The biggest moment of last night’s Billboard Music Awards was the television debut of a Michael Jackson Hologram in full performance, but close behind was the domination of Justin Timberlake – who won seven prizes, including top artist and Billboard 200 album.
“All the other finalists, Miley, Imagine Dragons, Bruno, Katy, I love you guys, it’s not a competition, but if it is, I won!” Timberlake exclaimed, dancing with his band while accepting his award remotely just before he took the stage overseas. “I want to thank everybody on Earth, everybody on Earth, except, except Donald Sterling.”
Timberlake’s idol was featured in hologram form, and it performed “Slave to the Rhythm,” a song from Jackson’s new posthumous album “Xscape,” along with background dancers, beaming lights and fire blasts. It was easily the biggest moment at the awards show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
“We tried to do as best we could what we thought Michael would have loved, and those of us who knew Michael really well, we had a good perspective on it,” Epic Records CEO L.A. Reid said backstage. Reid worked on the album and released it. “But the truth is, you can’t ever really know because he wasn’t there.”
Robin Thicke, who won four awards including top Hot 100 song for “Blurred Lines,” debuted a new song called “Get Her Back,” aiming to win over his actress-wife Paula Patton after they announced in February they were separating. He sang on bended knee and ended with the line: “I gotta get her back tonight.”
“And most importantly I’d like to thank my wife for her love and support and for putting up with me all these years,” Thicke said onstage when he accepted top R&B song.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
