With the help of some heavy autotune Cher graced the Billboard Music Awards stage tonight to perform her iconic hit “Believe” in full Cher regalia. That is, dressed in some diamond chains and strategically placed nipple patch that barely covered what she has going on — even at 71 she is still sexy as f*ck. She took the stage with a host of dancers dressed in lots of ’80s garb and neon to deliver the song, introduced by another bright and shape-shifting pop star, Gwen Stefani.
Imagine being in your seventies and still getting up on a stage with other pop stars in the prime of their lives, and giving a performance that was on par with their energy level! It almost seems like it’s impossible, yet that’s exactly what she did. And during a year that’s been full of well, the opposite of love, thinking about moving on from all this was a welcome respite.
But, Cher wasn’t done with just one song — she came back onstage in full hair metal garb, an enormous, curly afro and black leather jacket, plus a sheer glittery leotard to give us “If I Could Turn Back Time.” Both performances ranked among the best of the night, and did I mention that she’s seventy-one?
In between the two performances, a career retrospective of Cher’s life aired, to let people who may not know about her trailblazing talents just how influential she’s been over the decades. Did you remember that Cher was a critically-acclaimed Broadway actress? Yeah, don’t forget her role in Moonstruck either. She earned the Billboard Icon Award a million times over. Watch the whole thing above and her speech accepting the award below.
