Blake Shelton Steps In After Critics Slam Gwen Stefani’s AMAs Spectacle
Let’s cut through the fanfare: Blake Shelton has officially donned his white knight armor to shield Gwen Stefani from the wave of online eye-rolls following her American Music Awards set. After Gwen delivered her trademark high-energy medley on November 21 at Los Angeles’s Microsoft Theater—complete with neon fringe, backup dancers moonwalking in platform boots, and that gravity-defying ponytail—social media erupted. Variety flagged her choreography as “stilted,” Rolling Stone noted a few off-key vocal moments, and even E! News sniffed that the production looked “overstuffed.” Cue Blake, who told People Magazine he’s “proud of her every single moment” and that haters “have too much time on their hands.”
Now, here’s the million-dollar question nobody’s asking: if Gwen’s performance was so flawless in Blake’s eyes, why did her face register more “plot twist” than “rock goddess” on national TV? Critics weren’t just nitpicking—they pointed to a cheese-ball light show that flickered like a broken disco ball and wardrobe snaps that almost sent Gwen mid-spin into wardrobe malfunction territory. Even Entertainment Tonight couldn’t ignore how her dancers looked like they’d joined a Seattle aerobics class instead of a major awards production.
Shelton’s defense? A swooning Instagram story complete with hearts and a behind-the-scenes TikTok of him awkwardly shimmying backstage. Sweet, but isn’t this starting to feel like The Voice meets Amateur Hour? Meanwhile, Gossip Cop reminds us that Gwen’s album drops next month—nothing screams “publicity blitz” like a well-timed defense from your country-star spouse.
Let’s not pretend talent shows and award stages exist in a vacuum. Fans of The Voice have already cast their ballots in her favor, but mainstream audiences tuning in for the AMAs expect more than a throwback setlist dusted in 2000s nostalgia. Next time, Gwen might want to focus on hitting the sweet spot between nostalgia and innovation—unless, of course, Blake’s wardrobe-mending is part of the act.
And there you have it: celebrity hype, public critique, and one man’s Instagram rescue mission. Was this all a calculated promo push? Probably. Will it matter when the next hot take rolls around? Absolutely. So strap in—award season never rests, and neither do the trolls.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Variety, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Tonight, E! News
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
