Kelly Clarkson 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.
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 and to call for a “moment of action” when it comes to gun violence.
See Clarkson’s full performance below.
- Essay: The Tyre Nichols Videos Demand Solemnity, Not Sensationalism
- For People With Disabilities, Losing Abortion Access Can Be a Matter of Life or Death
- Inside the Stealth Efforts to Smuggle Starlink Internet Into Iran
- Natasha Lyonne on Poker Face and Creating Characters Who Subvert Leading-Lady Tropes
- How to Help the Victims and Community After the Monterey Park Shooting
- Why Grocery Staples Are So Expensive Right Now
- Quantum Computers Could Solve Countless Problems—and Create a Lot of New Ones
- Where to Watch All of the 2023 Oscar Nominees
- How to Be Mindful if You Hate Meditating