AJ Styles vs. Roman Reigns - Extreme Rules Match: 2016 WWE Extreme Rules on WWE Network World Wrestling Entertainment Superstar John Cena, center, is accompanied by Make-A-Wish participants Rocco Lanzer, left, and and Evan Maher, as he visits the trading floor before ringing the New York Stock Exchange opening bell, Friday, Aug. 21, 2015. To date, WWE superstars and divas have granted more than 6,000 wishes. This was Cena"s 500th granted wish. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) The Glens Falls Civic Center has announced that WWE is returning to the GFCC.
They say on Sunday, July 17 at 5:00pm. The Summer Slam HeatWave Tour will bring the best in sports entertainment to the area.
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns and The USOS will compete against The Club: AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows.
John Cena will take on Alberto Del Rio; plus your other favorite WWE Superstars will be in action including: Dean Ambrose, Chris Jericho, WWE Tag Team Champions New Day, WWE Womens Champion Charlotte, and more.
Tickets go on sale Friday, May 27 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets range from $15.00 to $100.00. Tickets will be available for purchase at the Glens Falls Civic Center Box Office, charge by phone at 1-855-432-2849, or online at: www.glensfallscc.com
2016 ECF Game 3 - Pittsburgh Penguins vs Tampa Bay Lightning May 18th 2016 (HD) Photo Marc-Andre Fleury, back as the Penguins starter in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, saved 21 of 25 shots, but not the one above by the Lightnings Nikita Kucherov. Credit Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
PITTSBURGH Marc-Andre Fleury sprinted onto the ice for warm-ups about 40 minutes before Game 5 of the N.H.L.s Eastern Conference finals Sunday night. The home crowd, which featured Shawn Michaels, the former professional wrestler, and members of the Pittsburgh Pirates, was on its feet and roaring.
This was supposed to be the night Fleury, the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise goaltender, who had been backing up the 21-year-old rookie Matt Murray for nearly three weeks, put things back in order for his team.
But the Tampa Bay Lightning had other ideas.
Led by two goals and an assist from Nikita Kucherov, the Lightning stormed back from a 2-0 deficit midway through the game to eke out a 4-3 overtime victory. Now, the Penguins, the hottest team coming into the playoffs, are one loss away from elimination in this best-of-seven series. Game 6 is Tuesday in Tampa, and it is not clear if Fleury will still be defending the Penguins net.
Describing his teams goalie situation as imperfect, Pittsburgh Coach Mike Sullivan said he would settle on a starter Tuesday morning.
We wish the circumstances were different, but theyre not, Sullivan said Monday.
Two games ago, it was Tampa Bay that looked down and out. In the first three games of the series, the Penguins outshot the Lightning, 124-69. Over time, it seemed, Pittsburgh would wear them down with their speed and depth, especially since the Lightning were without their star goalie, Ben Bishop, who left Game 1 with an injury to his left leg, and one of the leagues top goal scorers, Steven Stamkos, who may miss the entire playoffs after having surgery to remove a blood clot.
The Lightning bounced back with a 4-3 victory in Game 4 to even the series, but Pittsburgh nearly came back from a four-goal deficit in the game, outshooting the Lightning, 16-7, in the third period on the way to three goals.
The Penguins seemed poised to take control of Game 5 back in Pittsburgh. At first, they delivered, holding the Lightning to only four shots after one period. Midway through the game, Pittsburgh appeared to have the game in hand, holding a two-goal lead.
But then Alex Killorn scored what Fleury called a stupid goal to the top corner of the net. Two of the next three goals were scored by Tampa Bay, sending the game into overtime. It took 53 seconds and a deflection off the back of Tampa Bays Tyler Johnson to quiet the fans and put Tampa Bay one win away from its second straight trip to the Stanley Cup finals.
Pittsburgh had not lost two straight games since mid-January.
Were in a tough position, forward Patric Hornqvist said after the game.
While they have performed brilliantly at times, the Penguins have also suffered from momentary defensive lapses, ill-advised penalties and questionable passes.
If we play right for all 60 minutes, we win, forward Evgeni Malkin said Monday before the team flew to Florida.
