Kane Brown’s “Super Awkward” ACMs Moment Was Choreographed by Producers
There were quite a few reasons to be irked by the 2018 ACM Awards in April, including the producers completely axing out any In Memoriam segment for the fallen country music greats from the previous year, and very little attention paid to the victims of the Route 91 Harvest Fest massacre during the telecast. Both the Route 91 Harvest Fest and the ACMs were held in Las Vegas blocks from each other, which could have made for the perfect tribute.
But one of the worst moments came when Kane Brown came creeping up on Lauren Alaina at the end of their duet on “What Ifs”—so close it didn’t feel sexy at all. It felt awkward and inappropriate, at least for country music. Far from the chemistry and platonic affection displayed by duet greats of country music’s past such as Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, it’s seemed like the perfectly wrong move in the midst of the #metoo movement, and just uncomfortable in general, especially when you consider what the real life relationship between Kane Brown and Lauren Alaina is.
It’s easy to pawn off the fault for the inappropriate moment on Kane Brown, but Kane is surprisingly saying he wasn’t on board with the moment either, and it was the ACM choreographers and producers who insisted on it.
“That was the first thing they told us. They were just like, ‘This is how you end.’ And we were like ‘What?'” Brown told Taste of Country. Kane says he hasn’t watched a replay of the performance since it happened because of the awkwardness. “It was super awkward. Lauren was like, ‘Might as well go ahead and grab his butt too!'”
Of course the moment resulted in dating rumors between the two, but Kane Brown is engaged to another woman, and Lauren Alaina is also in a committed relationship. Making the moment even more tense and inappropriate, Kane Brown and Lauren Alaina have known each other since middle school, and often cite each other almost as siblings. That may also pose the question why the two are dueting on a song like “What Ifs” to begin with, or why Brown or Alaina didn’t outright refuse.
Nonetheless, putting two performers in a situation neither felt comfortable with (nor did much of the audience) is something the ACM Awards should be as embarrassed by as much as forgetting to pay tribute to fallen country greats. If two consenting adults want to tango, that’s one thing. But forcing them to act out a creepy momen on a country music awards show exhibited very poor judgement by the producers.
May 10, 2018 @ 8:09 am
It’s great how Kane Brown only finds that moment “super awkward” instead of the entirety of his career thus far.
May 10, 2018 @ 11:08 am
Kane is a modest young man and takes his commitment to Katelyjae serious. Where most men on tour might fool around, Kane makes sure she knows he’s is hers and Only hers. I knew rumors were gonna fly, but anyone who knew kane, would know there were NOTHING to them.
May 10, 2018 @ 12:08 pm
An
May 10, 2018 @ 12:09 pm
And you know this how?
May 10, 2018 @ 2:07 pm
Superfan!
May 10, 2018 @ 11:44 am
I love this kid his music and his voice is awesome. haters will hate
May 12, 2018 @ 12:30 am
“I derpy this derp and his derpy is derpilicious.” Why are you on this site? You won’t find bigger haven of Kane Brown loathers on earth. And with good reason. He is aural feces.
July 5, 2018 @ 11:10 am
His closet has a screen door on it.
May 10, 2018 @ 8:30 am
It’s probably wrong to bag on someone’s personal appearance, and I know I’m not the handsomest dude in the room myself, but sweet mama Kane Brown is hard to look at, even in profile.
May 10, 2018 @ 1:11 pm
Opinion from a old 60 year old woman kane Brown is hot. I love his voice and hope he continues to make music.
May 10, 2018 @ 4:38 pm
Yeah, isn’t he?
May 10, 2018 @ 4:56 pm
Is this the opinion of a straight or gay male , either or Kane Brown has more sex appeal and great music than you could wish for but carry on everyone has a right to their opinion
May 10, 2018 @ 5:24 pm
Kane Brown>Lefty Frizzell
May 10, 2018 @ 5:42 pm
I’m only approving this one comment to say quit fucking impersonating Honky. Your comments are getting deleted anyway. One Honky is enough. Find a new bit.
