This Year's Top AMA Moments

By Bethany Holtz on November 30, 2014

If you love music or were actively procrastinating the mountain of work standing in between you and Thanksgiving break, then you likely watched this year’s American Music Awards. They were fabulous by all accounts and no one would have expected anything less. From Taylor Swift to Iggy Azalea, the stars were dressed to the nines and ready to strut their stuff for everyone to enjoy.

If you somehow missed the awards or need a recap, here are the top ten moments that stole the show:

1. Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” Performance

Photo Credit: www.thewrap.com

You don’t have to be a Taylor Swift fan to agree that she set the bar very high for the night when she opened with her first performance of her number one hit “Blank Space.” Taylor recreated her highly reviewed music video for “Blank Space” on stage in a way that was both seamless and mind-blowing. She tauntingly played with an army of well-dressed men, as she mocked what it would look like if she were truly as boy crazy as the media sometimes portrays her. And if you still think she doesn’t deserve the number one spot on this list, let’s just mention that she played with fire and probably created 5-100 opportunities for hilarious GIFs.

2. Selena Gomez’s “The Heart Wants What it Wants” Performance

Photo Credit: lovingselena247.tumblr.com

It’s been a long time since we’ve heard new music from Selena Gomez but this month she released her heart-wrenching “The Heart Wants What it Wants,” about former ex boyfriend Justin Bieber. At the AMAs, Selena braved the stage to perform this very personal song for the first time. It was the most raw and beautiful performance she has ever given and arguably the most evocative performance of the entire night. As clouds, sunsets, and other objects floated and shattered in high definition behind her, she stole the stage with every ounce of emotion that she poured from her soul. Selena, 22, is typically known for her elaborate dance routines and performances, but last week she proved that she could deliver a compelling performance just by standing still in a gorgeous nude gown and opening up her heart.

3. Lorde’s “Yellow Flicker Beat” Performance

Photo Credit: hollywoodlife.com

Lorde was also among the night’s top performers when she sang her song “Yellow Flicker Beat” off of the Hunger Games’ latest soundtrack. Lorde not only sings the blockbuster’s newest theme song, but she also curated the entire movie soundtrack. Lorde’s AMA performance was nothing short of Lorde fashion as she powerfully danced and flipped her hair across the stage. The young singer opened her number rocking out inside of a box, like only she could, and ended by dramatically smearing her lipstick across her face. With very little special effects and backup dancers that were almost non-existent, Lorde proved to everyone that true talent needs no special effects. If there is one young star that knows how to summon every ounce of power on the stage, it’s Lorde.

4. “Bang Bang” Gold Edition

Photo Credit: whotalking.com

It feels like almost every award show has had some rendition of “Bang Bang” since it came out; even the country music awards highlighted the song. Nonetheless, the AMAs “Bang Bang” performance deserves an enormous gold star. Decked out in glittery, gold outfits, the song’s trio of singers delivered a powerful performance, packed full of energy and talent. Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj delivered flawless vocals and pumped up the crowd more than any other performance of the night. Jessie J seemed to have the most fun of the night as she belted out her lyrics while circling the audience. She created some of the night’s most vivid moments, grinding with Khloe Kardashian and dancing with Taylor Swift. These ladies definitely slayed it!

5. Taylor Swift Wins the First Ever Dick Clark Award of Excellence

Photo Credit: hydrogen-mag.com

This moment seems to have gotten lost in a sea of Taylor’s latest awards and accomplishments but it is a huge achievement nonetheless. The first ever Dick Clark Award of Excellence was awarded to Taylor at last week’s show by the lovely Diana Ross to signify her latest batch of ever-growing accomplishments. The Dick Clark Award of Excellence will be given each year in memory of the American rock-and-roll icon to signify an artist who achieves a groundbreaking feat or creates a landmark work. With Taylor’s chart-topping ‘1989’ selling 1.287 million copies in the first week, making her the first artist to have three albums sell one million or more copies in a week, she was more than qualified for the award.