But winning will be made tougher by the absence of Trevor Daley, who will miss the remainder of the playoffs after he broke his left ankle in Game 4. Except for Kris Letang, Daley had been on the ice more than any other Penguins defenseman this postseason. In Game 5, Daley was replaced by Olli Maatta, 21, who was a healthy scratch in the previous three games. Maatta responded with an assist and a superb individual play that set up a goal by Chris Kunitz.
Nevertheless, Maatta was barely audible when speaking to reporters after the crushing defeat.
I just wanted to go out there and help the team win, and obviously that didnt happen, he said.
Nobody seemed more disappointed than Fleury, who performed well but not spectacularly after weeks on the bench. He saved 21 of the 25 shots he faced.
I should have been better, Fleury, who led the Penguins to a Stanley Cup in 2009, said Sunday. Its tough to lose.
At the start of the season, Fleury was having a banner year. He kept Pittsburgh afloat during early-season struggles that led the Penguins to hire Sullivan and forced General Manager Jim Rutherford to remake the roster.
Fleury, 31, finished with the lowest goals against average of his N.H.L. career (2.29) and his best save percentage (.921). But he sustained a concussion on March 31, putting an end to his regular season.
Fleurys injury led to a marvelous postseason run by Murray, who turns 22 on Wednesday. Starting 13 straight games, Murray managed a 9-4 record with a 2.33 goals against average and a .923 save percentage after having played only 13 N.H.L. games entering the playoffs. Fleury, meanwhile, sat on the bench after he was cleared to play on May 2.
Against Tampa Bay, though, Murray posted a pedestrian 2-2 record with a 2.75 goals against average and a .896 save percentage. After allowing four goals over the first two periods of Game 4, Murray was replaced by Fleury.
Whoever is in net Tuesday, he may be called upon to steal a game to keep Pittsburghs season alive.
These guys have shown their resilience time and time again, and now it will be tested more than ever, Sullivan said.
Beauty and the Beast Teaser TRAILER 1 (2017) - Emma Watson, Luke Evans Movie HD
Tale as old as time! Belle heads into unknown territory in the first trailer for Disney"s upcoming live-action retelling of Beauty and the Beast, which debuted on Monday, May 23.
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Emma Watson, who portrays the book-loving character, appears just briefly in the sneak peek, but it"s enough to pique our interest. In the clip, she arrives at the Beast"s decaying mansion before marveling over the enchanted rose.
"Look, a girl," Lumiere (Ewan McGregor), the candelabra, says.
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Cogsworth (Ian McKellen), the clock, replies: "Yes, I can see it"s a girl, you fool."
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Ignoring the attitude, Lumiere adds: "What if she is the one?"
The trailer ends with the caption "Be our guest," a reference to the famous song from Disney"s 1991 animated version of Beauty and the Beast.
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The live-action version is set to hit theaters in March 2017. The movie also features Luke Evans (Gaston), Emma Thompson (Mrs. Potts), Josh Gad (Le Fou) and Stanley Tucci (Cadenza).
Watch the trailer in the video above!
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This recap contains spoilers for the Preacher series premiere, Season 1, Episode 1.
Something is coming war, shouts an African preacher as an unidentified force from Outer Space, as the initial title card suggests, hurtles towards Earth. Midway through his sermon his triumphant speech gets interrupted as hes shell-shocked by that unidentified force, which knockshim to the ground.
While his flock deems this a miracle, its quite the opposite as he stands up and starts claiming hes the chosen one, he explodes. Just. Like. That. That gut-filled, gory explosion, the frightened, blood-soaked flock and a creaky upside down cross outside the church pretty much set the tone for the first season of Preacher.
Meet Preacher, or Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper). The small town of Annville, Texas generally chooses the former. Hes a drinker, a smoker and his past haunts him just a bit. He skipped town for several years but is back in Annville and has taken up his late fathers congregation. But dont let his western boots and silver tipped wing collar fool you hes still a man of G*d. Kind of. When young Chris Schenck (who you may recognize from the annoying Peter Pan Geico commercials) approachesCuster after a sermon and enlists him to hurt his dad because hes been abusing his mother, this preacher entertains the idea but ultimately takes the lawful option, calling on thetowns Sheriff to take care of the domestic situation at the Schenck home to no avail, of course. Pray for me, Preacher, says littleSchenck. If anyone were listening, I would, mutters Custer as the kid walks away.
Meanwhile on aprivate flight, an Irish barman entertains a boozing group of yuppies. But on a quick trip to the bathroom, this Irishman sees a bible and realizes hes been ambushed by these same yuppies. Why? Because hes not exactly like them.
