BET rounds up artists to pay tribute to Quincy Jones, Roberta Flack, Angie Stone and run Jamie Foxx his flowers
%20BET%20Awards%202025%20Tributes%20%233.png "BET rounds up artists to pay tribute to Quincy Jones, Angie Stone, Roberta Flack, and run Jamie Foxx his flowers | Random J Pop")
Can hear the photo above? LOUD innit.
Y’all. The 2025 BET Awards didn’t completely suck.
What is it with award shows getting their shit together this year!? First the Grammys, now the BET awards.
The 2025 BET Awards was littered with tributes and these were highlights of the show for me. The only shitty thing about them is that they felt cut short. And dare I say it, like afterthoughts in some cases. I know they say it’s the thought that counts, but DAMN. Props to the acts who showed up though. They all did great and delivered. Well, not all of them. But almost all of them.
Shout-outs to staying ready.
When most think of Quincy Jones’ music, they probably think of Michael Jackson. But he did produce for other acts, even scored films and he had albums released under his own name — one of which was Back on the Block, which featured the song “The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)” which I also call “The Pussy Song”.
“The Secret Garden” was released in 1989 and featured Al B. Sure!, James Ingram, El DeBarge and Barry White — all of whom showed up to perform the song together at the 1991 Soul Train Awards and the crowd went CRAZY. Even Luther Vandross couldn’t contain himself as he introduced the performance. Y’all this was like the Avengers of R&B back then — which truly showed the power of Quincy Jones. And [puts on Keke Palmer voice] the gag is that Stevie Wonder was originally supposed to be on “The Secret Garden”, but Quincy couldn’t get him to record it in time. So in came James Ingram. Sorry to that man.
So, shout-outs to whoever came up with the idea to bring together Lucky Daye, Luke James and Miles Caton to perform “The Secret Garden”. Putting Daye, Luke and Miles together really captures the spirit of the act Quincy had originally assembled. As soon as I clicked on the video and saw the runtime, I said ‘Bitch, really?’. And as the performance progressed and Lucky Daye continued to eat into the song, I wondered what would be left for Luke and Miles to sing.
This performance was really good, and a necessary reminder to many of us that there is a new generation of acts in R&B who can actually sing. Although Luke James is the anomaly here, as he has been around for a MINUTE. But Luke’s music career has never really taken off, despite everybody in the industry knowing that man can sing his ass off. I quite liked his debut album, but it was released at the worst time and suffered the same fate Keri Hilson’s debut album — sat on for too long and not releasing when Timbaland and Danja’s popularity were at an all time high. Both Keri and Luke’s albums needed to be released around the time of Timbaland’s Shock Value album. It really is a shame that Luke’s album got slept on, because “Dancing in the Dark” had so much hit potential and coulda been that one song to catapult him, but it just never happened.
HENNYWAY.
It was great to see the inclusion of Miles Caton, following his acting debut in Sinners, where he wowed with his voice. When you see his lil’ baby face, you just do not expect that voice to come out when he opens his mouth. He has such a rich tone and distinctness which sets him apart today. But if he’s gonna be doing these big ass stage performances, he’s gonna need to learn how to let us truly hear that voice, because I could not hear a damn thing he was singing at first. I wanted to reach through the screen, shake that boy and yell ‘SING LOUDER N***A!’. But he’s still young and has only just started doing performances of this scale, so he’ll get better with his projection and what not. Miles is going to be one to watch. The boy can act. He can sing. I really hope his team does well for his career. He should be releasing music, acting in films and doing Broadway. He’s too talented to just do one of the three. Make that boy do THEM ALL. Put him on the path to EGOT status.
Andra Day did a tribute to Roberta Flack. I ain’t even gotta tell you which song she performed. Obviously it was THAT one.
I did not care for this tribute. Andra Day can sing. But this wasn’t her best performance and not the best showcase of her. I didn’t like how she sounded. I didn’t like how she sang the song. I did like the arrangement though. I liked hearing what “Killing Me Softly” would sound like as a James Bond theme. So there was a real chance for Andra to soar with this cover and make it her own, whilst also selling herself to do a Bond theme, but she just didn’t.