May 10, 2018 @ 8:45 pm
Talking about how “great” his “music” is, on this site, is comical. You won’t get that, I know, but it is. Nobody can argue about what sex appeal he as to you, but if “hot” sex appeal young Tigerbeat stars is your thing, there are plenty of like minded teeny bopper (or older people who never outgrew that stage past 15 years old) sites that you can frequent.
May 10, 2018 @ 9:30 pm
Well you see I was merely commenting on a post that had absolutely nothing to do with you or your sick mind it was to the gentleman that voiced his opinion on Kane Browns personal appearance so seeing as how you are familiar with such sights why don’t you run along and play now and stop trying to be so foolish with your fucktard comments
May 10, 2018 @ 9:46 pm
If you are actually even sincerely TRYING to understand and reply to my comment, then I’m at loss here and good luck to you.
May 10, 2018 @ 8:34 am
Of course the ACMs forgot to pay tribute to country stars that passed away. What would Don WIlliams, Glen Campbell, Leon Rhodes, or Mel Tillis have to contribute to what the ACMs consider country music today?
May 10, 2018 @ 8:56 am
what isn’t awkward about Kane Brown.
May 10, 2018 @ 11:10 am
Kane isn’t awkward, because he is different then most country singers. Do go hatin on him. He has more talentertaining then alot of others. He has earned where he is and we’ll deserves it
May 10, 2018 @ 2:47 pm
Leave it to a fan of awful music to make up a word like talentertaining. I bet you though you were smart with that one huh? Lol
May 10, 2018 @ 9:25 am
I’d expect this article to be in People magazine
May 10, 2018 @ 9:54 am
Some of us don’t read rags like that so we come here for our news feeds on ALL things country related.
May 10, 2018 @ 10:26 am
Yeah neither do i but nice to know you consider him country though.
May 10, 2018 @ 10:40 am
Just because I write an article about an artist doesn’t mean I either endorse them or consider them country. You would be hard pressed to find a harsher critic of Kane Brown over the years than myself. However putting any artist in an inappropriate situation against their wishes is uncool. I very heavily criticized Kane Brown when this moment happened on the ACM Awards in real time. Least I can do is point the ire where it deserves to go, which is in the direction of the ACMs.
May 10, 2018 @ 11:12 am
Thank you for putting the blame where it needs to be. I’m not sure why all the disrespect is being thrown at Kane Brown. Because he doesn’t wear cowboy boots? There is no denying his voice, period.
May 10, 2018 @ 11:07 am
Why all the haters on Kane Brown? He has an amazing voice and a great personality. So what if he doesn’t fit your part. Keep doin what your doin Kane, these haters gonna hate no matter what.
May 11, 2018 @ 9:16 pm
Because this is a website for country music. Real country music, NOT pop music which is waht Kane Brown is. If you want to see why the article was written then, see Triggers comment above.
May 10, 2018 @ 11:10 am
Oh shut up. Stop bitching about artists then using them for click bait.
May 10, 2018 @ 11:30 am
I very directly criticized Kane Brown for this moment when it occurred on the ACMs. Very understandable why myself and others would do so in that moment, because it was inappropriate. Only fair to then turn around, take Kane Brown at his word, and offer clarification of who choreographed the moment once it’s revealed. Shutting up would be the irresponsible thing to do in this instance.
May 10, 2018 @ 12:00 pm
Apparently the KB fan club has come out for this one.
I don’t care how he looks. And I don’t care how famous or big he is in corporate pop culture.
Listen folks, KB does have a good voice – it’s just not put to use in his songs. There’s hardly any singing at all. What ends up on his albums is not country music.
If he ever escaped the clutches of the nash music machine and put out an album of real country songs, many “haters” here would be blown away by his incredible country singing voice. But he hasn’t done that.
May 10, 2018 @ 12:08 pm
Just what I was going to say.
May 11, 2018 @ 6:27 am
I don’t like how everyone is making such a big deal about this performance I’m pretty sure every country singer has done something like this. Love country ????
May 10, 2018 @ 8:31 pm
It’s always funny when this happens. I don’t want to sound pretentious but its pretty hard not to feel sorry for them. All the people saying how hot he is should go to Chipndales or Thunder From Down Under, get that out of their system and then listen to MUSIC, not a “hot” guy who has a decent voice. How the FUCK do looks effect the music?
