K-pop band BTS perform during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. Reuters
K-pop band BTS perform during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. Reuters
K-pop band BTS perform during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. Reuters
K-pop band BTS perform during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. Reuters

Billboard Music Awards 2019: The moments that went viral


Farah Andrews
  • English
  • Arabic

The 2019 Billboard Music Awards were a big night for music. Taylor Swift made her Me! comeback, BTS won over yet more hearts, Priyanka Chopra wore Yeezys and there were more Madonnas than usual at the Las Vegas awards ceremony. Plus, there was a surprise Las Vegas wedding...

Here, we round up all of the most viral moments from the 2019 Billboard Music Awards: 

1. BTS made history 

Not only did the Korean superstars perform Boy With Luv with Halsey, they made history when they won Top Social Artist for the second year in a row and became the first K-pop band to scoop the Top Duo/Group award.

In their speech, Kim Nam-joon - known as RM - thanked the band's fans, known as the Army, saying: "I still can't believe we're here on this stage with so many great artists... this was only possible because of the little things we shared together, the BTS and Army power, am I right?"

The rapper added: "We're still the same boys from six years ago, we still have the same dreams, we still have the same fears, we still have the same thoughts. Let's keep dreaming the best dreams together."

BTS and Halsey perform during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. Reuters
BTS and Halsey perform during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. Reuters

2. That Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra moment

During Joe Jonas's Cake By The Ocean performance with his band, DNCE, his brother Nick Jonas was on guitar and walking through the crowd when he stole a moment to give wife, Priyanka Chopra, a quick kiss.

Fans on Twitter had a lot to say about the cute moment:

3. Priyanka Chopra in Yeezy's 

Chopra wore a Zuhair Murad couture white, sequinned dress with a pearl necklace for the ceremony. Her shoes, however, came from a surprising brand: Yeezy.

The invisible shoes are from Kanye West's sixth Yeezy season, and she has worn them before; last October to be specific.

Priyanka Chopra in a Zuhair Murad dress with Yeezy heels, with husband Nick Jonas at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards on May 1. EPA
Priyanka Chopra in a Zuhair Murad dress with Yeezy heels, with husband Nick Jonas at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards on May 1. EPA

4. Taylor Swift's first Me! performance 

Taylor Swift is officially back and fans loved her Me! performance with Brendon Urie. The duo opened the show with a super playful performance; think flying dancers, fireworks, a high school band and very colourful costumes.

You can watch the whole thing here: 

Even Taylor Swift's ex, Joe Jonas, seemed to love it:

Although some did suggest the school band-themed elements were a little too much like Beyonce's Homecoming:

This Twitter user made a compelling "didn’t invent the marching band" point:

5. Cardi B's abs

Whether they are real, surgically enhanced or sprayed on (that has certainly been debated on Twitter), Cardi B's abs have got people talking.

"So Cardi B got them surgery abs?" one Twitter user commented, while another added: "suddenly I got the urge to work out".

US rapper Cardi B arrives for the 2019 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, USA, on May 1, 2019. EPA
US rapper Cardi B arrives for the 2019 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, USA, on May 1, 2019. EPA

6. Madonna performing with ... Madonnas

Never one to shy away from a self-assured move, Madonna performed with four hologram versions of herself, in a display that reportedly cost $5 million (Dh18.4 million).

The 60-year-old singer performed her new single, Medellin, with Maluma, and then four CGI and holographic versions of her image. The singer is said to have footed the bill for the seven-minute-long performance herself.

7. When Taylor Swift went starry-eyed for Mariah Carey 

Mariah Carey won the Icon Award on the night and performed a medley of her many hits. Taylor Swift – known for being an awards ceremony camera person's emotive dream – absolutely loved every moment:

8. Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner's wedding

OK, this didn't technically take place at the awards, but Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner surprised everyone by getting married in a Las Vegas wedding chapel. Close friend Diplo documented the whole thing on Instagram story, writing, "Gotta hit up this wedding real quick", with a photo of Turner and Jonas going inside the venue.

