You heard the women. En Vogue, one of the biggest girl groups on the scene in the ’90s, brought their hit “Free Your Mind” to close down the Billboard Music Awards on October 14, returning to the political message of the 1992 banger. Host Kelly Clarkson (who previously rocked with En Vogue and Salt N Pepa at the 2018 BBMAs) introduced the song as “just as relevant now as it was then” before the group prefaced it with an updated intro: “We are in a state of emergency / Wrote a song about it / Like to hear it? Here you go.” Then the current trio of Terry Ellis, Cyndi Herron, and Rhona Bennett proceeded to own the stage, dressed in punk-rock black in front of a masked band, as a screen behind them flashed a series of issues including “bigotry,” “systemic racism,” and “inequality.” En Vogue performed the song after reissuing their debut, Born to Sing, for their 30-year anniversary, and this fiery performance proved they’ve still got the through-the-roof vocals and lockstep choreography. After that perfect final note, the trio ended the anthem against racism and sexism fittingly, with a Black power salute. And now that you’ve freed your mind, more room to think about that fantastic performance.
Free Your Mind (to Think About En Vogue’s Billboard Music Awards Performance All Day)
