From Madonna To Mariah, All The Performances At The 2019 Billboard Music Awards

Mike Nied @mikeynied | May 1, 2019 9:00 pm

CREDIT: Getty Images

Tonight (May 1) was the night of the 2019 Billboard Music Awards, and it was a must-see event for music fans. Hosted by Kelly Clarkson, the show took place at MGM’s Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Cardi B led the field of nominees with 21 nods to her name. Another big win of the night was for Mariah Carey, who walked away with the coveted ICON Award at the show. And that’s not even touching on the star-studded performances, which were truly awe-inspiring.

Taylor Swift and Brendon Urie opened the show with a technicolor performance of “ME!” Incorporating elements of the accompanying music video and showing off their adorable chemistry, it’s bound to be a fan-favorite moment. But that was just the start of things. Kelly wasted no time in grabbing the mic to belt out a medley of massive hits. What made the cut? “Meant To Be,” “Eastside,” “The Middle” and many more radio-conquering bops. Just like last year’s medley, her latest really delivered multitudes of exemplary vocals and playful attitude. Halsey kept the good vibes going strong.

Later in the show she partnered up with K-Pop Kings BTS for “Boy With Luv,” but before that she treated us to a riveting rendition of her chart-topping “Without Me.” Ciara heated things up with an intricately choreographed routine to her infinitely catchy bop “Thinkin Bout You.” Talk about earning the title of Dancing Queen. Meanwhile, Tori Kelly joined country crooners Dan + Shay for a vocally sublime take on “Speechless.” The end result is all but guaranteed to leave you breathless. Not to be outdone, the Jonas Brothers hopped onstage for a medley of hits.

Opening with Nick’s solo hit “Jealous,” they transitioned into DNCE smash “Cake By The Ocean” before closing with a rollicking rendition of “Sucker.” They really did that. Khalid kept the energy sky-high with a collection of some of his biggest releases including new single “Talk” and “Better.” Rumored to cost upwards of $5 million, Madonna and Maluma clearly spared no expense for their first-ever performance of “Medellín.” And it turns out that it was more than worth the cost. Delivering choreography, intricate staging and some incredible effects, the moment will go down in history as a master class on pop excellence. The Queen of Pop truly pulled off an impressive feat, and I’m utterly slayed.

The Elusive Chanteuse delivered an equally jaw-dropping performance. Following an incredible introduction that reflected her many achievements, Mimi left us gasping for air with a medley of hits. Opening with current single “A No No,” she transitioned into the likes of “Always Be My Baby” and “Hero.” Showing off her full range, it was a chill-inducing moment worthy of an icon. That’s not all. Urie retook the stage with the rest of Panic! At The Disco for a high-energy rendition of “Hey Look Ma, I Made It.” As did Kelly. For her second time onstage, she belted out her soaring UglyDolls anthem “Broken & Beautiful” alongside a youthful choir. The end result was absolutely captivating. The same could be said for Lauren Daigle’s gorgeous rendition of “You Say” and Ariana Grande’s “7 rings.”

Of course, one of the most anticipated sets of the night belonged to BTS and Halsey. And they more than lived up to expectations. Delivering an incredibly choreographed routine, cute staging and a costume change from the “Eastside” hitmaker, the performance was more than worthy of the deafening applause it received. Capping off the star-studded evening was a wig-snatching set from Paula Abdul. Working her way though enduring bops such as “Straight Up,” the diva showed out with exceptional dance routines and acrobatic feats. Talk about closing things out with a bang.

Keep an eye on this post, and we’ll get it updated as the performances start to roll in. In the meantime, you’ll be able to follow up with who is taking home awards here and who serves the fiercest looks on the red carpet here.

Madonna & Maluma