American Music Awards 2008

I can't tell you the last time I watched the AMAs, but this year's show had a lineup I couldn't miss! Just about every big name in pop music performed (and I'm sure you noticed, most of them were divas). Unfortunately, just about every performance was negatively affected by incompetent sound people, and many performers were competing with the music to be heard. That blip aside, it was a great show and next year's Grammys will have a hard time coming up with something better. My girl Christina opened the show with a medley of hit songs from her career.



I know she's promoting the greatest hits CD, but I think I would have preferred her to do just one or two songs, even if it was Keeps Gettin' Better. The medley was fun to watch for me as a fan, but because she only sang each song for a minute, I feel like she never really got into any of the songs and caught a stride. The costume was versatile and awesome, though. And while it wasn't the best day she's ever had vocally, plenty of artists still wish they had her pipes.



P!nk was awesome. Her mike wasn't loud enough, but her voice is still amazing. While not a powerhouse, that raspy quality adds that uniqueness to her music and gives her a signature sound. Her duet with Sarah McLachlan later in the show was beautiful, as well. Still not exactly feeling Sober, though.



Leona Lewis looked great and sounded great. She did all the riffs I thought she should have done in the studio version of Better In Time. I still think the song, while pretty, is rather bland and didn't make for an engrossing performance.



Now, I really don't care much for Miley Cyrus. But, this was a great performance. She's clearly not the most talented vocalist, but she played to her strengths and engaged the audience. I loved the billboard people. Kudos, Miley.



I am officially a Beyoncé fan again... but not because of this performance. I've seen the video for Single Ladies so many times and seen a few live performances, and now it's just kinda boring. Case in point: I know the choreography so well that I noticed her f*** it up at one point. Also, is it me, or did her legs look weird? All that said, it was still a great performance. She wielded that ponytail like a deadly weapon. Though, I do wish Justin could have replaced one of her dancers.



PCD has fallen off. They seemed determined to stay relevant with When I Grow Up, but ever since then the ship has been slowly sinking. While I Hate This Part has definitely grown on me, the live rendition wasn't exactly impressive. And then Nicole went on to that incredibly long, incredibly sour note before the dance breakdown. Back to the drawing board, ladies. Away. I LOVED Nicole's dress on the red carpet, though. Fabulous, Christian, just fabulous.




Finally, a "merit" award recipient that doesn't put me to sleep! Annie Lennox is so f***ing awesome. Like, seriously. Enough said.



Natasha shut it down. Her voice is incredible. My only complaint is that she didn't sing enough of Soulmate, my favorite (and her favorite) track off of her most recent album. But, damn, she was amazing. She killed Pocketful of Sunshine. Best vocals of the night, IMO. And that's saying something because it's me and Christina performed. OK.



Yes! Yes! Amazing way to close the show. Uh, LOVE Queen Latifah! (I'd love her more if she just CAME OUT ALREADY, but still). What a performance. I was like "Who the hell is Kathleen Battle?" And then she came out and my roommate and I were like "Oh, opera singer." It was awesome. Way to go, Alicia, repping for the sistas. She had too much make-up on all night, but I still love her to death. She can do no wrong.

Other performers:

New Kids on the Block: More like Old Farts on the Stage. They looked, sounded and moved like s***. Please retire. Forever this time.

Taylor Swift: What's the big deal with this girl? The most interesting thing about her is that she dated a Jonas. And, trust me, she knows. That's why she can't stop talking about it. I don't get it.

Coldplay: Chris Martin was loopy like always, but it was awesome. Love their sound.

Mariah Carey: How about this, Mimi? How about you just put up a cardboard cut-out of yourself up on stage and save the trip. I mean, it's not like you're going to move or sing anyway.

Rihanna: While Rehab will definitely be another notch on Riri's belt of hits, she still needs to learn a thing or two about stage presence. She looked hot, though.

Kanye: I'm sorry, I tried, but I'm not feeling any of his new music. And while watching him give an acceptance speech is a nail-biter, watching him perform is a yawn.

More Alicia in Japan

I didn't know she did the Kat-tun show, too. It's silly as all hell, but she looks good. Check it out.

Alicia's Back!

She's wearing a bit too much make-up, but she's singing No One, and that's always rousing. And, again my telly is quite blurry, but I think I love her outfit.

Ooh, John Mayer just came out! They've performed together quite a bit... Oh, this is great. What a sweet performance. My only complaint is it was too short -- I wanted them to rock out some more!

Oh, and here's Ringo again... sheesh.

Alicia Wins Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "No One"

I loved her acceptance speech. Sometimes her music doesn't exactly do it for me, but I have great respect for Alicia as an artist and a woman. She deserves all the great things that come to her.

Alicia and Sinatra

What can I say? It was quite an awesome way to start the show. Marrying the old and new, very fitting to honor the Grammy's 50-year run, Alicia performed a very classy duet with the late, and yes great, Frank Sinatra. Oh, the wonders of technology. And, even on my blurry set, I could tell that Alicia looked phenomenal.

Crystal & Alicia: The Interview!

Here's the interview! It's super short, which is a bit of a bummer. But, クリちゃん is so cute! Enjoy.

Crystal & Alicia Update

A bunch of screens from Crystal Kay's interview of Alicia Keys on 英語でしゃべらナイト - Can You Speak English? Just because those first few pics didn't really do Crystal justice. Hopefully we can get the footage of the interview soon. Click on the image for a bigger view.

Crystal & Alicia

Crystal Kay will appear on the next episode of 英語でしゃべらナイト (Night of Talking in English) - Can You Speak English? interviewing Alicia Keys! That's really exciting for me as a fan, just because I'm dying for Crystal to get her shot over here in the States. Sadly, I won't be able to tune in, as I don't even have basic cable out here in Chicago. I'm hoping that someone will record and upload but, クリ fans tend to drop the ball in that respect. But, anyway, hopefully something good comes out of this for Crystal. It'd be great if she made a friend in Alicia, someone who is clearly in the music business to stay. Could you imagine a duet??