Adam Lambert, J Lo, Taylor Swift set off firestorm at AMAs 2009
What do “American Idol” alum Adam Lambert, country starlet Taylor Swift and singer/actress J. Lo have in common? They all count as most memorable moments for the 2009 American Music Awards (Red carpet photos • Show photos).
- Let’s start with the final act. The eyeliner wearing, glamtastic Lambert brought the show to a screeching halt. Literally. (Read AJC blogger Rodney Ho’s run-down of “Idol” vets including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Paula Abdul and Ryan Seacrest). His dominatrix-like performance, capped by a dancer’s face getting extra cozy with him – below the belt – lit Twitter up. People were shocked and awed by the audaciously “sexy” moves and some parents were reportedly not thrilled with ABC.
- Swift continues her country music ascension, claiming five awards including Entertainer of the Year. Even though she was in London, she accepted the awards via satellite and just as surprised each and every single time.
- In a bit of comic relief, Jennifer Lopez fell flat on that famous derriere of hers (Watch VIDEO). Even sadder, she was singing “Louboutin” about the designer shoes but was wearing bedazzled high-top sneakers to round out her boxing motif. Ugh!
- Janet Jackson opened the show with a high-energy dance routine, dressed in a space-age Pocahontas costume. Best Twitter comment compared her to “Lord of the Rings.”
- Country cutie Keith Urban sang “Kiss a Girl” but we were too distracted by the striking chest tat to hear how good he was.
- Gender bending an age-old double-standard, Twitterverse cracked all kinds of jokes about super producer Timbaland, who frankly looked like a tugboat in a tight leather jacket. On the other hand, his stage partners Nelly Furtado and new artist SoShy were impeccably beautiful.
- Country band Gloriana (who?!) won the TMobile Breakthrough Artist Award over Lady Gaga (right) – who delivered another mind-boggling performance complete with shattered glass, flaming piano and barely there body suit.
- Maxwell lost to Michael Jackson for Soul/R&B male … and it gave brother Jermaine one of two times to accept awards. He even got the chance to make his son’s name, Jermajesty, a trending topic.
- One of the best performances goes to Jay-Z and Alicia Keys (left), who did “Empire State of Mind.” They threw in a little Sinatra-stylings with Keys on the piano and J in a tux. (Even celeb blogger Perez Hilton and country star Reba McIntire were feeling it.)
- Eminem also had a great performance, punctuated by his verse on Drake’s “Forever.” Surprisingly, even though Drake had earlier presented an award, he was no where in sight for his own song.
Find out how Atlanta/Georgia musical connections did.
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80 comments Add your comment
Mike
November 23rd, 2009
12:42 pm
I thought Janet was definitely one of the highlights. Lady Gaga was great, too. Whitney was ….. hmmmmm, let’s just say that I wasn’t really feeling her performance.
Hotrod
November 23rd, 2009
12:52 pm
I get the shock value of a performance ,
but Lambert just swerved about 100 miles away from mainstream.
There will always be a thin segment that will support that type of work.
GreatGal
November 23rd, 2009
12:58 pm
Bump The Gay Guy–Go Whitney Houston! She looked absolutely fabulous last night and her song choice was wonderful. Bobbi Kris is looking more and more like the a little lady these days. I’m so very proud of Whitney’s perfomance.
DAJG
November 23rd, 2009
1:14 pm
Seems like the true Americal Idol DID win the title.
Ms.Simon
November 23rd, 2009
1:25 pm
ABC should be ashamed.
Adam Lambert’s performance was 100% disgusting. Are you serious????
Janet Jackson looked liked she was going hunting for wolves What was she wearing? She sounded horrible when she wasn’t lip synching.
Jermaine Jackson looked like “Plastic Man”.
Jay Z and Alicia Keys were the best last night and I don’t even like hip hop. They tore it up.
Rihanna looked a hot mess and sounded even worse.
J Lo I didn’t get it.
Timbaland loose some weight. Step away from the twinkies
Lada Gaga was downright scary.
Whitney Houston looked 100% better. I think she sounded horrible.
Mary J Blige what the hell???