May 11, 2018 @ 3:18 am
Well said, Trigger. Apparently some people’s minds are too closed & small to be fair, or, objective. God forbid someone have a different opinion – are the comments & replies on this site always so hateful? Tough crowd!
May 11, 2018 @ 7:43 am
Who are you asking?
If you’re asking me, I wouldn’t call the comments about KB hateful. I would say though, that on a website dedicated to “Saving Country Music,” that “artists” who represent the opposite of that, and seem to be working along with their corporate partners to undermine what so many hold dear, do in fact receive a healthy amount of criticism.
May 12, 2018 @ 7:33 am
Disagree wholeheartedly on one point: I absolutely hate Kane Brown, and my comments are definitely hateful.
May 10, 2018 @ 12:56 pm
The entirety of this blog and it’s author crack me up; dude you are like the third Old man Muppet up in the opera box. There are 10’s of thousands of Patsy Cline, Chet Atkins and Roy Acuff songs all over the web,go cry in your beer and listen dude! FFS
May 10, 2018 @ 2:11 pm
Plenty of rap sites on the ol interwebs, too. You really shouldn’t use that username in vain.
May 10, 2018 @ 1:38 pm
Really it’s came down to the author not liking the moment which ok is fine but how can you speak for the audience or the fan base as a whole? You have no clue what other people think or thought of the situation. Y’all “authours” need to find some better things to write about.
May 10, 2018 @ 2:53 pm
Not seeing anyone attempting to speak for Kane Brown’s fan base. There did seem to be a lot of concern for the moment from the audience in general though.
May 10, 2018 @ 9:39 pm
I’m quite sure if the two young and rising country singers would have known or even thought that what they were told to do would have caused so much negativity it would have been different. I blame their managers for not stepping in and telling the directors this wasn’t going to happen .
May 11, 2018 @ 9:20 pm
I didn’t see two young and rising country singers. Pop singers but certainly not country singers.
May 10, 2018 @ 2:42 pm
I’d rather be killed and eaten by orcs than listen to Kane Brown.
If only I hadn’t destroyed the ring… I could use it to destroy pop country.
May 10, 2018 @ 3:18 pm
LOOKS LIKE MEAT’S BACK ON THE MENU, BOYS!!!!
May 10, 2018 @ 2:51 pm
‘Do watchyer doin! Haters gonna hate! Be you!’ Good lord these Kane Brown fans and radio country fans in general are very annoying.
May 10, 2018 @ 3:19 pm
Wow annoying you say. Let me tell you what’s annoying , you inconsiderate people bashing a young man that has made it to the top and above of country music and it wasn’t handed to him nor was his parents filthy ass rich . Everyone has a right to their opinion but jealousy is a wasted emotion. Carry on Kane Brown you are wonderful and real. Haters keep hating you won’t ever fill that boys shoes
May 10, 2018 @ 4:01 pm
You should change your name to Stan…
May 10, 2018 @ 4:11 pm
Tell me, who have I bashed?
May 10, 2018 @ 4:46 pm
I’m sorry Benny Lee but I’m not quite on your level to understand your meaning of calling someone stan , unless however you are referring to the Eminem song about his infatuated fan and if this be the case all I have to say to that is Grow Up before you post ignorant comments that make you look like a very uneducated fool. And for Messer forgive me if I misread your post about country fans
May 11, 2018 @ 9:00 am
Kim,
Your response to Messer was classic stan, the very thing that Messer was commenting on (although I think in relation to other comments above). So I made a little joke about it. But instead of letting it be, or better yet, learning from the experience, you go textbook stan all over again.
My comment was not ignorant, it was observational. That’s what makes it funny to those who get it.
It’s hard to have an adult conversation, like grown ups, when you come in flying off the handle like a stan. Try to remember that not everyone who disagrees with your viewpoint is an idiot or an enemy.
May 11, 2018 @ 9:28 am
I’m not sure if my comment posted so I will reply again. Benny Lee. I am inclined to agree and apologize as I understand your comment. I did take it critical and should have not acted out irrational as I did. I do apologise for my comment to you and for being so hasty. I stand corrected
May 11, 2018 @ 8:45 pm
No hard feelings.
