Beyonce Uses AMAs to Rope In Country Fans

Country music took center stage at last night's American Music Awards, which was not a big surprise — country fans still actually buy CDs. Somewhat more surprising, however, was the country-R&B crossover that took place about an hour into the show: Platinum-selling duo Sugarland took the stage to perform a hoedown-style version of Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable," a.k.a. "the song that spawned a million Samsung commercials." The Atlanta band had played the chart topper on their summer tour, so it was no great shock that they would attempt the R&B hit for a large TV audience. But then, in one of the night's few truly interesting moments, Beyoncé emerged out of a revolving stage prop and joined in for the second verse. The band didn't waiver from the line-dance stylistics of the performance, however, forcing Beyoncé to do her best Carrie Underwood impression while keeping up with the song's slower-than-usual beat. We don't know what was more awkward; Beyoncé attempting to lasso in some country fans (after angering them with that whole billboard incident), or B and Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles pointing in the wrong direction whenever they sang "To the left, to the left." We'll go with the latter, as the video above proves.

To see photos of Kid Rock, Carrie Underwood, Beyonce, Maroon 5, Daughtry and more shots from the American Music Awards, click here.

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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