1. Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar “Freedom” performance
What better way to kick off an award show than with a “surprise” opening performance by the Queen Bey herself? The buildup to the performance was especially enjoyable, with stars like Tia Mowry talking about how excited for the performance they were and the arrival of Beyoncé’s dancers, all lined up in formation.
And then there was the performance. After walking out to an excerpt from the late Martin Luther Jr., Beyoncé performed a powerful rendition of “Freedom” from her visual album Lemonade in a pool of water, serving the audience with intense choreography and powerful vocals. But once it seemed like the performance was winding down, it was not over. No one was expecting Kendrick Lamar to emerge from the floor and continue the powerful performance.
This was one of the best BET Awards performances of all time and set the tone for the rest of the show.
