Aaron Paul Calls Arcade Fire ‘Beautiful Bitches’ at iHeartRadio Awards
Compared to their recent live hijinks – including bobblehead craziness, unexpected cover songs and a silly beef with EDM star deadmau5 – Arcade Fire‘s pre-taped performance at Thursday’s iHeartRadio Music Awards was a bit by-the-numbers, with a sturdy take on their Reflektor rocker “Normal Person.” But the real treat was the giddy introduction from Arcade Fire superfan Aaron Paul, who called the band “beautiful, beautiful bitches” in a throwback to his iconic Breaking Bad character, Jesse Pinkman.
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This year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards took place in Los Angeles, so the intro clip finds Paul cruising down Sunset Boulevard. “What I hate about L.A. is the traffic, so you have to have an amazing playlist to get you through the day,” he says. “On every single playlist of mine, I have a beautiful band by the name of Arcade Fire.” He then promises viewers, “If you ever have the opportunity to see them live, and you’re about to tonight, you’re gonna shit your pants.”
Footage of the intro – and the band’s funky, conga-driven take on “Normal Person” – is available at PerezHilton.com.
Meanwhile, iHeartRadio’s most anticipated moment was the debut of Michael Jackson’s “Love Never Felt So Good,” the first single from his upcoming posthumous album, Xscape. But instead of featuring live assistance from Justin Timberlake (who duets with Jackson on the track), the performance included a dance tribute from R&B heartthrob Usher, who nimbly grooved his way across the stage.