Sophie Turner arriving for her wedding to Joe Jonas. Instagram / Diplo
Sophie Turner arriving for her wedding to Joe Jonas. Instagram / Diplo

All of the winners at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards: 

Top Hot 100 song: Girls Like You, Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B

Top Billboard 200 album: Scorpion, Drake

Top artist: Drake

Top new artist: Juice WRLD

Top female artist: Ariana Grande

Top male artist: Drake

Top streaming songs artist: Drake

Top song sales artist: Drake

Top radio songs artist: Drake

Top duo/group: BTS

Top R&B artist: Ella Mai

Top rap artist: Drake

Top country artist: Luke Combs

Top rock artist: Imagine Dragons

Top Latin artist: Ozuna

Top dance/electronic artist: The Chainsmokers

Top Christian artist: Lauren Daigle

Top gospel artist: Tasha Cobbs Leonard

Top social artist: BTS

Top touring artist: Ed Sheeran

Chart achievement award: Ariana Grande

Icon award: Mariah Carey

_________________

Read more:

Billboard Awards 2019: See all the stars on the red carpet - in pictures

Why Madonna’s 'Medellin' is a ray of light in a time of darkness

Woodstock 50th anniversary festival cancelled by lead investor

_________________

Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.

  • It’s So Easy
  • Mr Brownstone
  • Chinese Democracy
  • Welcome to the Jungle
  • Double Talkin’ Jive
  • Better
  • Estranged
  • Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
  • Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
  • Rocket Queen
  • You Could Be Mine
  • Shadow of Your Love
  • Attitude (Misfits cover)
  • Civil War
  • Coma
  • Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
  • Sweet Child O’ Mine
  • Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
  • Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
  • November Rain
  • Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
  • Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
  • Nightrain

Encore:

  • Patience
  • Don’t Cry
  • The Seeker (The Who cover)
  • Paradise City
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20TV%204K%20(THIRD%20GENERATION)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECPU%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20A15%20Bionic%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECapacity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2064GB%2C%20Wi-Fi%20only%3B%20128GB%2C%20Wi-Fi%20%2B%20ethernet%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206%2C%20Bluetooth%205.0%2C%20ethernet%20(Wi-Fi%20%2B%20ethernet%20model%20only)%2C%20IR%20receiver%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HDMI%2C%20ethernet%20(128GB%20model%20only)%3B%20Siri%20remote%20(charging%20via%20USB-C)%3B%20accessibility%20features%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SDR%2FDolby%20Vision%2FHDR10%2B%20up%20to%202160p%20%40%2060fps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPeripherals%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Compatible%20with%20HD%2FUHD%20TVs%20via%20HDMI%2C%20Bluetooth%20keyboards%2C%20AirPods%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPhoto%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GIF%2C%20HEIF%2C%20JPEG%2C%20TIFF%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColour%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Black%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20TV%204K%2C%20Siri%20remote%2C%20power%20cord%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dh529%2C%20Wi-Fi%20only%3B%20Dh599%2C%20Wi-Fi%20%2B%20ethernet%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog

Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball

Red Sparrow

Dir: Francis Lawrence

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Egerton, Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons

Three stars

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

Rocketman

Director: Dexter Fletcher

Starring: Taron Egerton, Richard Madden, Jamie Bell

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars 

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy

Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE v Ireland

1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets

2nd ODI, January 12

3rd ODI, January 14

4th ODI, January 16

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Padmaavat

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh

3.5/5

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
While you're here
Kill%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nikhil%20Nagesh%20Bhat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Lakshya%2C%20Tanya%20Maniktala%2C%20Ashish%20Vidyarthi%2C%20Harsh%20Chhaya%2C%20Raghav%20Juyal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SPECS

Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now

The Details

Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5 

The low down

Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films

Director: Namrata Singh Gujral

Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark

Rating: 2/5