Sunday is coming up fast for music lovers, and the 2018 Billboard Music Awards will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas before we know it. The level of talent on deck is astonishing, with performances from Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran and so many more.
The BBMAs, which will be broadcast on NBC (details here), should be an amazing precursor to a scorching-hot music season this summer. Without further ado, here are five things we couldn’t be more excited about for this year’s awards.
Team-Ups, Team-Ups & More Team-Ups
Three great duets are planned for this year (so far), including performances from Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato, Macklemore and Kesha, and even the triple-threat of Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey. What will these collaborations — some of which we don’t see very often — reap at the BBMAs? Expect some surprises.
First Performances of New Songs
Christina and Demi will be debuting their empowering duet “Fall in Line” in front of a live audience for the first time. With its outspoken message and subject matter, that’s sure to get social media buzzing. That’s not all: Korean boy band sensation BTS is set to perform “Fake Love” — which they’ve been teasing extensively — for the first time as well, and Shawn Mendes and Khalid are teaming up for the first TV performance of their collaboration “Youth.”
Ariana Set to Slay With “No Tears Left to Cry” Performance
Ariana Grande’s “No Tears Left to Cry” is an ebullient, picking-up-the-pieces jam that has resonated since its release last month — especially as the victims and families affected by the Manchester bombing outside her 2017 concert continue to heal. Her performance of this top 10 hit is sure to bring the house down.
A Seriously Close Race in the Top New Artist Category
Will our top new artist of 2018 be Cardi B, whose sensational Invasion of Privacy hit this year like a meteor? 21 Savage, whose feature with Post Malone hit the Hot 100 at No. 1? Khalid, Kodak Black or Camila Cabelo, all of whom have had a titanic impact this year in their own rights by giving us instant classics like “Location” and “Havana”? This is set to be a seriously close race.
Ed Sheeran Beaming In From Dublin
Sheeran pops up a lot this year, with nominations in the top artist, top Hot 100 artist, top male artist, top song sales artist and top Hot 100 song categories… phew! While he won’t be in Vegas for the awards show, he will beam in a live performance on location from Dublin, where he’s still in the midst of his massive, ongoing stadium tour.