The 46th annual American Music Awards 2018 took place that Stars flocked to the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Tuesday to see their favorite musical talents perform and get recognized for their yearly accomplishments during one of music’s biggest nights, the 2018 American Music Awards. Shortly after Taylor Swift made her grand return to the AMAs stage for the first time since 2014 as the show’s opener, Cardi B won the first award for Favorite Artist in the Rap/Hip-Hop genre. Swift later won Tour of the Year, Artist of the Year, Best Pop/Rock Album for Reputation and Favorite Female Artist in the Pop/Rock genre, breaking the record for most wins by a female artist.
Anyone expecting Taylor Swift to double down on her recent political statements during her show-opening performance on the “American Music Awards” Tuesday night didn’t get much to chew on — at least not without dissecting the lyrics of “I Did Something Bad,” which she performed in a similar format to her “Reputation” tour.
The song’s intro was drawn out as the stage was bathed in red lights and Swift, accompanied by 20-odd dancers, performed in front of a U-shaped structure from which the tour’s famous giant cobra emerged toward the end of the song.
However, the song’s lyrics did have some added frisson, taken in the context of Swift’s post on Sunday, excoriating Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn and promising to support her adopted home state’s Democratic candidates in the forthcoming midterm elections.
The songs opening lines address narcissism and lies, the chorus goes “They say I did something bad/ Then why’s it feel so good?/ And I’d do it over and over and over again if I could”; pyrotechnics were set off during the lines, “They’re burning all the witches, even if you aren’t one/ So light me up.
Was Swift, who rarely does anything publicly without careful calculation, commenting on her statement, the president’s dismissive reaction to it, or the news that, in the 24 hours after her post, an estimated 65,000 U.S. voters registered, more than in the entire month of August?
Probably not. But if she did, we were all (sorry) ready for it.
Will I ever get over @taylorswift13‘s epic #AMAs performance? Probably not. #TaylorSwiftAMAs pic.twitter.com/jFBrXQxJm3
— American Music Awards (@AMAs) 10 October 2018
Interesting lyric addition here by #taylorswift. “They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one. It’s just for fun.” #amas pic.twitter.com/jF0TrhPNhp
— Alyssa Bailey (@alyssabailey) 10 October 2018
— ⚡️🧟♂️ (@1800ISSADEAD) 10 October 2018
Taylor Swift opened the 2018 AMAs, marking her first awards show in three years. Swift also set a new record for most wins by a female artist in history (previously held by Whitney Houston) by taking home four new titles — Tour of the Year, Artist of the Year, Best Pop/Rock Female Artist and Best Pop/Rock Album.
Other wins include Camila Cabello‘s “Havana” feat. Young Thug (three wins for Best Collaboration, Video of the Year, Favorite Pop/Rock Song), Cardi B, Post Malone, Migos, Khalid, Rihanna, XXXTENTACION, BTS and the Black Panther soundtrack.
See the complete list of winners (in bold) and nominees below and share your thoughts in the comments.
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Drake
Imagine Dragons
Post Malone
Ed Sheeran
WINNER: Taylor Swift
FAVORITE NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Camila Cabello
Cardi B
Khalid
Dua Lipa
XXXTentacion
FAVORITE COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
WINNER: “Havanna,” Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug
“Finesse,” Bruno Mars & Cardi B
“Rockstar,” Post Malone ft. 21 Savage
“Meant to Be,” Beba Rhexha and Florida Georgia Line
“The Middle,” Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey
FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST, POP/ROCK
Camilla Cabello
Cardi B
WINNER: Taylor Swift
FAVORITE MALE ARTIST, POP/ROCK
Drake
WINNER: Post Malone
Ed Sheeran
FAVORITE DUO OR GROUP, POP/ROCK
Imagine Dragons
Maroon 5
WINNER: Migos
FAVORITE SONG, POP/ROCK
WINNER: “Havanna,” Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug
“God’s Plan,” by Drake
“Perfect,” by Ed Sheeran
FAVORITE ALBUM, POP/ROCK
Scorpion, Drake
÷, Ed Sheeran
WINNER: Reputation, Taylor Swift
FAVORITE MALE ARTIST, COUNTRY
WINNER: Kane Brown
Luke Bryan
Thomas Rhett
FAVORITE ALBUM, COUNTRY
WINNER: Kane Brown, Kane Brown
This Ones’s for You, Luke Combs
Life Changes, Thomas Rhett
FAVORITE SONG, COUNTRY
WINNER: “Heaven,” Kane Brown
“Tequila,” Dan + Shay
“Meant to Be,” Beba Rhexha and Florida Georgia Line
FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST, COUNTRY
Kelsea Ballerini
Maren Morris
WINNER: Carrie Underwood
FAVORITE DUO/GROUP, COUNTRY
Dan + Shay
WINNER: Florida Georgia Line
Lanco
FAVORITE ARTIST, RAP/HIP-HOP
WINNER: Cardi B
Drake
Post Malone
FAVORITE MALE ARTIST, SOUL/R&B
WINNER: Khalid
Bruno Mars
The Weeknd
FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST, SOUL/R&B
Ella Mai
WINNER: Rihanna
SZA
FAVORITE SONG, SOUL/R&B
“Young, Dumb, and Broke,” Khalid
“Boo’d Up,” Ella Mai
WINNER: “Finesse,” Bruno Mars & Cardi B
FAVORITE ALBUM, RAP/HIP-HOP
Scorpion, Drake
Luv Is Rage 2, Lil Uzi Vert
WINNER: Beerbongs & Bentleys, Post Malone
FAVORITE SONG, RAP/HIP-HOP
WINNER: “Bodak Yellow,” Cardi B
“God’s Plan,” Drake
“Rockstar,” Post Malone ft. 21 Savage
FAVORITE ALBUM, SOUL/R&B
American Teen, Khalid
CTRL, SZA,
WINNER: 17, XXXTentacion
FAVORITE ARTIST, ADULT CONTEMPORARY
WINNER: Shawn Mendes
Pink
Ed Sheeran
FAVORITE ARTIST, ALTERNATIVE ROCK
Imagine Dragons
WINNER: Panic at the Disco
Portugal. the Man
FAVORITE SOUNDTRACK
WINNER: Black Panther
The Greatest Showman
The Fate of the Furious
FAVORITE ARTIST, LATIN
J Balvin
WINNER: Daddy Yankee
Ozuna
FAVORITE ARTIST, CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL
WINNER: Lauren Daigle
Mercyme
Zach Williams
FAVORITE ARTIST, ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC
The Chainsmokers
WINNER: Marshmello
Zedd
FAVORITE SOCIAL ARTIST
WINNER: BTS
Cardi B
Ariana Grande
Demi Lovato
Shawn Mendes
FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEO
WINNER: “Havanna,” Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug
“Bodak Yellow (Money Moves),” Cardi B
“God’s Plan,” Drake
FAVORITE TOUR OF THE YEAR
Beyoncé and JAY-Z
Bruno Mars
Ed Sheeran
WINNER: Taylor Swift
U2
