2012 Billboard Music Awards: Review Revue

Robbie Daw | May 21, 2012 11:26 am

By now pop’s chart behemoths have all packed their bags and left the party that was last night’s Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas behind. And every site seemed to have an opinion on how the event went down — from the choice of hosts and recently-deceased artists who were given tributes to the performers and, of course, Miley Cyrus‘ barely-there white blazer. Head below for a roundup of what the Internet had to say about the big music bash.

:: Entertainment Weekly lamented LMFAO’s opening act (“Why did Billboard have them open? Likely, because they were simply available.”) and praised Natasha Bedingfield (“That tribute she did to Donna Summer was pretty — and so is she, in so many ways.”), despite the singer being cut-off by a commercial break.

:: Zap2It.com also felt Summer was short-changed when Bedingfield was cut off: “Seriously, we know she just died three days ago, but if the Grammys can slap a Whitney tribute together in a few hours time, surely three days is enough for Billboard.”

:: E! Online gave the show’s hosts props: “Hosts Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell brought the laughs to Las Vegas when they poked fun at their music cred. ‘We are extremely white and somewhat suburban. Rock ‘n’ roll!’ exclaimed the Modern Family dad.”

:: The Root was saying “nah, man” to Usher’s performance: “…it was Usher who was the artist guilty of the night’s oddest performance. Delivering a Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde meets Little Red Riding Hood-themed performance of ‘Scream,’ the R&B superstar danced with a woman in a red hooded cloak. After an embrace, she wrapped herself in the garment. Usher then removed it, and she had disappeared and a male dancer who looked like the singer’s doppelganger was dancing in her place. Weird.”

:: Rolling Stone had its eyes on the red carpet: “Minus Gaga and Minaj’s shock and awe pageantry, the carpet was a more lackluster style zone than we’ve grown used to, but in that more tempered climate, simplicity showed its virtues.”

:: The International Business Times was also fashion-inclined: “Former Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus turned the heads of many in a wrong way when she showed up in an oversized suit with shoulder pads. Usher and John Legend looked like they went to the same stylist. The former donned a teal suit and John went for a geeky get up.”

:: The Urban Daily was moved by the Whitney tribute: “John Legend put his soulful spin on ‘Greatest Love of All’. But it was Jordin Sparks – who could NOT look more gorgeous – who tore it down with her rendition of Whitney’s rendition of Dolly Parton’s ‘I Will Always Love You’.”

:: The Examiner added the following: “Playing the piano, Legend masterfully pulled off the performance. Moments later American Idol winner Jordin Sparks took the stage to perform Houston’s most popular hit ‘I Will Always Love You.’ Riding through the song as best she could, Sparks performance left many emotional at its close.”

:: In the end, Spin had a reminder for us all: “…winners are selected based on hard data mined from Billboard’s charts over a year period. In other words, you bought this music, people, and last night at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand, the artists reaped the prizes.”

What did you think of last night’s Billboard Music Awards? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments.