The 7 Worst Billboard Music Awards 2017 moments
On May 21, 2017 the music fraternity gathered at the T-Mobile Arena to watch the biggest stars in the industry get honored at the Billboard Music Awards. The show was stacked with many memorable moments. Drake entertaining the crowd with an energetic performance to Celine Dion singing, My Heart Will Go On in honor of the movie Titanic’s 20th Anniversary, being two particular highlights.
There is no doubt that this year’s Billboard Music Awards were one of the most exciting in recent times. So many talented artists rocked the stage including, Nicki Minaj, Lorde, Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus, Florida Georgia Line, John Legend, Sam Hunt, Halsey, Camila Cabello, Cher and Imagine Dragons.
Having said that, there were also a few not-so-great moments at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards. Here we look at the 7 worst Billboard Music Awards 2017 moments that the event could have done without:
1) The Duration
Even though the Billboard Music Awards were fun to watch, it becomes very tough to sit through anything which lasts more than three hours. During the entire broadcast, only seven awards were given and while many fans were hoping to see, BTS perform live, they were disappointed when it didn’t happen.
Yes, there were a few surprises during the show but it still felt a little dragged by the time all the awards were given. The duration could and should have been managed a little better.
2) The hosting
The Billboard Music Awards were hosted by Ludacris and the Teen Choice Award winning actress and singer, Vanessa Hudgens. Both stars tried their best and avoided polarizing and controversial statements but the pairing felt unnatural.
To get things underway, Hudgens, who has so far released two studio albums, ‘V’ and ‘Identified’ in 2006 and 2008 respectively, delivered musical impersonations of Nicki Minaj and Celine Dion. One went perfectly fine while the other was not as good. Moreover, throughout the show, Vanessa’s frequent outfit changes and her adoration of other artists also put us off a little.
We are not saying that Vanessa and Ludacris did not do their job well because they did. It is just that, according to us, they just did not reach the level required to host an event as big as the Billboard Music Awards.
3) La La Land joke
Let’s be honest here, the La La Land joke has been overused and it isn’t funny anymore. But someone forgot to tell that to Rachel Platten who was there to present the, ‘Billboard’s Chart Achievement Award’ with Daughtry. Platten was about to announce the winner when she said that La La Land has won the accolade instead of the Grammy winning duo Twenty One Pilots. The joke failed to resonate with us and just did not feel right.
4) The Chainsmokers and Halsey acceptance speech
It was a memorable night for The Chainsmokers, for the most part at least. The duo of Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall won a total of three awards at the show including one for the song Closer, their collaborative effort with Halsey, in the category of, ‘Top Collaboration.’ The trio went on the stage to accept the accolade and while it was Halsey who reached for the mic first, it was Andrew and Pall who started thanking the fans. That moment was awkward. When finally Halsey got the chance to speak, she couldn’t contain her excitement and expressed her love for Drake who was also nominated for the same category for his song, One Dance. While there was nothing wrong with the acceptance speeches as such, the start made it awkward.
5) Drake’s Speeches
Undoubtedly, Drake was the big winner at the Billboard Music Awards. The Canadian broke Adele’s record by taking home thirteen awards this year but his acceptance speeches left a lot to be desired and felt flat.
For example, when Drake took the stage to accept his, ‘Top Billboard 200 Album’ award for his number one hit record, ‘Views,’ he started his speech by saying how “a close friend” didn’t “support his album.”Just when it looked like he had something important to say, Drake began to praise different stars and stated, “Vanessa Hudgens, you look amazing.” Then later on, when he was called to collect his, ‘Top Artist’ award, Drake took the mic and recited an internet meme.
Quite frankly, we were accepting better.
6) The Chainsmokers live performance
The Chainsmokers have been on a roll as of late. They have been making headlines ever since they dropped their platinum selling single, #Selfie in 2014. They released their debut album, ‘Memories… Do Not Open’ in 2017 and it entered the Billboard 200 at the first spot. In addition to that, the duo also won three Billboard Music Awards this year out of twenty two nominations.
The Chainsmokers fans also got to see them play live at the Billboard Music Awards function however, their performance was not exciting enough. The crowd was cheering for them when they stepped on the stage and it looked like they were about to bring the house down. That was until Andrew Taggart began to sing, Young. Not only was he off-key but also moved across the stage awkwardly. They also failed to work the audience and all that combined to make it a forgettable performance.
7) Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran
The Grammy winning superstars, Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran could not make it to the Billboard Music Awards because both of them are on tours to support their albums, ‘24K Magic’ and ‘÷’ respectively. But that did not stop them from performing at the show. Live performances of Bruno’s Versace on the Floor, played for the fans in Amsterdam on May 10th, and Ed’s Castle on the Hill, played in Chile on May 15th were piped in. The attempt was to try something different but since the two stars were not there, the pre-recorded performances did not make the desired impact.
The 2017 Billboard Music Awards were fun to watch for the most part. Despite having some awkward moments, the show was still a success in our eyes because there were plenty of great moments all through the event.
This is our take on what we felt could have been done better now let us see what you think!
