Perhaps the most energetic performance of the night came from pop songstress Ke$ha, with a tribal-inspired performance of her current top-ten Billboard hit "Die Young." While the Tiki aesthetic was admittedly cheesy, the singer shot out like a cannon from the very start in a gold-embossed leotard, bringing a sense of infectious fun to the stage with her acrobatic dance moves, surprisingly-decent live vocals and one inspired moment that saw her taking pounding forcefully on a bongo drum while surrounded by a troupe of skull-faced dancers. When you're on a stage as big as the AMAs, you need to bring your "A" game, and Ke$ha certainly did that tonight.

- Chris Eggertsen