The first hour of the 2015 Billboard Music Awards featured the likes of Wiz Khalifa, John Legend and Van Halen. To celebrate its Vegas locale, on Sunday night (May 17), the BBMAs brought out another legend that has graced the charts countless times, Mariah Carey, who is in the midst of an attempted career revival with new music and a Las Vegas residency.
Idina Menzel opened for Carey with a flattering introduction that featured her various chart accomplishments including 17 No. 1 hits in the top 100 chart, the longest number one track and much more. However, the "Without You" singer needed no introduction and launched into medley of songs old and new, performing "Vision Of Love" with "Infinity."
With a backup band dressed in all white, from their instruments (that included cellos, violins, drums and a grand piano) down to their shoes. She was flanked by a team of six backup singers who provided balance to the performance. Carey did her best performing the track, hitting most of the peaks of the song and getting the crowd into it, but you could tell she struggled with the highest notes. But that wasn't for a lack of trying. She was not shy to go for it towards the end of "Infinity."
Despite vocals that may or may not have been totally on, Carey's outfit was pretty incredible with a short dress decked out in diamonds with matching boots that almost went almost up to her hips.
Carey has taken a lot of criticism lately stemming from incidents where she has struggled to hit some of the notes she was once able to hit in the past and recent accusations of lip-syncing. But this was all live, for better or worse.