“Killing Me Softly” is one of those songs which is just a bitch to cover. Because not only do you have to contend with Roberta’s original version, which countless people know and hold dear to their hearts. But you’ve also got the Fugees version too, which countless people also know and hold dear to their hearts. And to this day people still think that the Fugees version is the original version of the song. And THEN there is also Michael Jackson’s version, from a performance on the █████████ show in 1974, which I’m sure some also know and hold dear to their hearts.
It was good to see BET include a Black country artist. BET shoulda spotlit more of the Black women of country this year, given how they dropped the ball last year. But I’ll take a performance from Brittney Spencer. It’s better than nothing.
Brittney isn’t often put in the conversations which are had of some of the better voices in music right now, but she should be. I was kinda pissed that Beyoncé didn’t let everybody hear more of her voice in “Blackbiird”, but Brittney made them 3 seconds of airtime on the song count during the Beyoncé Bowl, where she threw in a nasty little run which isn’t on the album version of the song. A run so nasty that even Beyoncé smiled like ‘Oooo, okay gurl’. Brittney’s Angie Stone tribute was really good. So good that I actually forgot that it was an Angie Stone tribute, despite Brittney singing one of her most popular songs and there being big ass images of Angie Stone on the screens throughout the entire performance. Brittney truly made “No More Rain (In This Cloud)” her own. I might need a cover album from her. In fact, a cover album of songs in the style of folk and country would be a great move for her, in the wake of this performance and her feature on “Blackbiird”.
This was such an amazing tribute. Zero notes.
This format of tributes and performances honouring icons? BET, ya’ll need to keep this at this standard for every show.
What is it with award shows getting their shit together this year!? First the Grammys, now the BET awards.
The 2025 BET Awards was littered with tributes and these were highlights of the show for me. The only shitty thing about them is that they felt cut short. And dare I say it, like afterthoughts in some cases. I know they say it’s the thought that counts, but DAMN. Props to the acts who showed up though. They all did great and delivered. Well, not all of them. But almost all of them.
Shout-outs to staying ready.
Luke James, Lucky Daye and Miles Caton pay tribute to Quincy Jones
%20BET%20Awards%202025%20Tributes%20%232.png "BET rounds up artists to pay tribute to Quincy Jones, Roberta Flack, Angie Stone and run Jamie Foxx his flowers | Random J Pop") |
| Luke James, Lucky Daye and Miles Caton performing at the BET Awards '25 | BET |
“The Secret Garden” was released in 1989 and featured Al B. Sure!, James Ingram, El DeBarge and Barry White — all of whom showed up to perform the song together at the 1991 Soul Train Awards and the crowd went CRAZY. Even Luther Vandross couldn’t contain himself as he introduced the performance. Y’all this was like the Avengers of R&B back then — which truly showed the power of Quincy Jones. And [puts on Keke Palmer voice] the gag is that Stevie Wonder was originally supposed to be on “The Secret Garden”, but Quincy couldn’t get him to record it in time. So in came James Ingram. Sorry to that man.
So, shout-outs to whoever came up with the idea to bring together Lucky Daye, Luke James and Miles Caton to perform “The Secret Garden”. Putting Daye, Luke and Miles together really captures the spirit of the act Quincy had originally assembled. As soon as I clicked on the video and saw the runtime, I said ‘Bitch, really?’. And as the performance progressed and Lucky Daye continued to eat into the song, I wondered what would be left for Luke and Miles to sing.
This performance was really good, and a necessary reminder to many of us that there is a new generation of acts in R&B who can actually sing. Although Luke James is the anomaly here, as he has been around for a MINUTE. But Luke’s music career has never really taken off, despite everybody in the industry knowing that man can sing his ass off. I quite liked his debut album, but it was released at the worst time and suffered the same fate Keri Hilson’s debut album — sat on for too long and not releasing when Timbaland and Danja’s popularity were at an all time high. Both Keri and Luke’s albums needed to be released around the time of Timbaland’s Shock Value album. It really is a shame that Luke’s album got slept on, because “Dancing in the Dark” had so much hit potential and coulda been that one song to catapult him, but it just never happened.
