Blake Shelton Proves He's Washed Up At 2025 AMAs & We're Sure Miranda Lambert Is Laughing
The American Music Awards has long been one of the biggest nights in music — and pop culture in general. Over the years, the AMAs has given us some truly unforgettable (and downright chaotic) moments: Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake's infamous matching denim, Kanye West storming out after losing Best New Artist (peak Ye behavior), and Lady Gaga making her grand entrance on a mechanical horse. This year, though, the drama didn't come from jaw-dropping fashion or backstage antics — it came from the headliner lineup. Fans were left scratching their heads when Blake Shelton was revealed as a top-billed performer. Shelton is no stranger to awards shows, sure, but the CMAs and ACMs are more his speed. The AMAs? Not so much.
Is this karma for how things went down with Miranda Lambert? Maybe. Many couldn't help but roll their eyes and question why a country crooner many consider past his prime was taking center stage at a show meant to celebrate what's hot right now. Yes, he's nabbed a few AMA trophies in recent years, but this was his first time actually performing on the AMA stage — and funnily enough, it did not go smoothly. A chunk of his set ended up getting muted on the live stream, leaving viewers confused — and completely unimpressed. "I can't hear Blake Shelton? Just fake clapping and cheers??? Lmaooo," one viewer tweeted, with another saying, "Eeeeeeek! No sound for Blake Shelton. Somebody's getting fired for this." Suffice it to say, this wasn't exactly Shelton's shining moment.
Viewers were itching to get Blake Shelton off the AMAs stage
Blake Shelton may consider the 2025 AMAs a career milestone — it was, after all, his performance debut at the show — but fans clearly didn't feel the same way. The internet wasted no time questioning why the country star, whose pop culture relevance has been on a steady decline, was even in the headliner lineup to begin with.
"No Sabrina, Taylor or Gracie but they have Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani as performers? They must've been desperate to get people," one tweeted, dragging not just Shelton but his wife into the mix. Another included host Jennifer Lopez in their complaint, writing, "Nothing like J Lo and Blake Shelton headlining #AMAs in 2025 to show a dead music industry." One even lost their overall interest in watching the show altogether when Shelton appeared on stage. "Blake Shelton being the first performer?? Yea turning this off immediately," they quipped. What a brutal review!
Blake Shelton performs "Stay Country or Die Tryin'" at the #amas pic.twitter.com/9agPFKzKSM
— Live Performance Hub (@performancesdly) May 27, 2025
To his credit, Shelton looked proud as he saluted the audience with a Memorial Day tribute after his performance, but given that part of his set got muted during the livestream, that pride may have been a little misguided. If nothing else, his shaky AMA moment might just inspire his ex, Miranda Lambert, to pen another chart-topping hit. According to one of her close friends, Shelton still lingers in her creative process despite her having already moved on. "Miranda is older and wiser now and she no longer lays all the blame at Blake's feet," they told InTouch. "Now it still gives her fodder for writing hit songs!" We can't wait!