--- title: Kelly Clarkson Sings Medley in Billboard Opening Performance description: Kelly Clarkson covered everyone from Taylor Swift to Kendrick Lamar in an opening performance medley for the Billboard Music Awards. canonical: https://time.com/5285403/kelly-clarkson-billboard-music-awards-2018/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-05-21T15:28:14.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-06-24T06:56:38.219Z og:title: Kelly Clarkson Brings the House Down at the Billboard Music Awards og:description: A medley to remember og:url: https://time.com/5285403/kelly-clarkson-billboard-music-awards-2018/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1299db549b191d37/698930f98fd2ee6fd335bac2/kelly-clarkson-billboard-music-awards-2018-medley.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: 2018 Billboard Music Awards - Show og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Kelly Clarkson Brings the House Down at the Billboard Music Awards twitter:description: A medley to remember twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1299db549b191d37/698930f98fd2ee6fd335bac2/kelly-clarkson-billboard-music-awards-2018-medley.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Kelly Clarkson Brought the House Down With This Billboard Music Awards Medley ## Video: This Video Is No Longer Available [Watch (HLS stream): This Video Is No Longer Available](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fKodeUO6.m3u8) (0:10)  _Published 2026-06-23. A medley to remember_  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang May 21, 2018 3:28 PM UTC  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang May 21, 2018 3:28 PM UTC [Kelly Clarkson](http://time.com/5285405/taylor-swifts-reaction-to-kelly-clarkson-billboard/) covered everyone from Kendrick Lamar to Taylor Swift in a show-stopping medley of hits for her opening performance as the host of the [2018 Billboard Music Awards.](http://time.com/5285049/billboard-music-awards-2018-best-worst-moments/) The singer flexed her powerhouse vocals in a versatile performance that spanned genres and styles while paying tribute to the night’s honored artists and their work: Maren Morris’ “My Church,” Sam Smith’s “Too Good at Goodbyes,” Kendrick Lamar’s “HUMBLE.”, Imagine Dragon’s “Thunder,” Khalid’s “Young, Dumb and Broke,” Bruno Mars and Cardi B’s “Finesse (Remix),” Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” Shawn Mendes’ “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back,” and Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do.” Clarkson, who expressed that she was a “big fan” of all the artists before launching into her medley, also used her platform as the event’s host to [honor the victims of the tragic Santa Fe school shooting](http://time.com/5285059/kelly-clarkson-santa-fe-shooting-billboard-music-awards/) and to call for a “moment of action” when it comes to gun violence. 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