RM “Nobody Expected This” — How P!nk and Kelly Clarkson Quietly Ended Years of Feud Talk at the 2017 AMAs
The 2017 American Music Awards began in an unexpected way. There were no flashing lights, no elaborate choreography, and no explosive production. Instead, the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles fell into near silence as two voices took the stage together: P!nk and Kelly Clarkson. In just a few minutes, years of baseless speculation disappeared.
For over a decade, pop culture had clung to a familiar and lazy storyline. Two dominant female vocalists who rose to fame in the early 2000s—similar in age, popularity, and vocal power—were assumed to be rivals. Despite the lack of any real evidence, rumors of tension persisted. That narrative unraveled the moment they opened the show with a haunting rendition of Everybody Hurts.
A Song That Reflected the Times
Originally released by R.E.M. in 1992, Everybody Hurts was not a random choice. The 2017 AMAs came at the end of a year defined by tragedy in the United States, including mass shootings, devastating natural disasters, and deep societal division. The performance was dedicated to victims and first responders, shifting the focus from entertainment to shared mourning.
Rather than competing for attention, P!nk and Clarkson chose restraint. The arrangement was stripped down, allowing emotion to lead. P!nk’s gritty, understated delivery carried quiet weight, while Clarkson’s clear, vulnerable tone offered balance. Neither tried to overpower the other. Instead, their voices intertwined, supporting rather than challenging one another.
Dismantling a Manufactured Rivalry
The impact of the performance went beyond its sound. It symbolized the collapse of a rivalry that never truly existed. Though their careers followed different paths—P!nk with her edgy pop-rock identity and Clarkson emerging from American Idol—both had long been framed as competitors in an industry that rarely allows multiple women to thrive without comparison.
On that stage, there was no trace of ego or tension. Small moments spoke volumes: shared glances, synchronized breathing, and harmonies built on mutual trust. Without a single word of explanation, the duet made its message clear—there was no feud to address.
A Moment That Reshaped the Conversation
The response was immediate. Videos of the performance spread rapidly across social media, and streams of the original R.E.M. track surged worldwide. More importantly, the conversation changed. Fans and critics alike began focusing not on rivalry, but on collaboration and respect—something rarely highlighted in award-show narratives.
Years later, when P!nk appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show, their easy rapport only reinforced what the AMAs performance had already shown: the supposed feud had always been fiction.
Why the Performance Still Resonates
The opening of the 2017 AMAs remains one of the most quietly powerful moments in award-show history. It proved that strength can exist without competition, and unity doesn’t need to be explained or defended. By placing empathy above ego, P!nk and Kelly Clarkson transformed a single song into a lasting statement.
No one anticipated it—but nearly everyone felt its impact.