Meet Cassidy (Joe Gilgun), a sadistically cheerful Irish vampire who lives on the run. He singlehandedly kills everyone aboard the private flight in spectacularly unhinged fashion. They try to eliminate Cassidy by pouring Holy Water on him but, clearly, that would have been too easy. Thekiller moment (pun intended), however, is Cassidy annihilatingthe pilot with a broken champagne bottle and then using said bottle to siphon out a few pints of blood so that, hopefully, after the inevitable crashof the now unmanned plane and Cassidys subsequent skydiving escape, he can regenerate himself. Unfortunately, hes completely disfigured upon landing and his elixir is bust, but a passing cow provides enough nourishment to get Cassidy back on his feet. Arent you a sight for sore eyes, why dont you come down here and given good ol Cassidy a kiss? he says before he devours her. So far, so gory.
Back in Texas, Custer goes to visit Walter, an older member of his congregation who apparently isntdoing so well. But when he arrives at Walters home, Custer runs into his past one he clearly isntready to handle, so he ducks out.
Meet Tulip, or should we say Priscilla Jean Henrietta OHare (Ruth Negga), who is, quite simply, a badass and also Custers ex-girlfriend. We get the first glimpses of saidbadassery in Kansas, as she tries to eliminate two thugs in a moving car. She pulls a Mike Tyson and bitesone of their ears off (later telling Custer its simply a leftover piece of shwarma). Awesome! So awesome! yells a little kid who, with his sister, sees Tulips murderous rampage. He was a really bad man, clarifies Tulip. In addition to kicking a*s and shaping the minds of young children, Tulip is a mastermind; she builds a bazooka out of alcohol, used cans, duct tape and tin toy soldiers. But no matter how tough she is, Custer clearly lefta dent in her heart the day he left Annville. But back to the bazooka with it, she takes out a helicopter, more thugs and finishes what we later learn was a job.
Tulip tries to convince Custer to take on one of those jobs. But it looks like hes sticking to being a preacher, although shes heard that he pretty much sucks at it. We get little tidbits of their previous relationship,but were barely scratching the surface.
Meanwhile, in Russia, theres been an incident similar to the one in Africa. Enter DeBlanc and Fiore more on them later we saw them briefly in Africa after the incident with that exploding preacher, so its safe to say well be seeing them again.
Back in Texas, Preacher goes to visit the Sheriffs son,Eugene, who is also known as Arseface. His face is permanently disfigured into, wellyou know, because he tried to kill himself. Hes pretty chipper considering the fact he attempted suicide. His castrating Sheriff of a father doesnt think Eugene should be going to church because he might be distracting to other churchgoers. Wow, way to be harsh, pop. But whats even harsher is that Eugenes prayers and conversations with G*d have all of a sudden becomevery quiet.
Do you think that there are some things so bad that even G*d wont forgive? Eugeneasks Custer. Custer reassures him that G*d doesnt hold grudges. His suggestions to Eugene, to really listen to G*d and get down on his knees, are almost self-reflective. But Custer cant even look at Eugene as he talks about G*d a clear sign that Custer is having his own doubts about what he preaches.Eugenes overwhelming happiness at the fact that G*d is willing to forgivefurther oust Custer as a particularly troubled man of the cloth. Custer doesnt feel that same happiness. Eugene thanks Custer with a hug and afinal slurp because, you know, his mouth doesnt close all that well and Custer heads out.
Word has gotten out to Betsy Schencks husband, Donnie, that Custer tried to check up on her about what appeared to be domestic violence turns out Betsy likes it. Either way, Donnie isnttoo happy about the preachers meddlingand meets up with Custer at a bar to lay hands on him in a not particularly healing way.But Custer has the final laugh when Donnie gets too cocky. Custer piquesDonnies interest promisingthat Donniesgoing to be hearing a bunny in a beartrap noise coming from his own mouth. Custer proceeds to beat him and his cronies up, locking Donnies arm into an unholy position that, in fact, ends up eliciting that high-pitched bunny squeal from Donnie.
Custer so far has had a jam-packed schedule. After quite an eventful few days back in Annville, he is thinking of quitting the church. But in one last attempt to regain his faith, Custer heads over to his church and, just like he had told Eugene to do, gets on his knees and prays but instead demands an answer from G*d.
