Idols Dominate the American Music Awards 2007

Underwood and Daughtry Win Big. T.I, Rihanna & Bone Thugs & Harmony Follow

Abesi, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Nov 19, 2007 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

Jimmy Kimmel kicked off the American Music Awards with a very humorous interpretation of Soulja Boys, "Superman" dance. Somewhere in St.Louis a young choreographer and her slew of dancers were throwing shoes at the television set, lamenting on how "Huey's, Pop Lock & Drop It" dance hit could have been overlooked by the masses in the mist of the hip hop dance crave at the AMA's.

Nevertheless with the assistance of the very adorable and talented American Idol star; Kellie Pickler and recent winner Jordan Sparks, the caped-Kimmel supermaned' his way through a less-monologue-styled introduction.

Kimmel explained he was still participating in the Writer's Guild Strike that continues to plague Hollywood. Television producers and executives are starting to feel the impact of not giving writers their proper royalties and percentages as t.v hosts continue to adlib their way through their shows. For without writers, they would be no television.

American Idol protegees dominated this year's show. Although Chris Daughtry did not win american Idol he won three awards at the AMA's. Daughtry won breakthrough artists, adult contemporary artist and won best rock/pop album. Idol winner Carrie Underwood tied Daughtry with three awards: favorite country album, favorite female artist and T-Mobile texed in award.

This year the awards were in fact influenced by technology. Friends and fans of artists used the Internet and tex messages to vote for their favorite artists.

Bone Thugs & Harmony had also been unfairly overlooked at previous award shows this year. Even though the multi-talented rap group had one of the best song and videos of the year: the fantastically arranged monster hit, "I tried," Bone Thugs had yet to pick up an award for their smah hit. The group benefited from the public voting ballot as they ended up picking up the best group award. "It was exactley ten years ago that we won before," said member Layzie Bone as he thanked the fans.

For the first time not only could fans tex their votes but the winners were chosen on-line by the public not by politics. Perhaps this influenced the huge American Idol presence as well.

American Idol is the biggest machine in the music industry spitting out contestants and winners that sell multi-platinum albums as other artists struggle with the decline of album sales. While executives blame the Internet and technology, Dick Clark's American Music Awards and American Idol geniuses embrace the Internet and power of the public, winning all around. Sales and Ratings continue to soar for both Idol and the American Music Awards.

Logic allows one to understand that if you let the public vote they will tune in to see the outcome of their votes. If only all music executives could understand the marketing power of the Internet and television exposur, artists would still be doing Michael Jackson numbers.

The show had many highlights including a rare performance from the musically fresh, Lenny Kravitz. Fergie opened the show with a trio of songs and Maroon 5, Avril Lavigne and several artists gave solid performances. The producers kept the show moving at a consistent pace by timing the winners speeches.

There are two music executives whose names were repeatedly mentioned in the acceptance speeches of many artists at the ceremony. These two executives are consummate professionals who understand the power of marketing and artist development: Jimmy Iovine and the ever successful Clive Davis.

A few years ago,Clive Davis got kicked out of his own company ; Arista Records that he started and named while he was in college. Instead of quitting, Davis re-emerged like a phoenix in the dust, winning with American Idol acts and the phenomenal true artist Alicia Keys.

Alicia Keys whose album will debut number one this week seems to never fail an audience when she hits the stage. Keys stole the show with a thrilling performance of. her emotionally captivating single, "No One." Keys whose spent her time away from the public in Africa and traveling around the world as one of the key ambassadors of the organization, "Keep A Child Alive" must have been in tune with her soul and African spirit. The songstress who doesn't usually dance shocked everyone with her Rumba and playfully seductive West Indian moves at the show.

Keys' performance of "No One" contained some rich African acapellas and Jamaican drifts. To add to the traditional feel, Keys brought the kings of reggae together on one stage. In a historical moment in the genre, Chaka Demus of "Murder She Wrote" fame and Junior Reid who was featured on The Game's "One Blood" joined king of the dance hall Beenie Man for an explosive performance with Keys. The American Music Award R&B/Soul winner, Akon was looking as if he wanted to jump on stage and join in on the performance.