Carrie Underwood. Pretty girl, didn’t get her performance.
Daughtry sucked last night.
Kellie Clarkson sounded wonderful, looked BLOATED.
Eminem/50 sucked.
Anybody else, not worth mentioning.
FAMUAKA
November 23rd, 2009
1:37 pm
I really enjoyed the show. I’m happy that Whitney is back and she’s truly a testimony that you can loose yourself but God never looses you or gives up on you. I was glad to see that Bobbi Christina has slimmed down and appears to be happy again.
Right On Time
November 23rd, 2009
1:48 pm
AI…
Once again, you do not understand.
The performance was not suitable for public television. There is a reason the the FCC exists. It appears you feel anything should be allowed and the answer is to just look the other way.
Bless you for your tolerance. However, if that is the sort of thing that you require to entertain you… good judgement has long passed you by.
Brock
November 23rd, 2009
2:18 pm
……she’s truly a testimony that you can loose yourself but God never looses you…… did Whitney untie herself from something? And if she is tied up why won’t God unloose you? I thought he/she was the good guy/girl.
Timbaland loose some weight. Is this even possible?
Jesus people learn to use these words correctly. It kills me so many people do not understand loose from lose.
Loose- free or released from fastening or attachment: a loose end.
free from anything that binds or restrains; unfettered: loose cats prowling around in alleyways at night.
Lose- to come to be without (something in one’s possession or care), through accident, theft, etc., so that there is little or no prospect of recovery: I’m sure I’ve merely misplaced my hat, not lost it.
to fail inadvertently to retain (something) in such a way that it cannot be immediately
Read a friggin book sometime instead of sitting in front of the idiot box.
Marie
November 23rd, 2009
2:27 pm
Makes me miss Michael more. The whole show overall was D+
tired
November 23rd, 2009
2:48 pm
im really sick of taylor swift, the only reason she won at the cmas and ama is because of kanye incident…she is really good at milking something…she sings horrible live…carrie has a great voice live and should have won….lady gaga, rhianna need to get over trying to be “freaks” i didnt understand one word they sang last night…j lo was ok at least i understood what she was singing.. and then theres adam….his performance was disgusting!!! why does he have shove is gayness down our throat? why cant he just sing…he said last week he didnt want to be the gay poster boy..well he pretty much made himself that last night…he needs morals and class….mj should have won artist of the year..he sold more music dead than some of these so called artists do alive…
Valerie
November 23rd, 2009
4:59 pm
ADAM LAMBERT IS DISGUSTING…BEING A MOTHER OF TWO, I AM TRULY DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS TYPE OF PERFORMANCE WAS ALLOWED ON A PUBLIC TV STATION…MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS WILL NEVER WATCH ANY PART OF THE AMA’s AGAIN AND I’LL BLOCK ABC AND ANY OTHER STATIONS THAT WOULD EVER ENTERTAIN PUTTING ADAM LAMBERT ON IN THE FUTURE
Kate Hudson: “Listen What I Say You” « Wincing with the Stars
November 23rd, 2009
5:06 pm
[...] last night’s AMAs, Kate Hudson delivered a powerful sermon on almost falling out of your dress. [...]
jake
November 23rd, 2009
5:21 pm
Taylor deserved the award, she had by far the best year out of anyone! I feel really happy for her! its always a breathe of fresh air to see someone who has worked their butt off for their entire life to finnally get recognition for it!! and shes such a genuinely nice person as well!!!
Congrats Taylor!!!!!!
Kem
November 23rd, 2009
5:26 pm
Taylor Swift working her but off her entire life? Isn’t she about 19 years old?
chuckles
November 23rd, 2009
5:32 pm
Hahaha, speaking of music award ceremonies…
terie
November 23rd, 2009
6:00 pm
@Valerie: Are you an executive in the top brass of television? If not how do you to propose to BLOCK ABC or any other station from featuring ADAM LAMBERT in the future? That’s quite a statement coming from a poster on a message board. IMO
benji
November 23rd, 2009
6:52 pm
I enjoyed the WHOLE show & it was WAY better than previous years’ shows. Why is everyone disliking everything!? The Black Eyed Peas, Mary J, Rihanna, J-LO, Whitney were all HOT ! All you squares stay away from the TV & go watch Murder she Wrote or something comparable.
Psp
November 23rd, 2009
7:22 pm
I wonder why JayZ did’nt go up on the stage to get Beyonce awards?
nemo
November 23rd, 2009
7:39 pm
I would just like to say that Adam Lambert is a screaming queen. He is the most disgusting piece of you know what thats come to the entertainment world in a long time. Who ever got this rump ranger on the air has to smoke crack.
Dee
November 23rd, 2009
8:46 pm
Once again here we go with the kids thing!!!! IT IS NOT THE MEDIA’S RESPONSIBILITY TO RAISE YOUR KIDS!!!!!!!!! What did you expect from A Lambert??? He’s a ‘gender/bender’. They put him on last. Change the channell!!! Your kids should have been in the bed at 11 on a school night anyway!
Monqiue
November 23rd, 2009
9:00 pm
I think people need to loosen up man come on this is 2009. If you don’t like what you see turn your tv off if you don’t then that is your fault, you reap what you sow. I LOVED IT ROCK ON ADAM
Chocolate
November 23rd, 2009
9:45 pm
Overall, the night was great, but the one performance that I think we could have done without is Adam Lambert’s. Very distasteful and disrespectul. Wrong place for that! Perhaps the MTV Awards would have been a more expected place for the raunchy, satanistic performance.
Adam Who!
November 23rd, 2009
10:25 pm
Monique…what does the year 2009 have to do with poor taste and an equally poor performance? Enlighten me, won’t you?
slyty64
November 24th, 2009
12:16 am
I can’t believe prime time aired the filth that we saw with Adam Lambert’s “performance”. It was very distasteful and with young children watching it was inappropriate. Way worse than a “nipple slip” or a 4 letter word. Way much over the top:offensive, vile and disgusting. There is a time and place for everything most definitely not on prime time tv with so many different age groups watching. Adam should be fined and required to make a public apology.
Stop It
November 24th, 2009
3:23 am
Mr. McElroy, clearly you missed all of Jenny from the block’s performance; she did indeed change into a pair of Louboutins near the end of her performance
CD releases: Nov. 23-24 include Rihanna, Adam Lambert, Susan Boyle | The Buzz
November 24th, 2009
12:22 pm
[...] sexed-up show Sunday at the AMAs sparked heated debate about his idea of “entertainment” but the “American Idol” Season 8 [...]
Pat
November 24th, 2009
6:23 pm
Anyone notice how the less flamouyant performers won all the awards? There is no need to “shock” us with sex scenes – at this point it is just boring. Adam Lambert, I am a fan. But, this time, well, you just tried to hard.
Gwendolyn
November 25th, 2009
12:59 pm
Ryan Seacrest knew what Adam was going to do. They had at least one dress rehearsal. He was on last for shock value and for the public to talk about Adam for the next three days. His album was coming out the next day. This is perfect promotion, pr, advertising and marketing. Adam is young. He has time to make immature mistakes and to be advise to do this kinda of performance to get more press than anyone else that performed that night. Look at who performed. He would had been swallowed up if he didn’t give it that extra something to make him stand out and he did. A little too much because he is an amateur and not seasoned enough to know what is a great performance of talent rather than I’ll give it everything I know…little. I’m not blaming Adam for his ridiculous performance. I’m blaming his management and promotion team. They will probably get a bonus because I will stay up to see Adam on David Letterman tonight…it is showbiz.
xyerxmomx
November 27th, 2009
3:51 pm
“Let’s take the condom off the microphone, ’cause there’s no one to protect…” –Marcy Playground
Stop the Madness
November 30th, 2009
7:51 am
So, what it’s 2009 that doesn’t mean that anythings goes. have some respect for yourself and others, if you dont have respect for yourself, then have it for others. I thank that Lambert should apologize to the public, because it was inappropriate. this is not good for the children,they look and learn fast. The kids are already confused, we dont need to see this type of mass on TV.