G*d, please forgive me, he says. Yet, still no answer. But when the doors to the church open Custer feels a sliver of hope. But his hope may be misplaced asan invisible force enters, just like with the preachers in Russia and Africa, knocking pews aside as it approaches Custer until it finally enters him and knocks him out. To be fair, he fared better than the other two holy men.
Custer wakes up after three days to find Emily, his church assistant who has major hots for him, and Cassidy, his new vampire friend, at home with him. Preacher isup just in time for the Sunday sermon where hes planning to tell his flock hes peacing out.
On his way to church, however, hes intercepted by oneof his pesky congregants, who has been whiningabout his mother to Custer since he arrived back in Annville. When Custer tells him for the umpteenth timeto be honest and open his heart to her he takes it all too literally and flies to Florida to see his aging mother and tell her the truth. But, to match the gory precedent, he also cuts out his heart with a butcher knife and hands it to his mother.
Back in Texas, Custerlooks upon his congregation and Eugene and realizes he cant leave them. Hes going to avenge the innocent and cool the wrathful and welcome those who are lost and speak the word of G*d This is why Ive come home, to save you.
Just then, it looks like the mysterious DeBlanc and Fiore, who may or may not have a penchant for eating teabags, have arrived in Texas on the trail of the mystery force, ominously stating, Its here. Dun-dun-dun.
It looks like our Preacher has a newfound power, although hes at the moment unaware of it. People do what he tells them to do, so what is the extent of his power? When will he find out he has it? And perhaps most importantly, why Jesse Custer? The show is taking a break and repeating its first episode next Sunday for Memorial Day, so well have to wait until June 5 to find out.
What did you think of the Preacher premiere? Weigh in below.
Joe Jonas & DNCE Talk Performing With Nick Jonas Billboard Music Awards 2016
Joe Jonas leans back against Cole Whittle while performing at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards held at the T-Mobile Arena on Sunday (May 22) in Las Vegas.
The two DNCE band mates along with JinJoo Lee and Jack Lawless, who all wore Moschino hit the stage after walking the red carpet together.
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She was cracking jokes right away and kind of broke the ice, Joe dished on the red carpet about the groups new video with Ashley Graham.
He added, Those things are always kind of uncomfortable. Youve got a full camera crew with you as youre lying in bed and trying to be intimate with someone so its obviously awkward right away. But she was really fun with it and we kept each other laughing.
20+ pics inside of DNCE at the Billboard Music Awards 2016
Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani: "Go Ahead and Break My Heart" - The Voice 2016
The new trend for celebrity parents-to-be has become sporting matching baby bumps. Credit for kick-starting the trend goes to eagerly expecting parents Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo, who posed for popping pictures, pointed out In Style.
Week 20 and Im finally popping! #impregnanttoo, joked Adam in his caption.
Adam wasnt content to sport his own pretend baby bump. After sharing the photo showing The Voice coach and singer posing with his pregnant wife Behati and his own matching protruding tummy, Levine persuaded his buddy and fellow coach on The Voice Blake Shelton to flaunt his own big belly pose.
His pal even matched Adam by sporting the same bump pose with Levines wife.
Met these two sweet pregnant ladies today, wrote Adam for the caption. Good luck @blakeshelton and @behatiprinsloo!
Its all part of the increasingly close friendship formed among Prinsloo, Levine, Shelton and his own gal pal Gwen Stefani. The quartet shared a backstage selfie sharing their #couplegoals recently. But does the new photo of Blake with Adams wife hint that Levine is encouraging his buddy to become a dad himself?
At 46, Stefani is on board with the plan and allegedly has been undergoing IVF, according to Hollywood Life.
Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are closer than ever. [Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARAS]Rumors have swirled that she is already expecting twins because of IVF, which boosts the odds of having more than one baby. But a source quoted by Hollywood Life stated that she is not yet pregnant, but has made changes in her life in order to have a baby with her country music superstar boyfriend.
Gwens been told by fertility doctors that she needs to relax her strict diet and workout regimen as she hopes to become pregnant with Blakes child. Shes gained seven pounds in the past month and has already begun IVF treatments, which also cause weight gain because of the hormones.
Will Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani add a baby to their family? [Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARAS]In addition, the insider revealed that Stefani will do anything to have another baby. She has been advised that by choosing IVF, the chances of having twins are greater, and thats not an issue.
