. Guests and viewers knew she wasn’t a stranger to the AMA stage, but couldn’t have anticipated what was to come out of her mouth.
WATCH SELENA’S HEARTFELT SPEECH HERE
“Most of you know a lot of my life whether I liked it or not. I had to stop, because I had everything and I was absolutely broken inside,” Gomez said, referring to the recent time she has taken away from the spotlight. “I kept it all together enough to where I would never let you down, but I kept it too much together to where I let myself down.”
Cameras cut to tearful artists such as Lady Gaga, but Gomez didn’t merely want pity.
“I’m not trying to get validation, nor do I need it anymore,” she said. “Thank you so much to my fans because you guys are so damn loyal and I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”
The “Hands to Myself” hitmaker concluded by pointing to a way out of the pain.
“If you are broken, you don’t have to stay broken,” she said.
Though substance was at times palpable, the dissonance between the light and heavy rang loudly throughout the AMAs, leaving viewers frustrated or uninterested. But two-time AMA winners Twenty One Pilots chose to thrive in the tension.
(Before I go any further, I highly recommend you WATCH this performance. This was my favorite of the night.)
Credit: Billboard
Shrouded in smoke and spooky visuals, the Ohio-based duo donned their signature ski masks for a mashup of their hits “Heathens” and “Stressed Out,”both of which explore the themes of inner conflict and nostalgic reflection. Though vocalist Tyler Joseph performed like an AMA veteran, he was quick to thank those who put the band on the map: the fans.
“I don’t know why you guys weren’t invited, but…we’re honored to represent you guys here in this weird thing that we’re doing tonight,” Joseph said to fans as he and drummer Joshua Dun accepted the Favorite Duo of the Year award.
Credit: Coup De Main Magazine
Moving speeches gilded an otherwise sloppy awards show, which was crystalized by two inexperienced hosts. Former SNL cast member Jay Pharoah and Victoria’s Secret model Gigi Hadid offered little more than childish comedic charm and the voices to announce the upcoming performances. Whether it was a poor celebrity impersonation or a delayed reaction to the teleprompter, Pharoah and Hadid distracted more than they delivered.
Credit: Malay Mail Online
As the night drew to a close, questions remained for music lovers: Will pop music stay stuck between the party and the pain? Will there be better music to improve the American Music Awards?
The answer perhaps lay in Maroon 5’s closing performance of “Don’t Wanna Know” with rapper Kendrick Lamar. Though the song details the grief of a breakup, it’s backed by a tropical, trap-infused beat to keep fans moving. The pain might be evident but pop music “Don’t Wanna Know” what else lies beneath the surface as it stays drunk at the party.
Other Winners:
ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Ariana Grande
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR UN-LEASHED BY T-MOBILE: ZAYN
COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR: Fifth Harmony Featuring Ty Dolla $ign, “Work From Home”
TOUR OF THE YEAR: Beyoncé
VIDEO OF THE YEAR: Justin Bieber “Sorry”
FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK: Justin Bieber
FAVORITE ALBUM – POP/ROCK: Justin Bieber, Purpose
FAVORITE SONG- POP/ROCK: Justin Bieber, “Love Yourself”
FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – COUNTRY: Blake Shelton
FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – COUNTRY: Carrie Underwood
FAVORITE DUO or GROUP – COUNTRY: Florida Georgia Line
FAVORITE ALBUM – COUNTRY: Carrie Underwood, Storyteller
FAVORITE SONG – COUNTRY: Tim McGraw, “Humble And Kind”
FAVORITE ARTIST – RAP/HIP-HOP: Drake
FAVORITE ALBUM – RAP/HIP-HOP: Drake, Views
FAVORITE SONG – RAP/HIP-HOP: Drake, “Hotline Bling”
FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B: Chris Brown
FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B: Rihanna
FAVORITE ALBUM – SOUL/R&B: Rihanna, Anti
FAVORITE SONG – SOUL/R&B: Rihanna Featuring Drake, “Work”
FAVORITE ARTIST – ALTERNATIVE ROCK: Twenty One Pilots
FAVORITE ARTIST – ADULT CONTEMPORARY: Adele
FAVORITE ARTIST – LATIN: Enrique Iglesias
FAVORITE ARTIST – CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL: Hillsong UNITED
FAVORITE ARTIST – ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC (EDM): The Chainsmokers
TOP SOUNDTRACK: Purple Rain
the literal dj 
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