Chris Brown was set to perform at the 2022 American Music Awards this Sunday. However, he will no longer take the stage.
Brown, who is nominated for Favorite R&B Male Artist, alleged that his unannounced performance was scrapped. He posted a seven-minute rehearsal video on Instagram that showed what fans would’ve seen on the main stage.
“WOULDVE been the ama performance but they cancelled me for reasons unknown,” Brown wrote in the comment section.
Brown’s performance would have kicked off with his intoxicating hit “Under the Influence,” before paying tribute to Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking album Thriller for its 40th anniversary. The dance-heavy medley would have featured “Beat It,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” “Billie Jean” and “Thriller.”
Sony Music Entertainment and the Estate of Michael Jackson released Thriller 40 on Friday. The double CD includes all the songs from Thiller, plus never-released tracks that Jackson worked on for the album.
As noted above, the American Music Awards airs this Sunday, Nov. 20, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
Legendary singer, songwriter and producer Lionel Richie will receive the Icon Award, which “honors an artist whose body of work has marked a global influence over the music industry.”
Stevie Wonder, Ari Lennox and Charlie Puth have been tapped for a tribute performance that will include a medley of Richie’s hits.
In other Brown-related news, he released two new holiday tracks on Friday: “It’s Giving Christmas” and “No Time Like Christmas.”
The festive tunes are Brown’s first Christmas-themed songs since releasing his 2017 album, Heartbreak on a Full Moon (Deluxe Edition): Cuffing Season – 12 Days of Christmas.
Before that, in 2007, he released his stellar rendition of Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas” and a reimagined version of “Try a Little Tenderness.”
Both renditions appeared on the soundtrack for the holiday comedy, This Christmas.
Rated R&B has reached out to reps for American Music Awards for a comment.