BET aired its annual “Black Girls Rock!” special on Sunday night and it was a wonderful display of beautiful, entertaining Black women. The show was hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross and Regina King and featured star-studded performances by R&B’s leading ladies including Kelly Rowland, Jennifer Hudson and Janelle Monae, among others. As reported by guardianlv.com:
“The show opened with the smooth vocals and jazzy moves of Janelle Monáe singing the title cut of her latest project, ‘Electric Lady.’
“Jennifer Hudson was next to perform. She stunned the audience with her new pixie cut and powerful vocals that have always set her apart. She sang her new song, ‘Feeling Good.’
“Kelly Rowland, the star that she is, made a grand entrance. She started singing in a back hall and perused through the crowd, stopping to take a seat while her special guest, Sevyn Streeter, sang. Then she appeared back on stage and sang a couple of bars before Eve, another special guest, spit a few bars. Rowland reappeared on stage with a cadence that was a definite crowd pleaser.”
R&B legend Patti LaBelle was an honoree for the “Living Legend Award” along with a host of other honorees including Queen Latifah. However, Patti LaBelle stole the show with her performance as well. As also reported by guardianlv.com:
“The highlight of the night was when the infamous Ms. Patti LaBelle graced the stage with “You Are My Friend.” It wasn’t long before she had those arms waving in the air as she belted out note after note. By the time she was on to the next song “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” Ms. Patti was already beaming like the angel she sounded like.
“The crowd had no problem honoring Ms. Patti. Excitement instantly filled the auditorium as her voice began to ring out. Ms. LaBelle is no stranger to the stage, in fact, she’s a living legend. She owned the stage from the beginning to the end of her performance; which wasn’t long.”
BET’s “Black Girls Rock!” aired Sunday, but is sure to be repeated sometime soon. In the meantime, check out the performances from the show in the video below.
Janelle Monáe – “Electric Lady”
Jennifer Hudson – “I Can’t Describe (The Way I Feel)”
Kelly Rowland feat. Eve and Sevyn Streeter – “Gone”
Patti LaBelle – “You Are My Friend”
Ledisi – “I Blame You”
Amber Riley – “I Am Woman”
Mariah Carey Honors Patti LaBelle
