Alicia Keys radiates showbiz glitz in sparkly jumpsuit as she leads Billboard Music Awards singers

Alicia Keys radiated showbiz glamour as she hit the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the Billboard Music Awards this Wednesday night.

Although the show was originally supposed to occur this April in Las Vegas the coronavirus lockdowns have led to a string of adjustments to the program.

Although some acts gave their performances virtually that evening Alicia, 39, lit up the stage at the venue to perform her single Love Looks Better which dropped this year.

She slid her knockout curves into a glittering silver jumpsuit that played up her figure as she strutted her stuff across the stage during her performance.

The performance started off with a slow ponderous air, allowing her to show off her vocal chops as she belted some of the earlier lyrics to her number.

However the song eventually took on a more percussive and propulsive tone, and Alicia was wearing just the right black leather boots to march across the stage as she sang.

She was joined not only by backup performers but by her musicians who could be glimpsed behind her in partial silhouette while she performed. 

Kelly Clarkson hostessed the event at the Dolby Theatre and opened the show with her own performance of the song Higher Love – with plenty of guests.

The American Idol winner herself was at that point decked out in a form-fitting glimmering gold gown redolent of 1980s Hollywood, though it was only the first of her many costumes that night.

Kelly sang up a storm as a solo act at the start of her performance but was eventually joined by Kristin Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, Kevin Olusola, Matt Sallee and Scott Hoying of Pentatonix.

Scott cut a particularly dandy-ish figure in a black suit with a multicolored floral shirt, adding an extra dapper touch with a glinting gold and scarlet pocket square.

However the show was rather stolen by their guest Sheila E., the virtuoso percussionist who positioned herself at a drum set and was given an electirfying solo.

Sheila wore a silver jumpsuit that featured flared robe-like sleeves that fluttered in a bit of a flourish as she played the drums, with Kelly encouraging her: ‘Whoo! Come on, girl!’ 

She is a multitalented musical sensation, as she also grabbed a mic and sang during the sensational group performance that kicked off the awards show.

Soon after Sia was pictured all by herself onstage in one of the typically extravagant onstage costumes that have become her signature since she has been in the business.

She performed her new song Courage To Change which she released earlier this year, but she changed the lyrics to include a line that went: ‘I have sons and I love them so dearly.’

Sia, whose original lyric was: ‘I am afraid to let you see the real me,’ recently adopted two teenage boys who were becoming to old to be administered by foster care.

However the song lyrics appear to have some broader significance as well as at one point she also sang that ‘I have daughters who I love so dearly.’ 

As usual her face was largely obscured, this time by a massively curly orange hairdo with fringe that covered her eyes, topped with a huge bow.

The Adelaide-born songstress was engulfed by a billowing candyfloss pink gown that was draped over with an immense matching cowl, all complemented by pink and orange lighting and a fog machine.

Singing star Kane Brown showed off his toned arms and tattoos in a colorful T-shirt while performing his number Be Like That, an upbeat breakup number.

‘I might be better on my own. I hate you blowing up my phone. I wish I never met your a**. Sometimes it be like that,’ he sings, though he later admits: ‘I’m not afraid to need you bad.’

He was joined onstage by Swae Lee and Khalid, who featured with him on the original track which was released this July and is included on Kane’s EP Mixtape, Vol. 1.

Swae Lee slipped into a skintight black and white top with intricate designs, accessorizing the look with a pair of spectacles while he sang. 

When Luke Combs was announced as the winner of the country artist award he hit the stage to deliver a soulful rendition of his number Better Together.

In sharp contrast to the extravagance of some other performances he wore a simple muted blazer and sang alone onstage whilst accompanied by a pianist. 

‘I just want to, I wanna thank Billboard for this. This is an incredible honor and something that I would’ve never dreamed of when I was growing up and when I started doing this,’ he told his public.

Post Malone appeared in a virtual performance of his number Circles, filmed at what Kelly repeatedly teased as an undisclosed location in Los Angeles.