The odds of having twins increase with IVF, and she would be thrilled if that happens, added the source. This is a big adventuretheyre ready for whatever the future holds.
While Stefani already has three sons, Shelton will be new to the parenting game. But his buddy Levine just might help him get some experience, because the friendship that Adam and his wife have developed with the country music superstar makes him a great choice for godparent, points out E! News.
In addition, Shelton has been practicing to become a father, hanging out with Gwens sons. He also has shown he has a kid-friendly sense of humor, as shown when he hosted the Kids Choice Awards. A godparent who dresses up in onesies and is happy to get slimed? Put him on the babysitter list.
Blake apparently has influenced one of Stefanis sons, little Apollo, according to ET.
Although he is only 2-years-old, Apollo teamed up with his mommy to rehearse on Snapchat for her tour. And although he isnt the featured singer yet, Apollo showed hes got the courage and confidence it takes to become a future star.
Apollo did an adorable version of Old MacDonald Had a Farm, sporting a nautical-themed scarf to show hes got style. But does the little boy also have potential as a drummer? Apollo added instrumentals to the show by banging two drum sticks together, giving his rendition some extra charm by chewing occasionally on a purple pacifier that was the perfect complement to his tiny blue jumper.
Apollos father is Stefanis ex-husband and Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, so the little boy appears to have inherited some impressive musical genes. His brothers are 9-year-old Kingston and 7-year-old Zuma.
[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia]
Justin Bieber Lip Syncing At Billboard Music Awards 2016 - VIDEO
Sunday"sBillboard Music Awards broadcast often seemed like a battle for pop music"s very soul, as fake smiles and cheesy promo tie-ins vied with serious vocal prowess and displays of genuine emotion for three long, eventful hours. Rising stars like Shawn Mendes and Troye Sivan earned their places on the big stage, but it was the bona fide divas (Rihanna, Celine Dion and Adele, who didn"t even sing live) and always-welcome veteran Stevie Wonder who ultimately owned the night. Here"s who triumphed and tanked at Las Vegas" T-Mobile Arena.
Sidebar Billboard Music Awards 2016: Complete Winners List
BEST OF THE NIGHT: Rihanna Belts a Monster Torch SongBefore Rihanna picked up the fan-voted Chart Achievement Award, she issued a timely reminder that Beyonc isn"t the only superstar singer to release a major LP in 2016. The decidedly old-school "Love on the Brain" one of Anti"s surprisingly potent deep cuts is a passion-fueled torch song given a Rihanna spin ("I"m tired of being played like a violin/What do I gotta do to get in your m**********n" heart?" she sings on record). On Sunday night she fully leaned into the track, showcasing the raspy, gritty side of her voice. Her fiery performance showed not just how far she"s come since the "Pon De Replay" days but where she could potentially take her overflowing charisma and newly unearthed vocal nuance.
BEST: Kesha Covers Dylan, Takes High RoadAfter all of the past week"s backstage drama, Kesha quietly prevailed on Sunday. To recap: Dr. Luke"s label Kemosabe initially granted Kesha permission to perform at the BBMAs, then changed its mind, then finally relented when the singer denied the rumor that her performance would address her legal battles with Luke and his imprint. Striking in black bolo tie and white suit, Kesha delivered the tribute to Bob Dylan she"s said she always intended, backed by Ben Folds" piano and a stark violin accompaniment. Kesha"s version of "It Ain"t Me Babe" was understated and heartfelt; the singer turned Dylan"s steely ballad into a statement of quiet strength, suggesting her refusal to be defined by others. The standing ovation she received a long overdue moment of dignity for an artist whose musical dreams became real-world nightmares was anything but obligatory.
Kesha slowed down Bob Dylan"s "It Ain"t Me Babe" with Ben Folds at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards. Watch here.
WORST: Ludacris Goes Full LechNo awards-show utterance is quite as seat-shiftingly uncomfortable as an attempted dirty joke that falls flat. To open the show, Ludacris announced that Sunday"s ceremony marked his third time hosting the BBMAs, calling that feat "My favorite threesome." His co-host, Ciara, doomed all night to play glamorously bland straight woman to Luda"s icky quipster, corrected him: He must have meant "threepeat." In response, Luda dropped the weak punchline, "You like threepeat; I like threesome." The host not only went on to introduce Heidi Klum as a woman who "likes being n***d on the beach," but brought back his initial failed gag to say of the three female stars of the upcoming movie Bad Moms, "Here"s another threesome I"m all about." Worse still, Luda"s creepily PG-13 attempts at humor overshadowed the one righteous dig he got in last night: "Unlike the Oscars, we actually have black nominees this evening."
