The American Music Awards have been around for 52 years. They currently have a slot on network television to broadcast some of the 50 prizes they now hand out, and that show on Monday night did attract several big-name stars. Now, those are actual achievements. Consequently, I don’t want to badmouth them the way some people I know – well, actually, everybody I know – are apt to do.
But I have to say, I found it very hard to watch their most recent orgy of self-congratulation. In case you don’t know, it takes the form of humble acknowledgement of various fandoms … but come on. There’s always a touch of “I must be really special to have such special fans” in those acceptances.
Besides, any award that purports to be chosen by fan voting ought to raise some serious eyebrows. Ballot box stuffing has always been a problem, but in the era of bots, that problem has hit the stratosphere.
New Song of the Summer award raises a major question about the American Music Awards
After the first hour of the their latest extravaganza, I figured if I was going to write about it at all, it would be about how two of the first three live performances were by Hootie and the Blowfish and the Pussycat Dolls.
I wasn’t planning on commenting very much on the actual performances (though I personally didn’t find either especially inspiring). Instead, I was just going to note that for an award show that wants to identify as young and hip, they had …
Hootie and the Blowfish and the Pussycat Dolls kicking off the first hour.
Seriously. When did either of these bands last release pertinent music? When was the last time you went to the club or flipped on your car radio and heard “Hold My Hand” or “Don’t Cha?” (I suppose that last one depends on exactly what kind of club you are going to.)
But don’t worry – they livened up the Pussycat Dolls with Busta Rhymes and Spliff Star. And later, they had Billy Idol, and Keith Urban singing a song originally released in 1972. And the New Kids on the Block. That’s right – tonight we’re gonna party like it’s 1989.
But I’m not going to talk about any of that. Because in hindsight, I should have been more focused on the group that opened the show. The triumphant return of BTS.
In my preview of this event, I questioned whether BTS was really as culturally relevant in May, 2026 as the AMAs would like us to believe. Well, they didn’t back down.
The K-pop supergroup has been out of action for the past four years while they fulfilled their military service obligations in South Korea. That deserves respect. And I’m fine with them getting a big push now that they have returned. They clearly have maintained a massive fan base eager to gobble up new product.
That history may make their new album Arirang a major event. But it doesn’t make it a great album.
The deck sure looked stacked in their favor on Monday night. Theirs was the most-hyped “special appearance” prior to the show. They were the first group we saw, getting an exuberant welcome from Queen Latifah before doing “Hooligan,” from the new album.
I’m not going to criticize the actual performance beyond saying it looked a little messy to me. Sometimes, at live shows, that is due to the disassociation that comes from watching a live act on a screen. In this case, that isn’t the issue. The performance was pre-recorded. (More on that in a moment.)
And, even though I think you could make a good case for virtually every other artist nominated in the gold-star Artist of the Year category, I won’t harp on BTS's win. Since the AMAs currently cover the 12 months preceding the award program (and not the previous calendar year), they deserve credit for a pretty spectacular series of concerts this spring.
I might point out that other artists – Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars – had more sustained success, and that Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter made more headlines over a longer period of time. The BTS Spring phenomenon might be a sign that they are indeed returning to a spot at the top of the international music scene. Or it might simply be a burst of nostalgia. Since it is so recent, we can’t really say.
I can argue that other artists had better “years” but it seems like the wrong hill to die on. The BTS Army has had their say and that’s OK by me.
But I have to draw the line at Song of the Summer.
That’s a new category this year. The VMAs have had it for more than a decade and apparently the AMAs decided it was time to copy the formula. The odd thing is that they present it on Memorial Day – the unofficial start of Summer here in the States. (The VMAs award show typically occurs in September – at the end of the Summer.)
So voters are not choosing the Song of the Summer based on how impactful a song was – you know – in the Summer. They are guessing. And let me just cite a couple of numbers to show how ludicrous this year’s selection is.
BTS’s ”Swim,” the winner, dropped in early April. It debuted at number 1, an impressive achievement. And one that showed just how eager the Army was for new music. Eight weeks into its run, it sits at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Meanwhile, another nominee – “Stateside,” by PinkPanthress and Zara Larsson – snuck onto the charts in the 100th spot back in January. It then began a steady climb, peaking at number six in March. Now, in its 19th week on the chart, it is at number 12.
I happen to think “Stateside” is a better song than “Swim,” but forget that for a moment. Which of the two has actually been building? Which song is ranked higher – despite being around longer – as, you know, we actually approach the actual Summer.
Am I saying “actual” too much? Maybe it’s because I think “Stateside” is an actual Summer hit while “Swim” is a perfectly OK song that rode a huge hype wave and is already receding.
Except maybe it won’t, now that the AMAs have declared it the Song of the Summer. Look for it to get a boost. Whether it will sustain a long run, who knows?
Consider these things...
The AMAs chose to make a huge deal of BTS’s appearance.
They began the show – on tape.
Then they arrived at the show in time to claim the Entertainer of the Year.
The reason they had to arrive late is that they just happen to be performing at Allegiant Stadium – right now. That’s in Las Vegas, where the AMAs were presented on Monday.
Does that strike anyone else as awfully coincidental? It looks weird right? Like some powerful forces are contriving to revive the global money-making machine that was BTS by feting them with nationally-televised awards.
Entertainer of the Year? Their album dropped two months ago. The tour began in April. Song of the Summer? The summer hasn’t even started yet and there are already other songs that are surpassing “Swim.”
I don’t know. If I were given to conspiracy theories, I might wonder. Fortunately, that’s not me. So I think I’ll just put “Stateside” on while I sip my coffee and wait for Summer to actually arrive.
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