Mary J Blige was another performance highlight of the evening. The ever changing Yonkers-bred style icon is still holdin' it down down as the fly-est chick in the game. Wearing a cat woman-esque Manhattan black ensemble with some knee-length boots to die for, Blige rocked it with a short new golden blond hair-cut and some super fly accessories to keep it extra chic for the masses.

Always known to add flavor to every award show the queen of Hip Hop soul gave a performance reminiscent of her Paris Davis & P. Diddy (when he was Puffy) days. Blige seems to not have lost a step since the "Real Love" new jack swing era because her energy on stage was so magnetic and on point that the audience gave her a standing ovation.

A& R executive and vice president at Zomba/Jive, Mickey "Mephitz" Wright's Hitz committee was in full effect as teen heart-throb Chris Brown & T-Pain performed. Rescuing the show from a temporary monotony moment Brown who is currently the best male performer in the business teamed up with Hitz' busiest song-writer in the game; T-Pain. Brown electrified the audience with an exciting and exhilarating performance of the song "Kiss Kiss" Although Brown had performed with Rihanna at the VMA's Rihanna had another collabo at the AMA's.

The international favorite "good girl gone bad," performed early in the show looking like a beautiful flawless 2O's flapper. She sang a jazzy-styled version of "Umbrella" transitioning it into the addictive schizophrenic-mentality duet "I hate that I love you," featuring the best Michael Jackson vocal impersonator of our time -Ne-yo. Rihanna's fans came through in full force at the AMA's like they did the VMA's because the Barbados starlet beat out popular soulful American Idol; Fantasia & award classic, Beyonce Knowles who recently arrived in the States ending an expolsively succesful tour around the world.

Rihanna truthfully admitted that she was surprised by the nomination and much less the award. "I didn't think I could be nominated for the soul & R&B award." Rihanna thanked her little brothers, fans, her best friend and her publicist , Amanda who might be hard at work this week. Rihanna could have just been exhausted by her hectic schedule as attendees and critics begin to point out that her behavior seemed slightly off. Hopefully people might take in consideration that Rihanna is young and perhaps had a long day.

Rihanna also asked everyone to keep Kanye West in their prayers as she accepted her award. West is currently in France still performing like a champion as he grieves for his mother, Dr. Donda West. Beyonce who attended the ceremony with her father also did a duet with country sensation, Sugerland who sadly made a faux pas. Some felt Sugerland ruined what Dolly Parton began when she lent Whitney Houston, her smash hit, "I will always love you" and also lent Pras, the late Ol' Dirty Bastard and Mya "Island in the stream" which they re-invented to "Ghetto Superstar."

For some reason the catchy break up song and great voice mail call note seems to only fall together right with Knowles vocals. Neyo who wrote the hit disagreed saying that "it wasn't bad at all." Nevertheless, Beyonce probably attracted the massive album-buying country music market. At the end of the day Beyonce's decision to do the duet with Sugerland who are big fans of hers, shows that she & her father/manager, Matthew Knowles are intelligent enough to understand the value of tapping into a new market by taking chances and spotaneous risks.

Beyonce was honored with the International Artist Award this year. She joins Aerosmith, Michael Jackson and Rod Stewart as one of the very few musical achievers of the honor. An emotional Beyonce accepted the award in tears as Usher read the inscriptions of the award, "...a voice that touches hearts all over the world...she is rare and special...her music knows no boundaries and borders." Beyonce who was taken back responded by saying, "I'm so blessed to wake up every morning and do what I love. I'm so grateful, so honored and so humbled by this award." Knowles is the only female to ever receive this award.

Other winners at the American Music Awards included T.I who received two awards for best male artist and best male album. Justin Timberlake also accepted two awards over satellite. Other highlights of the show included a performance by eighties sensation Duran Duran. Overall, the American Music Awards was one of the best award shows of the year.

For those that might wonder, According to the American Music Awards organaztion the American Music Awards are selected by using ballots containing names completed from data supplied by the music industry, trade publication, radio & record Nielsen soundscan which track retail music sales. For more coverage of the American Music Awards please log on to: www.abc.com

Additional On-Site reporting for this article was conducted by Nadia Pouncil & Arayana Balan at the Kodak Theater, Los Angeles CA
2007 American Music Awards - Home - www.ABC.com

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Idols Dominate the American Music Awards 2007

Underwood and Daughtry Win Big. T.I, Rihanna & Bone Thugs & Harmony Follow

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