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Jennifer Lopez‘s 2025 American Music Awards performance sparked strong reactions on social media. On Monday, May 26, the 55-year-old pop star opened the show by dancing to today’s biggest radio hits. As part of the choreography, Lopez kissed several of her backup dancers in a steamy on-stage moment. While some fans were all for it, others were against it, claiming Lopez only pulled the move because she was “desperate” for attention following her “flop era” last year.
Jennifer Lopez’s AMAs Performance Criticized
Jennifer Lopez’s American Music Awards performance began with the music icon singing her 2012 hit single “Dance Again.” She appeared on stage in a sparkly black ensemble as she belted her track to cheers from the audience. After showing off her vocal prowess, Lopez changed into a shimmering nude bodysuit. She then proceeded to flaunt her dance moves with a routine set to a medley of popular songs, from Doechii’s “Denial Is A River” and Kendrick Lamar’s “TV Off” to Rosé’s “Apt.” and Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather.”
Towards the end of her performance, Lopez turned up the heat by kissing two of her backup dancers. The steamy moment happened while “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims played in the background. She first locked lips with a male dancer before she kissed a female dancer. Lopez almost kissed a third person, but stopped short before they actually touched lips.
Fans didn’t hold back their thoughts about Jennifer Lopez’s 2025 AMAs performance online. Many praised her vocal and dance skills, and thought the kissing was a nice touch to the choreography. However, others felt the interaction with her backup dancers was completely unnecessary. Critics claimed Lopez only kissed her dancers to spark controversy since she may be “desperate” to get back in the spotlight after a lackluster response to her projects last year. If it’s true, they thought it was “embarrassing” for the pop star to resort to such stunts for a bit of press, especially at her age.
“She just seems to be trying too hard lately,” one person said. “At over 50yrs and we kissing people like this?” another asked. Another fan agreed, saying Lopez was “too old for this.”
Can She Recover From Her Flop Era?
It’s true that Jennifer Lopez hasn’t had the best success recently. In 2024, she attempted to make a big comeback with her ninth album, This Is Me… Now. The record, which marked her first in 10 years, dropped alongside her musical film, This Is Me… Now: A Love Story. Instead of revitalizing her music career, it caused her to enter a “flop era” since both projects failed to land with fans.
Lopez’s album debuted at No. 38 on the Billboard 200, making it her only record to miss the chart’s top 20. As for her movie, fans thought it was a train wreck. The criticism got worse when Lopez released a behind-the-scenes documentary for her film called The Greatest Love Story Never Told, which went viral online for all the wrong reasons. Apart from making Lopez seem unrelatable, the documentary made viewers believe that she and Ben Affleck wouldn’t last. Their prediction would later come true when Lopez filed for divorce from the actor in August.
Following the drama with her music release, Jennifer Lopez canceled her This Is Me… Live tour. Rumors quickly spread that it was because she couldn’t sell enough tickets. However, the singer insisted she made the decision in order to spend more time with her children.
After taking a break from music, it seems Lopez is ready to make another comeback. She just announced she’ll be having a Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace with performances beginning in December. Tickets will go on sale on June 6.