BEST: Madonna and Stevie Wonder Lead a "Purple Rain" Sing-AlongSome viewers were unimpressed or even outraged at the modest scale of this performance BETtweeted shade afterward. But no star probably no stageful of stars could hope to embody Prince"s genius in a single performance, and maybe it was wise not to try to imitate him. After a moving Questlove speech Prince"s "departure," the lifelong Purple One fanatic said, "was an earthquake" Madonna was revealed, seated in an enormous purple throne that rotated to reveal her spectacular outfit: a silver suit with a Prince-like ruffled shirt. She set aside her trademark fierceness to sing an unshowy "Nothing Compares 2 U," as photos of the late superstar flashed behind her. Then, unannounced, Stevie Wonder stepped from the wings singing "Purple Rain." A duet soon became arena-wide sing-along just as it has in homes and bars and clubs and arenas around the world for the past month.
Madonna and Stevie Wonder paid tribute to Prince at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards. Watch here.
BEST: Celine"s Heart Will Go OnCeline Dion"s 2016 has been full of tragedy and triumph in January, her husband, Ren Anglil, and her brother Daniel died within days of each other, and on Sunday night the Billboard Music Awards honored her with their Icon Award. After an emotional performance of Queen"s crashing ode to perseverance "The Show Must Go On," Dion received a surprise: Her oldest son, Ren-Charles, would be presenting her with her trophy. Dion dissolved into weeping and almost immediately apologized for crying, saying she wanted to be "strong for [her] family" and telling her son how happy he made her. "Music has been my passion since before I can almost remember," she continued. After tearfully thanking her mother (who penned her first song) and her fans, she paid tribute to Anglil, "who I know will continue to watch over me from up above." Dion"s ability to harness her feelings into moments that resonate widely was on full display here, and she likely inspired more than a few Sunday-night communiqus between loved ones.
Celine Dion paid tribute to her late husband with a cover of Queen"s "The Show Must Go On" at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards. Watch here.
WORST: Meghan Trainor Displays Nah to the Ah to the N0, No, No CharismaTrue superstars have stage presence. Last night, Meghan Trainor had stage absence. Whatever you think of "No" let"s say, just for the sake of argument, that it"s the bona fide pop anthem of female empowerment it"s intended to be Trainor just couldn"t sell her hit onstage. First she was upstaged by the sea of glowing wristbands the audience brandished behind her. Then she was upstaged by her own multihued, spangly dress. Finally, when she strolled through the crowd, she was upstaged by the more charismatic celebrities she enlisted to sing along. The lyrics of Trainor"s anthem connote Janet Jackson-level badassery, but canned-seeming blandness was the best she could muster here. Just no.
BEST: Britney Spears" Big Top RoutineAs soon as Sunday"s show began, Britney Spears set the bar high and then literally back-flipped over it with an eight-minute medley of hits that included "Work b***h," "Womanizer," "I"m a Slave 4 U" and "Toxic," among others. With a little help from dancers dressed variously like Star Wars alien extras and S&M gimps, she performed an eye-popping choreography routine in which she swiveled, twirled, congaed, pole-danced and, perhaps most memorably of all, rode a giant guitar like a mechanical bull. It was a spectacle that got even Wiz Khalifa out of his seat for a better look. Spears ended it perfectly, standing in front of a wall of flame with a justifiably satisfied smile on her face.
BEST: Adele Says Hello From the Other Side (of the World)Adele couldn"t make it to the T-Mobile Arena on Sunday because of tour obligations (her Adele Live 2016 tour was finishing up a two-night stand in Lisbon), but given the blockbuster sales of her 2015 album, 25, she had to have a presence. Appearing via satellite to accept two of her five awards, she gave American viewers a crash course in British slang, saying she was "super chuffed" to be honored as Top Artist during a charming acceptance speech. While time differences erased the possibility of a trans-Atlantic performance, the video for Adele"s new single, the winking kiss-off "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)," did premiere during Sunday"s show; the clip, directed by Grammy nominee Patrick Daughters, is a kaleidoscope dream where Adele, clad in a floor-length floral dress, shows off the spectrum of her post-breakup emotions. (Stankface is heavily involved.)