The bearded hitmaker could be seen stalking through a dystopian industrial setting that was bathed in dark blue lighting.

As he emerged from the building into an outdoor portion of the setpiece he was joined by his fellow rapper Tyla Yaweh who strolled ahead of him toward the camera.

At one point the duo wound up in a huge space of dusty land and as they rapped, fireworks could be seen going off behind them in the distance. 

Brandy’s sensational performance carried no shortage of theatrics either as she arrived onstage to treat the viewers to her single Borderline.

She worked her way through a swirl of choreography that at one point required her to flop onto the floor on her side, staring out toward the cameras.

Her outfit was as eye-catching as her performance, from her multiple buns to the floral frills around her decolletage and cuffs, to the flowing white and tan coat topping the whole affair.

The sister of Ray J then shifted from a solo performance to a duet with none other than Ty Dolla $ign, with whom she gave a live premiere to their new single No Tomorrow Part 2.

John Legend sat at his piano and dedicated his emotional performance to his wife Chrissy Teigen after she heartbreakingly lost a baby about halfway through her pregnancy.

‘This is for Chrissy,’ he said softly before launching into his song Never Break, a tribute to a couple trying to get through times ‘whenever life is hard.’ 

Bad Bunny celebrated winning a Billboard Music Award by storming onto the stage to perform his own version of the song ‘Yo Perreo Sola,’ which means roughly ‘I dance alone.’

In the music video Bad Bunny performed in drag but for this live version he was in male clothes while turning the song into a duet with Ivy Queen.

Bad Bunny was accepting the award for best Latin artist and acknowledged the honor with aplomb by giving a smoldering and energetic rendition of the number.

‘Oh, wow, what a time to be Latino. We got the power, I’m so proud!’ he said at the beginning of his speech while holding up his trophy proudly.

Doja Cat delivered a medley of her songs Juicy, Say So and Like That – full of nods to the Broadway composing team Kander and Ebb.

Her outfit and setpiece were straight out of Renee Zellweger performing the song Roxie in the 2002 movie version of Chicago which won best picture at the Oscars.

Meanwhile she also sat in a chair for a dance reminiscent of Liza Minnelli performing Mein Herr in the film of Cabaret – even the chair was similar.

Cher presented Garth Brooks with the prestigious Billboard Icon Award and when he arrived onto the stage to accept it he delighted his fans by singing as well.

With his acoustic guitar hanging down his front he took the stage with thunder sound effects behind him and footage of his packed stadium gigs playing on the backdrop.

He began his medley with his 1990 song The Thunder Rolls and included Callin’ Baton Rouge, The River, Standing Outside The Fire, Friends In Low Places and The Dance.

‘To Miss Cher, getting to hold the award that you got makes me feel cool and cool is never a word I would use to describe me,’ he said graciously before thanking ‘God Almighty for through him all things are possible.’

SAINt JHN showed off his sculpted summer body as he went shirtless under a set of orange overalls for his sizzling performance at the awards show.

He emerged onto the stage surrounded by red light and smoke, accompanied by choral music that added an ethereal touch to the proceedings.

The EDM star shifted into a hair-raising version of his smash hit song Roses.

Demi Lovato could be seen solo onstage wearing a glimmering blue outfit while accompanying herself at the piano and singing her new single Commander In Chief. 

The ballad is an emotional indictment of U.S. President Donald Trump and she sings: ‘Commander in Chief, honestly, if I did the things you do I couldn’t sleep, seriously.’

Her performance closed with a call from action as the word: ‘VOTE’ glowed in huge white letters on the backdrop.

K-Pop sensation group BTS sang their English-language smash Dynamite, in a performance they delivered virtually form their native South Korea. 

Rhona Bennett, Terry Ellis, and Cindy Herron of the girl group En Vogue had a reunion onstage Free Your Mind and raised their fists into the air.