Last night was a star-studded affair. The BET Awards celebrated 20 years of ceremonies with its first ever all virtual ceremony. The tag line for the night was “Our culture can’t be cancelled.” The phrase was more than fitting as every artist showed up and showed during their pre-tapped performances. R&B artists were highlighted even more than they had been in recent years, with a balanced mix of both R&B newcomers and veterans.
Jennifer Hudson took us to church with her rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “Young Gifted and Black.” R&B veterans John Legend and Alicia Keys, spoke to the heart of our current political climate with powerful performances of their new songs. John sang “Never Break” from his new album Bigger Love, and Alicia Keys sang her new single “Perfect Way to Die” from her upcoming album A.L.I.C.I.A. Newcomer LONR, wowed audiences with a stripped backed performance of his single “Make The Most.” Chloe x Halle had one of the standout moments of the night with a mash-up performance of their singles “Forgive Me” and “Do It.” Summer Walker kicked off her performance with a brilliant vocal performance of her song “Session 32.” She was then joined by R&B veteran Usher, for a dynamic performance of their hit single “Come Thru.” Jonathan McReynolds took us to church with a performance of his song “People,” and then Kane Brown made his BET debut with an uplifting performance of his single “Worldwide Beautiful.”
In conclusion, the BET Award had black excellence on full display. Amanda Seales was a fantastic host, and she should definitely be asked to host next year’s ceremony. Great job BET. Check out the performances below.
Jennifer Hudson:
Jonathan McReynolds and Kane Brown:
Chloe x Halle:
John Legend:
Alicia Keys:
LONR:
Summer Walker & Usher:
