New Kids On The Block (NKOTB) and New Edition joined forces for the first-time ever for a star-studded performance during the 2021 American Music Awards in Los Angeles.
On Sunday (Nov. 21), the popular Boston-bred boy bands, both of which are two-time AMA winners, teamed up for the ‘Battle of Boston,’ which featured the groups trade stage time back and forth as they performed some of their biggest hits.
The medley included performances of NKOTB’s “You Got It (The Right Stuff),” “Step By Step,” and “Hangin’ Tough,” as well as New Edition’s “Candy Girl,” “Mr. Telephone Man,” “Is This The End,” “Can You Stand the Rain,” and “If It Isn’t Love.”
The performance, which included an epic medley of hits, earned a massive standing ovation.
“I was FaceTiming with Joey [McIntyre] the other night, and he had, literally, tears in his eyes, saying, ‘Dude, I used to sit on the floor listening to [New Edition’s] ‘Lost in Love’ over and over, and now we’re performing with them!’,” Donnie Wahlberg told the Boston Globe ahead of their performance.
The remarkable performance served as their first-time live performance together, which is shocking to most, considering how long they’ve known each other. The epic collaboration also marked the triumphant return to the AMAs stage for both of the groups as NKOTB haven’t perform on the show since 2010 and New Edition haven’t since 1997.
The 2021 American Music Awards also featured performances from Olivia Rodrigo, Bad Bunny with Tainy and Juliete Venegas, Kane Brown, Jennifer Lopez, Silk Sonic, Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood, Diplo, Måneskin, Mickey Guyton, Tyler, the Creator, Walker Hayes, and Zoe Wees.
The awards ceremony also included a star-studded list of presenters, including Machine Gun Kelly, Brandy, Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler, Anthony Ramos, Billy Porter, D-Nice, Drew Lachey, Joey Fatone and Shawn Stockman, JB Smoove, JoJo Siwa, Liza Koshy, Marsai Martin, Madelyn Cline, Michelle Young, and Winnie Harlow.
Sponsored by Xfinity, the 2021 American Music Awards is produced by MRC Live & Alternative and Jesse Collins Entertainment.
Hosted by Cardi B, the American Music Awards aired live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles at 8/7c on ABC.
The show will stream again on Monday, November 22, 2021, via Hulu.
