The days of dreary Divas shows are over. Since the show’s debut in 1998, Divas has benefited the Save The Music Foundation by honoring divas of the past and present. After a five-year hiatus from 2004-2009; the show returned with a revamped image that appealed to a much younger crowd.
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Sunday’s show aired live for the first time in three years and was packed with powerful performances and delicious dance moves. Celebrities like Elisha Cuthbert, Ellie Kemper, Nene Leakes and Kelly Osbourne clamored into The Shrine in Los Angeles Sunday night to celebrate the divas of dance music.
Host Adam Lambert was on double duty leading the pack of superstars paying tribute to divas like Madonna and Blondie, while honoring two departed divas, Whitney Houston and Donna Summer.
Kelly Clarkson debuted her new ring and her new song, “Catch My Breath” before Ciara set the stage on fire with an Michael Jackson dance tribute to “Billie Jean.” Kelly Rowland, Keri Hilson and Adam Lambert joined forces to honor Donna Summer with a medley of her songs like “Last Dance” and “ Bad Girl.”
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Next, some newer tunes came from Metric as well as Demi Lovato and British import, Paloma Faith. Miley Cyrus gave a punked-out performance of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell,” crowd-surfing her way to the stage and delivering a surprisingly successful set. Next, Bootsy Collins was joined by British bombshells Natasha Bedingfield and Iggy Azalea for their rendition of “Groove Is In The Heart.” Lambert gave his third performance of the night with his rendition of Madonna’s “Ray of Light.”
Jordin Sparks led a touching tribute to Houston with her version of "I’m Every Woman.” She was joined by Melanie Fiona and Ledisi for their performance of “How Will I Know” before Pitbull closed the show with “Don’t Stop The Party.”
The show’s fast-pace and dynamic line-up made for an entertaining night of unlikely mash-ups. Vh1’s new formula of having divas-in-the-making paying tribute to the big girls went off much better than prior efforts to get divas like Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin to carry the whole show.
Even if you caught Sunday’s live broadcast of Divas, there were tons of moments you missed that went on behind the scenes. Here are 10 things you didn't see on TV:
1. The host with the most, Adam Lambert, enjoyed his experience at the helm. "Usually when these events happen, you do one thing and you're done and it's like being shot out of a cannon," he told THR. "But the way Divas was structured, I really got to enjoy myself and get comfortable. It was really cool."
2. Paloma Faith admitted that she doesn’t listen to any of the other performers’ music. “I don’t really know who any of the other performers are because I live in a time warp. I’m not really that big a fan of modern music even though I am part of it," she said.
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3. NKOTB’s Jordan Knight got mistaken for Adam Lambert by a reporter. “She called me Adam! She thinks I’m Adam Lambert! I made Adam Lambert," he said.
4. Glee’s Amber Riley was blown away while watching Ciara’s dance tribute to Michael Jackson from the green room. “Oh My God! She went all the way down! Whose child is she?!” she said.
5. NeNe Leakes complained about the not-so-sunny California weather. “They lied! When I moved out here, they said it only rains twice a year and it rains every damn day up here to me. It’s super cold," she said. "The songs about Sunny California? No, honey. It’s cold California.”
6. Stacy Keibler held court at the green room bar, chatting with friends and sipping cocktails.
7. Jason Derulo waited in the wings for his leading lady, Jordin Sparks, while she was onstage performing her tribute to Whitney Houston.
8. The purple carpet was buzzing about Jenna Dewan Tatum’s maybe-baby bump when she showed up in a questionably concealing dress and repeatedly rubbed her belly while chatting with reporters. (On Monday, she and husband Channing Tatum confirmed that they were expecting.)
9. Iggy Azalea gushed about Miley Cyrus before the show. “I’m so excited to see Miley Cyrus perform! I want to see her tribute. She’s got some kind of spark and energy going on right now that I’m really into.”
10. The Shrine was transformed into a celeb-studded club scene for the after party. Jordin Sparks hosted the post-show bash where guests indulged in signature cocktails and snacked on cheeseburgers and cupcakes. The cast of VH1’s Hollywood Exes hit the dance floor hard, while onlookers watched from the comfy couches on the sidelines.
