Jennifer Lopez just kicked things off at the American Music Awards by celebrating the biggest songs of the year — and making out with several of her dancers. (Yes, for real.) On Monday night, the night’s host opened the awards show with a dance medley that included a steamy kiss-off with several of her backup dancers.
The 2025 AMAs opened with a close-up of Lopez singing a slowed version of her 2012 hit “Dance Again” before a montage teasing the show, transporting viewers into a “multiverse” featuring love, sex, and good music.
Lopez performed a dance medley of 23 hits in her six-minute intro, flying around the stage to Kendrick Lamar’s “Squabble Up” and Doechii’s “Denial Is a River” before showing off her moves to “A Bar Song” by Shaboozey and Bruno Mars and Rosé’s “APT,” playing into the hit’s TikTok dance.
Lopez then danced to a mash-up of Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go” and “Good Luck, Babe,” fanning herself off during Roan’s lyrics. She channeled Billie and Beyoncé for “Birds of a Feather” and “Texas Hold’Em” before the performance climaxed with a Dancing with the Stars-style, flips-filled dance break to Bad Bunny’s “NuevaYol.”
The kiss-off started as she danced to Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” and reminded us she was a nasty girl with Tinashe’s “Nasty.” Lopez ended the futuristic performance with a mash-up of Lamar’s “Not Like Us and “TV Off” in honor of the rapper’s most nominations of the evening.
“I had to kick things off by turning it up to the biggest songs of the year and dancing my heart out for all of you, but tonight, the spotlight belongs to you, because this is the world’s largest fan-voted award show where you decide the winners,” she said after the performance. “And this year, yes, there were more votes than ever before.”
Lopez last hosted the show in 2015, taking the theatrics of pop performance to the next level with new outfit changes each time she stepped onto the stage. She also delivered a seven-minute dance medley of the year’s biggest hits, which at the time included songs like Beyoncé’s “7/11,” Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen,” and more.
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Prior to the ceremony, Lopez revealed that she sustained a nose injury during rehearsals. She shared the saga that resulted in an emergency visit to Dr. Jason B. Diamond, a plastic surgeon based in Beverly Hills, on her Instagram Story. “Thank you for stitching me up Dr. Diamond,” Lopez said. “A week later and a whole lotta ice, I’m good as new.” She didn’t reveal how she got the cut that etched a red wound into her nose, only that she was back and on track for her big night.
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Much like Lopez, the AMAs are having a comeback of their own. The show last aired in 2022 and now returns after a two-year hiatus. Hoping to shake up the night, the ceremony introduced three new categories this year, including Album, Song, and Social Song of the Year. Kendrick Lamar is the most nominated artist at the 2025 AMAs with 10 nods across seven categories. He’s trailed by Post Malone with eight nominations as well as seven-time nominees Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Shaboozey.
As host, Lopez will be along for the ride for the entire night, which will include featured performances from Benson Boone, Reneé Rapp, Lainey Wilson, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, and Gloria Estefan. ICON Award recipient Janet Jackson will also take the stage for her first live television performance in seven years.
