That Psy would close out the American Music Awards — the pop star pageant that hands out trophies based on listener votes — was as forgone a conclusion as the fact that Nicki Minaj would show up and look pissed at people. (She did!) This is a show about popular spectacle, of which “Gangnam Style†is the very definition, so the question very quickly became about who would join Psy onstage for some light horse-galloping at the end of the night. Drake? (He was in the house, even if the cameras only gave him two seconds of airtime.) ABC star Eric Stonestreet? Pink, from a trapeze? As you will have deduced from the headline, the surprise galloper was MC Hammer, whose “2 Legit 2 Quit†mashes up surprisingly naturally with “Style.â€Â Hammer kills those shuffles, obviously.
Also of note at the AMAs: Illuminati enthusiast Ke$ha performed “Die Young†with giant war drums, sliver-spray-painted men in tribal leggings, some sort of orgy altar centerpiece, and at least one high kick. Our notes may or may not read “this is so awesome.â€Â
Here is Taylor Swift’s Phantom of the Opera meets Black Swan with a hint of Priory of Sion take on her dubstep classic “I Knew You Were Trouble.â€Â Please note how the cameras cut immediately to Hayden Panettiere (who plays Black Swan Swift on ABC’s Nashville; salute the cross-promotion).
Christina Aguilera went for inclusiveness, with a side of spangle Hula-Hoops and a writhing people pyramid, lest you forget how much she likes sex.
And now let’s take a moment for Bieber, who bravely showed up at the AMAs not 48 hours after being photographed outside Selena Gomez’s house in drop-crotch pants. (Those photos are still so remarkable; please go look again.) Biebz went the acoustic route for “As Long As You Love Me†and, still rocking the weird crotch look, took on the Big Sean verse — then smashed it. The voice has changed and the verse is prewritten, but how do you watch this video and doubt Bieber’s talent? How, Selena?