In what was one of the most anticipated performances of the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, legendary songstress, Cher hit the stage Sunday night with a performance that was seriously out of this world.
#BBMAs: @Cher sings “Believe,” marking her first award show performance in 15 years pic.twitter.com/MlvRt3U3er
โ Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 22, 2017
The 71-year-old was glamorous, fit and fierce as she seized the stage with style and purpose, opening to deafening cheers and applause.
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Wearing a rhinestone-encrusted fringed wrap over a rhinestone bra and panty set, the star donned a short blond wig to sing her smash hit “Believe.”
Though the performance was stunning, there was something slightly off in what appeared to be a missing pasty in her first number.
Cher was joined on stage by a bevy of dancers for the electric number, with the neon set and bright lights only adding to the powerful performance, which quickly got the audience on its feet.
After a video highlighting her career accomplishments, Cher returned to the stage in a curly black wig, see-through black unitard and black leather jacket to perform another of her iconic hits, “If I Could Turn Back Time.”
This performance had a much more rock and roll feel, an apt choice considering the many transformations Cher has undergone throughout her storied career.
This is an EPIC @cher throwback! ๐ฏ #BBMAs pic.twitter.com/WsspM1LSWf
โ Entertainment Weekly (@EW) May 22, 2017
In addition to her epic set, Gwen Stefani presented Cher with the 2017 Billboard Music Awards ICON Award, an honor that was first established in 2011 and has been bestowed upon Neil Diamond, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Celine Dion and Jennifer Lopez.
Calling Cher “a woman who is truly the definition of the word icon,” Stefani said Cher is an inspiration to her and many others, noting her iconic fashion sense, perseverance and self-confidence as just a few of the many attributes that have made Cher the legend she is.
.@gwenstefani graced the #BBMAs stage to welcome this year’s #BBMAs Icon Award winner, @cher! #IconCher pic.twitter.com/seMCB1Uc1z
โ BillboardMusicAwards (@BBMAs) May 22, 2017
With more than 100 million albums sold worldwide and a No. 1 single in almost every decade from the ’60s to the 2010s, Cher has certainly earned this prestigious honor and delivered one of the most memorable performances of the evening.
The star used her acceptance speech to thank her mother for her support, as well as Sonny Bono and many others who had a hand in her career over the years. She also noted that she just turned 71 and can still do a five-minute plank, further proving that she is goals.
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“I think luck has so much to do with my success,” Cher said. “I think it was mostly luck and a little bit of something thrown in.”
Photo Credit: Getty / Ethan Miller, Getty /John Shearer/BBMA2017