The 2022 BET Awards took place in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 26 at the Microsoft Theater and brought out some of the hottest artists from the hip-hop, R&B and Gospel spaces. From Sean “Diddy” Combs anchoring a mega-set for his lifetime achievement award performance to young stars like Jack Harlow, Latto and Ella Mai bringing out family legends, the 2022 BET Awards were an event to behold. .
Billboard ranked the night’s performance below. Check it out.
12. FireBoy DML, “Peru”
After Tems accepted the award for Best Collaboration on behalf of Wizkid’s “Essence (Remix)”, Africa enjoyed his moment even longer when announced EMPIRE rookie FireBoy DML handed out “Peru” . FireBoy did a commendable job representing the genre by shouting his homeland during his spellbinding performance.
11. Giveon, “Heartbreak Anniversary”, “For Tonight”, and “Lie Again”
Although he ran into technical difficulties singing “Heartbreak Anniversary,” Giveon bounced back smoothly as he tapped into his debut album. give or take. The singer regained his composure and floated angelically through “For Tonight” and “Lie Again” as the show concluded.
10. Muni Long, “Time Machine” & “Hrs and Hrs”
Long’s outfit was probably one of the best — performance-wise — as she wore a pink feathered skirt long enough to be used as her own red carpet entrance. First, she wowed viewers with her latest record, “Time Machine,” before diving into her sultry single, “Hrs and Hrs.” Long’s tapered vocals didn’t disappoint, as she also got some crowd participation on the song’s sticky hook.
9. Chance the Rapper, “Ups and Downs”
Chance the Rapper’s penchant for soulful performances continued during the ceremony when he had lyrical bandmate Joey Bada$$ on hand to perform “The Highs & the Lows.” Chance’s creativity was out of 10 as he knowingly placed the song’s lyrics on screen for viewers so they wouldn’t miss a single step alongside the MCs. The lyrical exchange was a solid outing for Chance, who returned to the BET Awards after a three-year hiatus.
8. Ella Mai, “DFMU”, “Keep Falling” and “How”
The sole performer of the BET Awards Amplify Stage, Ella Mai has graced the main stage this year with a slew of records. Although she initially started out a bit lackluster on “DFMU,” things quickly turned around when Mai and Babyface injected some color into her performance with their Tevin Campbell-sampled jam “Keeps on Fallin’.” Mai didn’t stop at surprises, as she called on Roddy Ricch to give her an extra jolt with their playful collaboration ‘How’.
7. Chloe Bailey, “Surprise” and “Treat Me”
Keeping up with Puff’s Bad Boy mix is no easy task, but Chloe Bailey has done a solid job doing it. Bringing her new record ‘Surprise’ to the BET Awards stage, Bailey didn’t shy away from flaunting her sexiness and seductive choreography as she brought out a blindfolded man to enjoy a free dance. After the steamy showcase, she capped off her two-song set with “Treat Me.”
6. Doechii, “Persuasive” and “Crazy”
TDE’s newest recruit strode confidently onto the BET Awards stage. While her “Persuasive” performance was fun, it was “Crazy” that turned out to be the winner of the two. After shedding her wig after “Persuasive,” Doechii’s frenetic energy was the driving force behind putting together a formidable effort that should put Top Dawg at ease knowing her potential as a live performer.
5. Kirk Franklin & Maverick City Music, “Kingdom” and “Melodies From Heaven”
Draped in black Mav City hoodies, songwriter cult band Maverick City took the crowd of attendees to the church during the show. After starting behind the piano, Franklin joined in the festivities and captivated the crowd with his high-octane energy and impassioned statements. Great move by BET to add Gospel into the fold and give the genre some love in a usually crowded R&B and hip-hop arena.
4. Latto, “It’s Givin” and “Big Energy”
Latto continued her strong run on the awards circuit when she performed “It’s Givin” and “Big Energy.” After flexing her boss mentality on the former, Latto enlisted Young Dirty Bastard and legendary Mariah Carey for a walk down memory lane with a mashup of “Big Energy” and Carey’s hit “Fantasy.” Carey lit up the stage and shone with her enchanting voice.
3. Jack Harlow, “Poison” and “First Class”
Sitting atop a washing machine, Harlow unleashed “Poison.” With the set staged as a pseudo house party, Harlow instantly earned brownie points when Lil Wayne joined the party as a guest verse. Next, Harlow had the crowd in awe when he unboxed his No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 single “First Class.”
As the contestants sang the hook sampled by Fergie, Harlow unlocked his BET Moment when he called on Brandy to rap his “First Class” freestyle alongside the Louisville slugger. The onstage peace deal was a scene-stealing moment for Harlow, who sparked conversation earlier in the evening for his support of Lil Nas X with his red carpet outfit.
2. Lizzo, “About Fucking Time”
The upbeat pop superstar kicked off the 2022 BET Awards with an electric performance of her Hot 100 hit “About Damn Time.” With an army of curvaceous dancers dressed in shimmering gold outfits, Lizzo gave a swaggering rendition of her top five with her flute in tow. Not only did Lizzo serve up looks, attitude and a nod to body positivity, but her commanding effort left the crowd in a celebratory mood.
1. Diddy, hit the medley
In honor of his lifetime achievement award, Diddy hit the reset button and took fans down memory lane. First, he made a pit stop and highlighted his run at Andre Harrell’s Uptown Records when he called on Jodeci and Mary J. Blige to perform “Come and Talk to Me” and “I’m Goin’, respectively. Down”. After the R&B medley, Diddy entered the Bad Boy phase of his career when he burst onto the scene with his ’90s classic “Victory.” Diddy didn’t slow down and instead reunited with Shyne on stage to perform his hit “Bad Boyz.” He continued to roll through his golden age of hits when he recorded “All About the Benjamins” with The Lox and Lil Kim, as well as “I Need A Girl Pt. II.”
Although Kim stumbled over her lyrics, an animated Busta Rhymes then zoomed onto the stage and fervently rapped “Pass the Courvoisier,” even cleverly changing her drink of choice to Ciroc. After Bryson Tiller made an appearance for Diddy’s new single “Gotta Move On”, Diddy released a touching video of his late longtime girlfriend Kim Porter to introduce his Hot 100 No. 1 single “I’ll Be Missing You”. Alongside Maverick City Music and Faith Evans, Puff closed the performance with a heartwarming tribute to Porter and Biggie.
