Monday 21 November 2022 04:26 AM AMAs 2022: Cardi B comes out as SURPRISE guest during GloRilla's performance trends now

Cardi B made a shock return to the stage at Sunday's 2022 American Music Awards as she performed on stage with GloRilla - days after attending Takeoff's funeral.

The rapper, 30, put on a brave face as she slipped into a busty pastel blue bodysuit to perform Tomorrow 2 with her collaborator GloRilla, 23.

Cardi looked incredible as she pulled off an energetic performance with her tresses styled in a sleek updo. 

GloRilla wore a yellow and black bikini top paired with matching gloves and pants as she supported her pal Cardi. 

The performance comes little over a week after Cardi and her loved ones said a final farewell to Takeoff, who was killed by gunshots on November 1.

Takeoff, one third of Migos, was the nephew of Cardi's husband Offset.   

The service on November 11 saw Drake deliver an emotional eulogy comparing himself and Migos to the Rat Pack, according to TMZ. Meanwhile top-flight stars including Justin Bieber and Chloe Bailey delivered musical performances in Takeoff's memory. 

Mourners gathered in the State Farm Arena, including Cardi, who concealed her eyes behind a massive pair of sunglasses as she sat in the audience.

A brief social media clip of Drake's eulogy saw him hail Takeoff as 'forever balanced. Whenever he would take his shades off, he had this thing about him that I loved – no matter what was going on around us he was, like, always kinda squinting but like his eyes were wide open.'

Offset found himself reduced to tears as he gave a speech memorializing his cousin, whom he credited with having 'changed the culture of music forever.'

Footage of the speech posted to TikTok showed Offset repeatedly becoming too overcome with emotion to go on, only for the audience to applaud and encourage him.

He begged God to give him and his family 'strength,' saying: 'I don’t wanna question you, God, I just don’t - I don’t get it. I don’t get you sometimes.'  

Taylor Swift claimed the honors for favorite pop album for Red (Taylor's Version).

Swift, 32, prevailed in a loaded category that included Adele (30), Bad Bunny (Un Verano Sin Ti), Beyoncé (Renaissance), Harry Styles (Harry's House) and The Weeknd (Dawn FM).

She said in her acceptance speech: 'This album is a re-recorded album, and I cannot tell you how much my re-recorded albums mean to me, but I never expected or assumed that they would mean anything to you.

'So I can't thank you enough for caring about this album that I'm so proud of.'

She went on to thank a number of collaborators on her music and videos

Swift also captured the honors for favorite music video for her short film for All Too Well (Taylor's Version).

She was nominated against Adele (Easy On Me); Bad Bunny ft. Chencho Corleone (Me Porto Bonito); Harry Styles - (As It Was); Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow - (INDUSTRY BABY).

'This short film was ten years in the making, and the only reason I got to write and direct the film is because you the fans chose the song,' Swift said in her second acceptance speech of the evening. 'You chose it - no one at a record label chose, you picked it. You said that is the song that matters to us, and it was just so happens that it was the song that matters the most to me.'

She also thanked actors Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien for trusting her 'as a director' for the video with their 'immense talent.'  

Swift's third, and most prominent, victory of the evening came as she was named artist of the year. She was named with the vaunted honors over fellow nominees Adele, Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Drake, Harry Styles and The Weeknd.

In her third acceptance speech of the evening, Swift said she was grateful for her fans for supporting her projects in recent years.

'You know, in the past few years, I have released more music than I did in the entire decade preceding that, and I really feel like that's down to the fact that you, the fans, made it clear that you wanted to hear lots of music that I would make - you encouraged me,' she said.

Swift continued: 'And so, I found that the more music I made and the more music I put out, the happier I was. The more I just kept that channel open and just kept creating, kept making things, and the more that happened, the more you guys were like, yeah, keep doing it. And the happier I was, so I have the fans to thank, essentially, for my happiness.

'And I love you more than I can say. I cannot express how unbelievable it is to me that I still get to do this and that you still care, so thank you underlined with 13 exclamation points! I don't know what to say. I love you.'

Machine Gun Kelly took home the honors for favorite rock artist. He bested a field including Imagine Dragons, Måneskin, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Lumineers. 

Dan + Shay took home the award for favorite country duo or group, besting a field including Lady A, Old Dominion, Parmalee and Zac Brown Band. 

Chris Brown, who was not in attendance at Sunday's event, won the honors for favorite male R&B artist, defeating a field including Brent Faiyaz, Givēon, Lucky Daye and The Weeknd.

Presenter Kelly Rowland accepted the honors for Brown, thanking the artist for making great R&B music and being an incredible performer.