Miranda Lambert and Elle King were the definition of peak Las Vegas debauchery during their performance of “Drunk (And I Don’t Want to Go Home)” during the 2022 Billboard Music Awards Sunday (May 15).
The country stars were introduced by the show’s host Diddy, who noted that he loves the song because it sums up so many past scenarios in which he’s found himself.
For the performance, Lambert and King traded the throwback wedding attire they sport in the song’s music video for matching fringed, embroidered and bedazzled suits, which added an extra dash of fun during the singalong hit about the joys of drunken revelry.
But this party song comes with serious bonafides. “Drunk (And I Don’t Want to Go Home)” reached No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart in April, making Lambert and King the the first female duet to reach the top of this chart in almost 30 years, following Reba McEntire and Linda Davis’ 1993 hit “Does He Love You.” “Drunk” also peaked at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April. Released this past February, the duet came after Lambert took King out on the road with her during a recent tour.
During the BBMA performance, the singers were backed by a pair of guitarists and a drummer, with the country stars trading verses for the performance, sharing the song’s anthemic chorus and hitting myriad high notes while flame bursts punctuated the climatic moments.
“Can’t make me!” King shouted at the end in response to the notion of going home. The camera then panned to the audience, where DJ Khaled was spotted nodding and saying “that’s right” in agreement.
The Billboard Music Awards are produced by MRC Live & Alternative, a division of MRC. MRC and Penske Media are co-parent companies of Billboard.
