Yahoo Autos Diddy Opens Up the 2022 Billboard Music Awards With Love & Positivity: ‘We Got a Second Chance at Life’
Sean “Diddy” Combs kicked off the 2022 Billboard Music Awards Sunday (May 15) with a rousing medley, which included the debut of his new single “Gotta Move On,” featuring Bryson Tiller. Shortly after, the BBMAs host and executive producer sauntered on stage and injected positive energy into the Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena.
“I’m a frequency. I’m the vibe curator. Black Brother Thunder, Chocolate Boy Wonder,” Diddy gushed during his six-minute-long monologue. With his mother sitting in the front row, he ruminated on the “full circle” moment that came with hosting the night’s awards show, considering he won his first BBMA trophy 25 years ago. Diddy also beamed about making music again and savoring being back outside after the pandemic temporarily curtailed live events in 2020 and 2021. “We got a second chance at life,” he said.
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Ahead of the ceremony, Diddy addressed the controversial decision to have Morgan Wallen and Travis Scott perform at the event in an interview with Billboard. For Scott, the evening marked his first awards show performance since a crowd surge during his Astroworld Festival in Houston last November that killed 10 people. As for Wallen, it’s also his first time hitting a major awards show stage since he was caught on camera saying the N-word in 2021
“It’s time to forgive,” Diddy said at the time. “To have Morgan and Travis be able to come back and touch the stage again with the mindset of getting a second chance at life. Everybody in the room is getting a second chance at life, you know, because we’re back outside with no masks on. We need love, and I’m excited about celebrating that.”
The Billboard Music Awards are produced by MRC Live & Alternative, a division of MRC. MRC and Penske Media are co-parent companies of Billboard.