WORST: Wiz Khalifa"s Puth-less Acceptance SpeechKhalifa returned to Number One on the pop charts last year the first time he"s reached those lofty heights since 2011, the year of his breakout hit, "Black and Yellow." When the MC accepted an award last night, he proceeded to acknowledge the greatness of the other tracks in his category, and then he thanked everyone in the audience, the fans, labels, his management, G*d and more. But he neglected to mention one crucial figure: Charlie Puth, the crooner whose saccharine hook helped make "See You Again" such a success. The omission was heightened by the soundtrack as Khalifa strutted towards the stage to accept his trophy, it was Puth"s chorus that blared over the soundsystem.
Kevin Winter/Getty
BEST: Justin Bieber Keeps "Company" Low-KeyBieber"s live performances have earned notice lately for their world-weary quality, and in Las Vegas, he demonstrated why that might be a good look for him. "Company" featured some of the night"s most impressive visuals: initially an airstream motif, and later, bursting red comets that made the singer seem almost like an afterthought at his own show. Bieber"s backup dancers appeared to emerge from the floor; all wore white, as if they were on their way to a baptism, sticking with the redemption narrative that has characterized this singer"s most recent chapter. Bieber moved as much as he needed to and no more, acknowledging the activity around him with the studied disregard of a star who"s seen it all. Against all odds, he"s become the kind of performer who doesn"t need to resort to histrionics to command attention onstage. Only DJ Khaled broke through Bieber"s icy composure: The singer showed the most emotion when interrupting Khaled"s screen time backstage.
WORST: Ciara Curbs Her EnthusiasmCiara is no stranger to award-show purgatory, having spent the entirety of last year"s American Music Awards in the Music Freedom Lounge, essentially a T-Mobile-branded cell. On Sunday, she took on what seemed like a more liberating role, making her debut as BBMA co-host, but right from the start, her demeanor seemed strained. Even with her fianc Russell Wilson present to give moral support, the R&B princess muddled through an awkward evening, feigning enthusiasm during each painful appearance as she set about sapping once-meaningful adjectives like "amazing" and "incredible" of any kind of meaning.( The subversive quality that she demonstrated a month before the awards show, when she refused to say the name of a nominee for Top Rap Artist, her ex Future, whom she"s suing for $15 million for slander and libel, was nowhere to be found.) Ciara may have been outfitted in a slew of glittery, cleavage-baring gowns, including one metallic "n***d" ensemble, but nothing could distract from the fact that she continually repeated names and words a beat behind Ludacris, as if she was forever playing catch-up. It turned out to be Rihanna"s night to shine bright like a diamond, so Ciara just seemed like a disappointing glass bauble.
BEST: Demi Lovato Steamrolls Summer Tourmate Nick JonasIt"s been a rough year for Nick Jonas at awards shows: He flubbed a guitar solo when performing with Kelsea Ballerini at this year"s ACMs, and his duet with Tove Lo at the BBMAs last night was swathed in darkness and failed to generate the requisite heat. In contrast, Demi Lovato came out after Jonas with the force of a Mack truck. Her shirt depicted the gender neutral bathroom sign the singer recently opted not to play in North Carolina as a protest against the state"s discriminatory "bathroom bill" and she sang into a gleaming golden microphone as fireworks erupted behind her; everything was combustible and direct. She played a single from summer 2015, but fans were forgiving, and on a night dominated by lip-syncing, she finished with a lengthy bout of impressive melisma.
Kevin Winter/Getty
BEST: Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani Bat EyelashesCountry"s first couple, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, split last year, but any tabloid will tell you that Shelton already has a new beau: Gwen Stefani, who served as a fellow coach on The Voice. Thomas Rhett gave the two his stamp of approval on Sunday when he introduced them as "a perfect match in real life and onstage," and the pair performed "Go Ahead and Break My Heart," which appeared Friday on Shelton"s If I"m Honest album. A jewel-encrusted Stefani joined Shelton onstage after the first verse and handled the low end of the harmonies. "How did you get me so into you?" she sang, throwing a big smile his way. The two singers they made up for their lack of movement by maintaining relentless eye contact throughout the whole performance, as if no one else mattered.
