BET AWARDS 2025: A NIGHT OF LEGENDS, BEYONCÉ FANS CLOWN AMERIE, CIARA PRESSES JIM JONES ABOUT MARRIAGE

Hello everyone, welcome back to the Impressive channel! I just have to talk about the BET Awards this year because, honestly, they brought the talent back! We’ve been missing this level of excellence from award shows, and BET finally delivered a show that felt like a true celebration of Black music and culture.

106 & Park Tribute: Nostalgia Overload

First off, the 106 & Park tribute was everything! Ashanti, TI, Bow Wow, and B2K all hit the stage, giving us major early 2000s vibes. Ashanti sounded great—though I do wish she’d switch up her setlist sometimes instead of always singing the same hits. Still, her voice was on point and the crowd loved it.

TI brought serious energy with “What You Know” and “Bring Em Out,” getting the whole audience hyped. Bow Wow reminded everyone why he was the Millennium Tour headliner—his stage presence is still top tier. And seeing B2K reunite after all their drama? That was a surprise! I think Omarion finally realized he needs his group, because solo, he just doesn’t have the same impact. That Millennium Tour must’ve been humbling for him, but the reunion performance was solid.

Amerie vs. Beyoncé: The Beehive Comes for Amerie

Now, let’s talk about Amerie. She’s been trending all weekend, especially after her much-criticized Tiny Desk performance. Look, Amerie is not a powerhouse vocalist—no one expects her to sound like Jennifer Hudson or Beyoncé. But the Beehive was out in full force, clowning her, especially because of the old narrative that Beyoncé “took” Amerie’s sound.

Here’s the real tea: Both Amerie and Beyoncé worked with producer Rich Harrison. Amerie was first, but Rich Harrison later helped craft Beyoncé’s brassy, uptempo “Crazy in Love” sound. Amerie’s “One Thing” and her album “Touch” had that same go-go, energetic style, but with her unique vocal ad-libs. When Beyoncé dropped “B’Day,” you could definitely hear some Amerie influence in her vocal stylings. But let’s be real—artists inspire each other all the time. Beyoncé didn’t steal Amerie’s whole style, but she was definitely inspired, just like Amerie was inspired by Beyoncé. In the end, Amerie redeemed herself at the BET Awards with a killer performance, silencing the haters from her Tiny Desk set.

Mya Is Underrated, Mario Deserved Better, Ciara vs. Jim Jones

Out of the entire 106 & Park lineup, Mya was the standout for me. She’s so underrated and honestly deserves way more respect as a performer—she should be teaching a masterclass on stage presence!

One thing that bugged me: Mario was relegated to the pre-show. Why?! He was singing his heart out and deserved main stage time. And Ciara—why was she in the audience and not performing? She’s a born entertainer!

Speaking of Ciara, she had a viral moment when she pressed Jim Jones about not marrying his longtime girlfriend, Chrissy Lampkin. She straight-up asked him, “Why don’t y’all get married?”—a question everyone’s been wondering for years. Ciara hyped up their love and basically told Jim he should seal the deal because Chrissy deserves it. Some might say Ciara overstepped, but honestly, she said what a lot of people are thinking. Maybe her words will finally get through to Jim, who knows?

Glorilla, Keyshia Cole, Leon Thomas, Ravyn Lenae, and More

Glorilla brought the fire with “Letter Cook” and even brought out Keyshia Cole to sing “Love.” It was great to see Keyshia get her flowers, even if her vocals weren’t her best that night. Glorilla has really improved as a performer, and I respect her hustle.

Leon Thomas blew me away with his song “Mut”—this man can SING! That’s the kind of talent I want to see more of on these stages. Ravyn Lenae also represented for the alternative R&B scene with “Love Me Not,” which is blowing up on TikTok. She’s got a strong catalog, and I’m glad BET gave her the spotlight.

Teyana Taylor’s Artistic Statement—and New Love

Teyana Taylor, as always, delivered a creative, genre-bending performance with “Fire Girl” and “Long Time.” Some of the themes went over my head—maybe a bit too artsy for me—but you can’t deny her stage presence. And yes, her relationship with actor Aaron Pierre seems to be the real deal. At first, I thought it might be a PR move, but they look genuinely happy together. Congrats to them!

More Tributes, Legends, and Iconic Moments

The night was packed with powerful tributes. Legacy, Lucky Daye, Luke James, and Miles Caton paid homage to Quincy Jones. Ledisi honored Roberta Flack. Luke James, honestly, is one of the best male vocalists out right now and deserves more recognition.

Country singer Brittney Spencer did a beautiful tribute to Angie Stone, and hip-hop legends like Snoop Dogg and Lil Wayne lit up the stage. Kirk Franklin’s gospel tribute was one of the night’s best—his choir was amazing, and Tamar Braxton’s vocals were out of this world. She could’ve easily done a Mariah Carey tribute herself.

Speaking of Mariah, can you believe this was her FIRST BET Award? She finally got her flowers with the Ultimate Icon Crown—long overdue!

Jamie Foxx’s Emotional Tribute, Kevin Hart Hosts, and More

Another highlight was the Jamie Foxx tribute. Seeing Jamie so emotional and grateful, especially after his health scare, was truly moving. Kevin Hart hosted and brought the laughs, while Drewski and Kai Cenat had some hilarious livestream moments.

Shout out to all the winners—SZA, Kendrick Lamar, and Doja Cat, who gave a moving speech addressing the ongoing unrest in California.

Final Thoughts

All in all, the 2025 BET Awards brought the talent, the drama, and the emotion. This was the kind of show we’ve been missing for years, and I hope it sets the standard for future awards