The BET Awards was on over the weekend, so my sister and I decided to watch the show. Of course, while we jammed out to every singer that performed there were also a variety of serious moments that really had me thinking. I thought about everything from dancing to remembrance, which is ironic because the night was filled with politics. I hesitate to call the awards show politically charged because this is an election year. Overall, I enjoyed the three-hour show, and wanted to make sure that I did not miss a single second of it. Here are some of the thoughts I had while watching the BET Awards.
1. Is that Queen Bey?
Beyoncé was the opening act for the 2016 BET Awards. She, along with Kendrick Lamar, sang the song Freedom from Lemonade album, and took everybody by surprise.
2. Prince. That’s tonight’s theme.
Throughout the show, various celebrities performed tributes to Prince. Everyone from Tori Kelly to Sheila E and The Roots utilized different opportunities within the show to musically express how much they miss music icon Prince.
3. How did she know that?
My sister correctly guessed who would win each BET Award. Though she says the winners were easy to guess, I am still in awe of how she knew.
4. PURLPE RAIN!!!
Jennifer Hudson’s tribute to Prince, done with Tori Kelly and Stevie Wonder, was singing Purple Rain. Of course, she and her melodic voice killed it.
5. Jesse Williams though…
Jesse Williams won the Humanitarian Award at the BET Awards and gave a speech about racial divide and gun violence that ended all acceptance speeches. “Just because we’re magic, doesn’t mean we’re not real.”
6. Wasn’t Queen Bey just here?
After her performance, Queen Bey had to get back on the road to continue the Formation World Tour. Meanwhile, she won two other awards that her mother Tina Knowles-Lawson accepted on her behalf which of course ticked off the notorious Beyhive.
7. Politics. This is an election year...
Since this is the election year, various speakers did not hesitate to stress the importance of voting in this country. The message was very clear: there is serious business to take care of and every vote truly does count.
So, overall the BET Awards went very well. What did you think of the night?