The 50th American Music Awards belonged to Taylor Swift

The 50th American Music Awards belonged to three very different artists: Pink, Lionel Richie and Taylor Swift.

But Ticketmaster crash Swift was the only artist who really mattered in music in 2022 and was in attendance at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday night.

The 32-year-old superstar was treated to the night’s biggest haul – six awards including Artist of the Year – taking her record number of AMAs to 40.

But Swift didn’t perform as decorated as she was.

That left Pink as the biggest female pop performer that night, and she deservedly opened the show with her new single, “Never Gonna Not Dance Again,” rolling in on roller skates to get the party started in a fun and infectious way.

But Pink’s second performance, in which she sang “Hopeless Devoted to You” in tribute to beloved late star Olivia Newton-John, was a bit of a disappointment. While she sounded good, it wasn’t the perfect song for her, and a medley of other songs and other singers would have done Newton-John more justice.

Getty Images for dcp

Getty Images for dcp

Getty Images for dcp

The tribute to Richie that ended the show was much more appropriate and provided the emotional and musical highlights of the night.

First there was timeless Motown legend Smokey Robinson, who introduced Richie and brought with him the class and classic pedigree that was lacking for most of the show. Then Richie – newly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – stepped up to give a very serious speech as he accepted the Icon Award and encouraged young artists to strive to inspire future generations.

But saving the best for last, Stevie Wonder(!) and Charlie Puth performed an upbeat medley of Richie’s hits – from “Three Times a Lady” and “Easy (Like Sunday Morning)” to “Brick House” and “All Night long”. (All night).” It all ended with a star-studded “We Are the World” that felt like 1985 all over again.