PET SOUNDS: Apart from A Great Big World & Xtina, it's hard to say which performances on last night’s AMAs managed to move the needle since the show featured practically every big star who’s spent time at or near the top of the charts this year. That said, One Direction certainly rose to the occasion mere hours before the release of Midnight Memories, delivering “Story of My Life” with Mumford-like panache. The single is presently (as of 5am PT) #5 at iTunes, “Strong” is #7 and four other tracks have landed in the Top 20, while the two versions of the album are 1-2 on that chart—no surprise there. And Ariana Grande's perf propelled her album to #15. But for sheer cuteness, nothing came close to the staging of Miley Cyrus’ performance of “Wrecking Ball,” in which the birthday girl (she’s 21!) belted out her power ballad while a gigantic kitten floated behind her, tears streaming down its adowable widdle face. Our one-word review: genius. (11/25a)
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