Queen Latifah On Hosting the AMAs, New Music and Taylor Swift

Queen Latifah is gearing up to host the American Music Awards this Monday night, marking her return to the hosting gig after her last stint in 1995 alongside Tom Jones and Lorrie Morgan. Reflecting on her upcoming role, Latifah shares, “It’s been a long time, but it was exciting then and it’s exciting now. I’m just a little bit different person, but you know, we still gotta make get it popping like we did then.”

Leading the night with eight nominations is none other than Taylor Swift, a musician Latifah admires for her catchy and relatable songs. Latifah praises Swift for connecting with her audience and standing up for people through her music.

When asked if she will be performing during the show, Latifah humbly states, “This isn’t the Queen Latifah show. It is the American Music Awards, and there are lovely people that are nominated, and they deserve to have the stage and really rock the stage. I’m here to facilitate their greatness, that’s all I’m here to do.”

As for her own music career, Latifah hints at a new album dropping this year, promising a unique blend of hip hop, jazz, and soul. She also expresses her love for musicals and teases the possibility of returning to Broadway in the future.

The American Music Awards will air live on CBS on Memorial Day, May 25, and will also be available for streaming on Paramount+. For all the red carpet coverage, be sure to follow Variety’s social channels starting at 1 p.m PT/4 p.m. ET.

With her charismatic personality and passion for music, Queen Latifah is sure to bring a touch of Jersey flair to the American Music Awards stage this year.