HENNYWAY.
It was great to see the inclusion of Miles Caton, following his acting debut in Sinners, where he wowed with his voice. When you see his lil’ baby face, you just do not expect that voice to come out when he opens his mouth. He has such a rich tone and distinctness which sets him apart today. But if he’s gonna be doing these big ass stage performances, he’s gonna need to learn how to let us truly hear that voice, because I could not hear a damn thing he was singing at first. I wanted to reach through the screen, shake that boy and yell ‘SING LOUDER N***A!’. But he’s still young and has only just started doing performances of this scale, so he’ll get better with his projection and what not. Miles is going to be one to watch. The boy can act. He can sing. I really hope his team does well for his career. He should be releasing music, acting in films and doing Broadway. He’s too talented to just do one of the three. Make that boy do THEM ALL. Put him on the path to EGOT status.
Andra Day pays tribute to Roberta Flack
%20BET%20Awards%202025%20Tributes%20%235.png "BET rounds up artists to pay tribute to Quincy Jones, Roberta Flack, Angie Stone and run Jamie Foxx his flowers | Random J Pop") |
| Andra Day performing at the BET Awards '25 | BET |
“Killing Me Softly” is one of those songs which is just a bitch to cover. Because not only do you have to contend with Roberta’s original version, which countless people know and hold dear to their hearts. But you’ve also got the Fugees version too, which countless people also know and hold dear to their hearts. And to this day people still think that the Fugees version is the original version of the song. And THEN there is also Michael Jackson’s version, from a performance on the █████████ show in 1974, which I’m sure some also know and hold dear to their hearts.
Brittney Spencer pays tribute to Angie Stone
%20BET%20Awards%202025%20Tributes%20%231.png "BET rounds up artists to pay tribute to Quincy Jones, Roberta Flack, Angie Stone and run Jamie Foxx his flowers | Random J Pop") |
| Brittney Spencer performing at the BET Awards '25 | BET |
Brittney isn’t often put in the conversations which are had of some of the better voices in music right now, but she should be. I was kinda pissed that Beyoncé didn’t let everybody hear more of her voice in “Blackbiird”, but Brittney made them 3 seconds of airtime on the song count during the Beyoncé Bowl, where she threw in a nasty little run which isn’t on the album version of the song. A run so nasty that even Beyoncé smiled like ‘Oooo, okay gurl’. Brittney’s Angie Stone tribute was really good. So good that I actually forgot that it was an Angie Stone tribute, despite Brittney singing one of her most popular songs and there being big ass images of Angie Stone on the screens throughout the entire performance. Brittney truly made “No More Rain (In This Cloud)” her own. I might need a cover album from her. In fact, a cover album of songs in the style of folk and country would be a great move for her, in the wake of this performance and her feature on “Blackbiird”.
Babyface, Tank, Jennifer Hudson, Teddy Riley and pay tribute to Jamie Foxx
When I first started watching the performance honouring Jamie Foxx, my initial thought was ‘The man is not dead.’ But then I had to check myself real quick. I had to remember his 2023 health scare, when it seemed like he was on death’s patio. I also had to remember that we do not do enough to honour people whilst they are alive. So, YES BITCH. Honour that man.Watching Jamie Foxx get honoured was truly a revelatory experience for me, because it made me realise that enough is not said about Jamie Foxx’s contributions to music, film and the culture as a whole, and just how talented that man is at all the things that he does. Bitch, I forget that man is an Academy Award winner, a Golden Globe winner and a Grammy winner. So, this honouring was absolutely necessary. And the people who showed up to perform and honour Jamie speaks to how much that man is loved. Babyface and Teddy Riley!? Baby, these are LEGENDS. Babyface don’t be turning up for just anybody. Tank took time from recording his lil’ podcast to perform. And Jennifer Hudson got up off her talk show couch and remembered she can sing. And for Ludacris AND T-Pain to pop out for their verses on “Unpredictable” and “Blame It”!? Shit had me on my feet.This was such an amazing tribute. Zero notes.
This format of tributes and performances honouring icons? BET, ya’ll need to keep this at this standard for every show.
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