AMAs 2019, or how the face of America has changed
Singer Taylor Swift has broken Michael Jackson's record, becoming the most award-winning artist in the American Music Awards.
Since the American Music Awards were born in the mid-1970s to compete with the Grammys, the profile of the award-winning artists has changed as a result of their progress and crossbreeding in music, making room for foreign performers. And this edition, which marks the end of a cycle, is proof of that.
While singer Taylor Swift has set a milestone in this ceremony beating the record of Michael Jackson – with five awards that elevate her as the new queen of Pop and artist of the decade - the reappearance of the Canadian singer Shania Twain on the AMAs stage after 16 years and the applauded performance of Selena Gomez shows us to an audience with increasingly diverse musical tastes.
Selena's return to the stage to preview her new album and Camila Cabello's performance with Shawn Mendes to present the song "Señorita" and receive the award for "best collaboration" were two of the most emotional moments of the gala especially because both Latino artists showed from the beginning their support for Swift, whose performance was dubious from the beginning due to the controversy with her previous producer for the rights of her most mythical songs.
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However, some criticize the fact that there is a place for foreign artists in awards aimed at anglophone musicians, even though we still have the memory of the Latin American Music Awards that consecrated Rosalía, whose supposed "Latinity" has also been the subject of speculation and complaints.
Do these purist claims make sense at a time when the roots are as curly as the pea plant? What makes someone "pure Latino" or "purely American" in the 21st century? Above all, should music be a battleground for such questions?
One only needs to take a look at the faces and voices that triumphed in the AMA in these ten years to realize how plurality has been making its way into the world of music, at least considering that this award is given by the listener and not the industry.
If 2010 was the year of Rihanna, who won for the fourth consecutive year the award for "best female soul artist R & B and then continued to treasure triumphs in the following years for his album "Loud", "Unapologetic" or "Anti" in 2011 were the British Adele and Jennifer Lopez in the category of "best Latin artist" the main protagonists. Justin Bieber won "Best Artist of the Year" in 2012 and "Best Male Pop/Rock Artist."
The 2017 edition was more Latin than ever when Luis Fonsi's "Despacito" created a great hit at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
In 2013, a young Taylor Swift took the AMA stage to collect no less than four awards, followed by Justin Timberlake, while Jennifer Lopez paid tribute to Celia Cruz and a year later became the star of the ceremony and continued to do so in 2015. And in 2016, Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez would make history after receiving awards for "artist of the year" and "best female pop/rock artist," respectively. Until the next edition, more Latin than ever, Luis Fonsi's "Despacito" caused a shock at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. And who doesn't remember Camila Cabello singing "Consequences" at the 2018 American Music Awards?
During this past decade of AMAs, Latino artists have not only been present but have also made history.
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