The best-selling album of all time and arguably Michael Jackson’s magnum opus, Thriller, turns 40 later this year. To pay tribute to this monumental body of art, Maxwell took the stage at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards with his modern rendition of the King of Pop’s “Lady In My Life.”
Dressed in a shimmering, reflective black blazer with matching fingerless gloves—similar to the late megastar’s signature look from that era—the Brooklyn-bred crooner swayed the crowd with his swoon-worthy performance, convincing the women in the audience that they were all the ladies in his life.
The Quincy Jones-produced ballad closes out the record-breaking, nine-track LP and is considered to be the “ultimate” love song. Ahead of his performance, Maxwell spoke about his countless rehearsals and simply wanting to “do it right.”
“It’s Michael Jackson. There’s nobody better, nobody greater,” he shared with E!. “I just wanna do it well and do it with my own twist.” He admitted being shocked when he got the call and said he felt others could tackle such a cover better than he, but fans truly know that his enticing, soulful stage presence was made for a time like this.
Watch Maxwell’s sultry Billboard Music Awards performance below.