Jennifer Lopez Drops Stunning Confession: “American Music Awards Are a Big Part of My Musical History”
Jennifer Lopez’s history with the American Music Awards goes far beyond her nine performances as a solo star and first hosting stint in 2015.
The long-ago Fly Girl debuted on the show in 1991 as a backup dancer for New Kids on the Block. She was just 21 and a decade away from superstardom when she rocked jeans and a leather jacket to unleash some very ‘90s dance moves during “Games,” and she remembers it – and all of her performances – with a fond laugh.
The AMA show “has been such a big part of my music journey and history,” she tells USA TODAY during a break from rehearsing ahead of Monday’s awards.
Lopez, 55, will pull double duty as host and performer of this year’s AMAs, a music industry institution since the late Dick Clark began producing it in 1974. During her show opening performance, she says, “We’re going to celebrate the year in music.”
And yes, there will be dancing.
“I don’t think there’s ever been a performance where I don’t dance!” she says with a knowing laugh.
The awards air live from the Fontainebleau Las Vegas May 26 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
Benson Boone, Blake Shelton, Gloria Estefan, Gwen Stefani, Lainey Wilson and Reneé Rapp are among the artists performing, along with Icon Award winner Janet Jackson and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Rod Stewart.
The top nominees for the fan-voted show are Kendrick Lamar (10), Post Malone (8), Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Shaboozey (all with 7), and all-time AMA leader Taylor Swift, who adds six nominations this year to her overall win tally of 40.
Lopez says she doesn’t usually agree to hosting gigs because, “believe it or not, I’m quite shy. I’m a performer, so if I have a script or a song, I can do that and I love doing that. But hosting is a different thing, a different skill set. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite thing to do.”
But she agreed to the task of shuttling the show along because of the current musical landscape.
“I feel music is really exciting right now with Spanish music being so global. I love that Gloria (Estefan) is being honored as a pioneer crossover artist and I love all of the new artists because there isn’t a certain sound to them,” she says.
Lopez just wrapped filming the romantic comedy “Office Romance” with Brett Goldstein and will star in musical thriller “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” due out Oct. 10.
As for music, she says, “I have a few things up my sleeve.”
But first, she’ll be supporting her peers from the wings when not standing in the spotlight.
“I hope that (people) are entertained and have a good time,” she says. “And that they get to feel their impact in choosing and cheering on their favorite artists.”
