The 2007 American Music Awards Review

<!–[if !vml]–><!–[endif]–>The 2007 American Music Awards was hosted loosely this year by Jimmy Kimmel, who did an adequate job supporting the show but seemed a little bit like when your dad busts up in your 15th birthday not knowing about anything tv or music-related, and using classic gags to get giggles out of your high school friends. Will.I.Am and Fergie opened the show, along with the Pussycat Doll’s Nicole Scherzinger, ensuring that the year’s take on the show would be rife with mediocrity. That and the fact that the entire Writer’s Guild was still on strike kept the show’s expectations low. On the bright side, it either met or exceeded those expectations. And also, perhaps because of the strike complications, the show relied heavily this year on performances. And though only about half of them were people you’d actually pay money to see, it was nice to see a music award show that was, from start to finish, about the music.

 

Because the American Music Awards encompasses all good selling material, most viewers were subjected to the mediocrity in other genres they may not like or be familiar with. In other words, I wrote an e-mail and checked my bank balance through Rascal Flatts and Avril Lavigne. Bright spots were Rhianna’s classic beauty, ensemble and performance of the monster monster hit “Umbrella,” accompanied by a full orchestra. Later she and Ne-Yo paired up for their current duet that I forget the name of. But the song showcases Ne-Yo’s writing ability, not so much his frontman star power. Chris Brown worked hard for another showstopper and mostly succeeded. Sporting a bulky black getup with conspicuous stripes, I thought there was going to be a greenscreen or glow in the dark moment but there wasn’t. But he did end the moment with an innovative upside down routine that was just a bit too difficult to execute convincingly. But we certainly applaud the effort from this young Michael Jackson clone. Keep exercising that noggin. <!–[if gte vml 1]> <![endif]–><!–[if !vml]–><!–[endif]–>So Sugarland did a version of Beyonce’s Irreplaceable that was pretty appropos. Beyonce came in at the end and helped out and was an overall good sport about the whole thing. Didn’t really believe they spent hours in a studio together or anything, though that was to be implied. Beyonce later accepted an award for “Best Female Performer in the World Ever,” or something, which she received with a heartfelt gratitude. Every now and then they flashed back to a classic moment from past AMA shows, one in particular including Celine Dion, one of the night’s performers. Celine sang her new, notably worth the listen single “Taking Chances” in a white fringe Tina Turner style dress, simultaneously showing she looks better now then she did ten years ago.

Alicia Keyes of course always does her duty for her audiences. Tonight she pulled out all the stops, even adding a deluxe reggae portion to her new radio favorite “No One.” But I am a little confused why the R&B star’s makeup was rather dark, to the point where it made her look a little like she was in blackface. And that was a little uncomfortable. I don’t comment very often on wardrobes alone, but Carrie Underwood was a complete classic beauty in a beautiful white dress that looked like she was covered in lilacs. The country starlett went home with three different awards. Mary J. Blige turned in a solid, energetic performance where, audience participation or none, the queen of hip hop soul was genuinely having a good time, and so earned a standing ovation at the end. Her sassy head to toe black ensemble, complete with sleek asymmetrical blonde bob and sunglasses, harkened back to the R&B diva’s early days, and the uptown girl seemed not to have aged a day since then.

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<!–[endif]–>It seems to be a yearly requirement of prominent music award shows such as these to feature some aging rock stars attempting to resurrect a career long dead, and we allow it for the time being on behalf of happy memories. This year’s participants were Duran Duran, and they turned in a respectable performance with a song from the new album produced by Justin Timberlake, who was absent from this years festivities but accepted two of his awards via satellite from his FutureSex/LoveSounds tour in Melbourne. The new song conjured a bit of that signature 80’s flair, a dash of “Ordinary World,” and I detected a hint of something that reminded me of Simply Red, so I was satisfied with the performance. The high point was Duran Duran showing complete understanding and generosity, as the also performed “Hungry Like the Wolf” for a grateful audience, even though I’m sure they have to be over it by now. Queen Latifah performed in a slimming black dress bringing classic glamour to the show. Known mostly for hip hop and a handful of broadway resurrections, I’d say the versatile artist turned in a refreshing surprise from her latest release “Traveling Light,” a decidedly smooth jazz album.

Daughtry obliged with a performance of their monster, freakishly played radio hit “Home.” I desperately want him to re-make that one hit wonder “Roll to Me.”The night ended with Fergie winning Best Pop Female. Like a little mediocre bookend. Another plus was that Britney was nowhere near this year’s show. And Old Navy debuted another winning commercial that makes you go, “what’s that song and where can I get it?”