BEST: Ariana Grande Enters the Danger ZoneAriana Grande"s new Dangerous Woman is a leap into mature territory for the onetime Nickelodeon star, and her performance Sunday reflected that ambition. She started off with a bracingly odd solo take on the title track that felt inspired by an edgy after-hours club (she plunked out accompaniment on a synth and altered her voice with a vocoder while hot-pink smoke swirled around her) then jumped into her slinky new single, "Into You," as a phalanx of black-clad dancers and well-timed pyro underscored the song"s themes of dance-floor desire. As always, Grande"s formidable voice was the star of the show, handling complicated runs with an effortlessness that made her performance feel electric.
WORST: Zendaya"s History LessonBest R&B Song presenter Zendaya was given a tough assignment by the showrunners: explaining what R&B is. Her introduction to the category was pedantic "in the late 1940s, the term "rhythm & blues" was actually created by Billboard magazine to market the genre"s emerging artists" yet vague: "with a seamless blend of soul, funk, pop, hip-hop and even gospel, rhythm & blues is a category all on its own." Wiz Khalifa, her co-presenter, gave her little help, chiming in only to announce that singers like Stevie Wonder and Prince both counted as R&B. On top of that, three of the five entries in the category were songs by the Weeknd, so suspense about the potential winner was minimal.
BEST: Pink Takes FlightThese days, Pink can seem less like a pop star these days than an acrobat who sings at awards shows death-defying feats have become as much a part of her core act as impassioned vocals. While she performed her new single, "Just Like Fire," a rope apparatus yanked her above the stage and flung her out over the audience. Clad in a complicated outfit of black leather and tulle, and wearing her hair in a severe pink top-knot, Pink looked like a particularly fearsome Power Rangers villain especially during her finale, when she was lifted skyward again, this time by a pair of clock hands, and the gigantic timepiece behind her burst into flames.
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BEST: Nick Jonas, Sibling SuperfanNick Jonas has no chill and it"s incredible to watch. When his big brother Joe"s band, DNCE, performed their hit "Cake by the Ocean," some audience members danced a little, some mouthed along, but Nick put his phone out at arm"s length, taking long, sweeping shots of his sibling as he swiveled and mouthed along with the song"s words. Demi Lovato, sitting next to him, simply smiled as he fanboyed out. Even when Joe traipsed through the crowd toward the end of the tune, most fans awkwardly smiled, but when the camera cut back to Nick, he was happily fist-bumping everyone in sight.
WORST: Lukas Graham"s Ballad Lasts 7 Years Something must be rotten in the state of Denmark, where pop group Lukas Graham call home. The band came out set up for an emotional performance of their schmaltzy hit "7 Years" with a stage in the round, a stripped-down, street-clothes look, and a singer Lukas Forchhammer willing to blink uncontrollably and emote so hard that his face turned tomato red. They even built the song up instrument by instrument, from its piano intro to a rocking outro. But they failed to hit it over the net, as the audience barely moved and cheered obligatorily at the end.
BEST: Shawn Mendes Stitches Together a HitHaving come up through Vine, a video-sharing service built on six-second clips, Canadian teen dream Shawn Mendes knows how to make pieces of songs work to his advantage. On Sunday night he showed off his ability to make parts of a track into something greater than its whole; he started his stripped-down performance of his Top 10 hit "Stitches" on acoustic guitar before heading into an adjacent room where a piano was set up. He finished off the song there, tickling the ivories while a guitarist added Edge-like riffing in the background. The performance, pause and all, allowed the song to breathe in a way that its peppy recorded version doesn"t.
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BEST: Go-Go"s Rock Like Bad Moms Made GoodThe Go-Go"s reuniting to perform their sunny signature hit, "We Got the Beat," felt like a truly poptastic event, with lead vocalist Belinda Carlisle swaying while Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock and Abby Travis (the bassist after Kathy Valentine left the band) provided effervescent support. Taking the stage after a plug for the movie Bad Moms, this classic lineup of the all-female group known for epic in-fighting but looking legitimately bubbly on Sunday came off like actual brassy broads who haven"t lost their edge, especially when the camera cut away to Wiedlin, rocking out on guitar with a bright-blue bob, seeming as punk as ever.