Let’s be honest, last week’s show was really a Taylor affair between her performance, huge award, bff hugging, and famous front row dancing.

6. One Direction Takes Home the Artist of the Year

Photo Credit: abcnews.go.com

In a strange twist of events, the group that walked away with the most awards this year was not even an American-based group. The British boy band, One Direction, walked away with three wins for Artist of the Year, Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group and Favorite Pop/Rock Album for “Midnight Memories.” The boys may have a reputation for being the latest craze among teenage girls, but this batch of accomplishments should be more than enough to make us do a double take. The boys even proved their talent during their performance of “Night Changes,” a song off of their new album with harmonies and solos that could make any young girl swoon.

7. Fergie Returns to the Solo Spotlight

Photo Credit: www.papelpop.com

It’s been six years since the world last saw a solo Fergie performance and eight years since her last solo album, but at this year’s AMAs, The Black Eyed Peas singer answered our prayers. The 39-year-old rocked the stage to deliver one of the most highly anticipated performances of the night, proving that not only does she still have what it takes to pump up the crowd, but she is also one of the most rockin’ moms out there. In a graphic leotard, the singer showed off her chiseled thighs while dancing on top of a smoke-billowing party bus belting out her latest single, “L. A. Love.” Rapper YG even joined Fergie to deliver several of the song’s slicker lines. In case you’re wondering, her highly anticipated sophomore album does not have a definite release date, but is expected to hit the charts early next year.

8. Selena moves Taylor Swift to Tears

Photo Credit: abcnews.go.com

If I didn’t give this moment a spot of its own, I really don’t think I could call myself a ‘Swiftie.’ As Selena wrapped up her emotional performance with tears softly falling down her face, the Kohl’s audience camera briefly panned to bestie Taylor Swift in the front row who was caught with a look that could only be described as true best friend love. The look of compassion that Taylor showed for her friend proves that yet again Taylor is the best friend you could ever hope to have. This moment was actually so huge that it outranked Taylor’s performance reviews on Google. I think something is 100% right with the world when people are more concerned with how friends care for each other than how a given performer was dressed for the night.

 9. J. Lo and Iggy Shake their Booties

Photo Credit: www.tempo.com

Closing out the night was none other than Jennifer Lopez, along with Iggy Azalea, who shook what their momma gave them to their song, “Booty.” J. Lo and Iggy’s performance was certainly one of the most talked about and provocative acts of the night. Pitbull, who hosted this year’s AMAs, was clearly waiting for this performance the entire night, referencing it several times throughout the show. But can we really blame anyone for talking about this performance? Not everyone may approve of this type of music but if there is a way to properly deliver this song, J. Lo and Iggy brought it. Beyond the two performer’s signature singing, the pair showed off just how well they can flaunt their bodies. If nothing else, this act stole the show when J. Lo proved she is the most flexible 45- year-old woman out there. Iggy, who is 24, later shared that J. Lo’s performance made her feel like an old lady.

 10. 5 Seconds of Summer’s “What I like About You” Performance

Photo Credit: www.billboard.com

It was tough to decide which of the night’s numerous performances and awards should make the last spot on this list, but I think that every 80 and 90s pop rock fan would be disappointed if I didn’t credit 5 Seconds of Summer for their fabulous performance of “What I Like About You.” At this year’s awards, the self-proclaimed Australian pop rock/punk band epically paid tribute to the classic tune as they played their own instruments and commanded the stage. These boys have gained a reputation as another up-and-coming boy band thanks to their worldwide debut hit “She Looks So Perfect,” and journey on One Direction’s Take Me Home Tour, but their AMA performance indicates that they may have a bit more up their sleeves than meets the eye. Time will tell where these boys head next.

Information gathered from: Billboard (http://www.billboard.com/), Rolling Stone (Rollingstone.com), Hollywood Life (Hollywoodlife.com), Perez Hilton (perezhilton.com), and NY Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/american-music-awards-2014-top-moments-gallery-1.2021306).

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