It’s the internet after all!
May 11, 2018 @ 8:49 pm
It Is the internet but I’m woman enough I don’t mind admitting my wrongs
May 10, 2018 @ 5:01 pm
Is this the opinion of a straight or gay male , either or Kane Brown has more sex appeal and great music than you could wish for but carry on everyone has a right to their opinion
May 10, 2018 @ 5:12 pm
I think he is so ugly that you old ladies think you have a chance at getting in his daisy dukes.
May 10, 2018 @ 5:17 pm
Lmao and the hits keep coming .
May 10, 2018 @ 5:51 pm
It didn’t find the end any more awkward than the whole damn performance. They just looked stupid through the whole damn thing. Her singing a rap/hip-hop rhythm and him just trying to sing. I think that Taylor Swift with her awful “kid in bedroom performing in front of the mirror” antics gave a whole generation of performers to not be very good entertainers and performers. I always thought Taylor looked like a big nerd, not a rock star. Now, we have all of these kids that really don’t have “IT” playing superstar. I just don’t get how anyone cares about this duet or these two artists?
May 10, 2018 @ 9:47 pm
Nobody should be told they have to do something that feels funny but they were great and nobody could replace KJ, unless he wants to. Hence the stupid rumors! The ugliest girl such as myself would ave been flattered awesome job Kane!
May 11, 2018 @ 3:35 am
So, y-all are mad because women think Kane Brown is hot & has a great voice? Lol
May 12, 2018 @ 12:24 am
Wow…you know us so well.
May 12, 2018 @ 12:27 am
We’re mad, because this guy’s name is always listed about 2-3 words away from the word “country”.
May 11, 2018 @ 5:49 am
Can nobody do anything anymore without complaining I think it was awesome and great love his music and he knows what he is doing let him sing and her they sing awesome together let him be he is awesome…what if???
May 11, 2018 @ 7:29 am
Kane’s complaining too so….
May 11, 2018 @ 6:29 am
This crap gets on my nerves. Just because you don’t like it it doesn’t give you a right to make him sound disgusting. I personally liked his performance.
May 12, 2018 @ 12:25 am
It’s like you can’t read.
But he is disgusting. His music is also disgusting. This piece of shit covers Justin Bieber at his shows. He’s about as country as Yanni.
May 12, 2018 @ 8:35 am
I think your jealous. plus Justin Bieber Sucks. the only people to call the performance akward should be him and lauren.
May 12, 2018 @ 10:48 am
Totally jealous. Nail on the head right there, genius.
May 11, 2018 @ 6:47 am
Now that I’ve got my morning laugh out of the way…
May 11, 2018 @ 10:50 am
Guilty pleasure confession: I actually enjoy Kane Brown’s “Heaven” quite a bit.
To be fair though, I was also a Backstreet Boys/N’Sync fan in my younger days, and Heaven’s essentially what you get it you take one of their songs and drop an octave.
May 11, 2018 @ 2:21 pm
Say no more, Kevin. You have a cat in your avatar.
May 11, 2018 @ 3:36 pm
I wouldn’t be able to pick either of them out in a room. I think I’ve heard the Kane Brown name, but not the other. First time I’ve heard either of them sing is when I looked up this video on YouTube to see what Trigger was talking about. What a crappy song. It’s why I neither listen to country music on the radio nor watch the ACM. Thankful for streaming music so I can avoid this tripe.
I guess the ending was creepy, or whatever, but if it was so creepy or uncomfortable, then they should have refused. Doesn’t matter that they say they didn’t like it in retrospect. They can say no.
May 12, 2018 @ 12:23 am
Good Odin, Kane Brown is fucking terrible.
May 12, 2018 @ 5:32 am
There is nothing on this earth more lame than a bunch of suburban thirty and forty something soccer moms blurting out “haters gonna hate.”
May 12, 2018 @ 5:51 am
I am a person who loves this song. The live performance was awkward to me. The video is quite different to me. If you watch it, there is no way these people don’t have a connection. And if you don’t relate to this song, you are lucky or dead. I don’t care if you think it is not country. The duet is amazing.
January 18, 2020 @ 1:17 pm
You all need to shut this hate down right freaking now! I’m not having it!!