J.I.D. made his American Music Awards debut on Sunday evening (Nov. 20), as the rapper joined rockers Imagine Dragons for a performance of their collaborative effort “Enemy.”
Opening the set with their lively hit “Bones,” Dan Reynolds, the group’s lead singer, is flanked by a group of backup dancers, as the remaining members station themselves behind their respective instruments. Moving around the stage while belting out the song’s lyrics, Reynolds—who shows off a bit of flesh with an unbuttoned top to his outfit—and the band sends the fans in the pit into an uproar with their rollicking introductory number.
From there, the Las Vegas-based group delves into their song “Enemy,” a more measured, but equally entertaining salvo. Fiery pyrotechnics are launched at the drop of the beat, with Reynolds setting the stage for JID, who emerges from the flames to drop his guest verse.
Clad in a white shirt, black pants and black headband, the 32-year-old dives right into the proceedings, rapping, “I’m hopin’ that somebody pray for me/ I’m prayin’ that somebody hope for me/ I’m stayin’ where nobody ‘posed to be/ Posted, being a wreck of emotions,” atop the live instrumentation.
Deploying his rapid delivery while racing against the snares, riffs, and guitar licks, the Dreamville artist takes full advantage of his stage time, visibly wowing the crowd with his lyricism and refined showmanship.
JID’s 2022 AMAs appearance alongside Imagine Dragons is the latest highlight of what’s been a landmark year for the Georgia native. The Grammy nominee released his anticipated third studio album The Forever Story, his first full-length solo release in nearly four years. Peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard 200, the album included features from Kenny Mason, EarthGang, 21 Savage, Baby Tate, Lil Durk, Ari Lennox, Yasiin Bey, Lil Wayne, Johntá Austin, Ravyn Lenae and Eryn Allen Kane.
Released in 2021, “Enemy” marked JID’s biggest hit to date, as the record peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 1 on various charts including Pop Airplay. The song also accounted for one of the more successful singles from Imagine Dragons of the past decade and has since been certified double-platinum by the RIAA.
Watch J.I.D. and Imagine Dragons’ full 2022 AMAs performance here.