Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis set an 'Optimistic' tone at the Billboard Music Awards 2021

Billboard Music Awards 2021 concluded with a spectacular set of performances on May 24, 2021. The awards show was hosted by Nick Jonas. Legendary singers like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis awed the audience with their performance of the 90s hit track Optimistic. They also collaborated with soul and gospel singers Ann Nesby and the Sounds of Blackness. 

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis perform Optimistic at the Billboard Music Awards 2021

Optimistic is a 1991 track that hit #3 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It also made it to the top 20 of the Dance Club Song listing. The track is from the debut album of Sounds of Blackness titled The Evolution of Gospel. The song is produced by R&B songwriting duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis along with Garry Hines. Ann Bennett-Nesby gave vocals for the original composition. This song was once again revived on the stage of Billboard Music Awards 2021. 

According to Billboard, the 2021 rendition of Optimistic was delivered as a tribute to the music composing duo's hometown of Minneapolis. The song was performed at Prince's Paisley Park in Minnesota. The duo gave a shout out to the "place that musically has always represented change to the status quo". The acapella rendition by the original team also had pictures of recent activism, much of it centred around the recent Minneapolis events. 

About Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis's musical career

Veteran music producer and songwriting duo Jimmy and Terry's last year's R&B song He Don't Know Nothin' Bout It in collaboration with singer Babyface was announced as one of the 10 best R&B songs of 2020 by Billboard. The duo has a long list of 41 #1 hits on the US Billboard charts and 31 #1 hits on the UK Billboard charts. They have produced several chart-topping numbers in the 80s and 90s like Escapade, Love Will Never Do (Without You), That's The Way Love Goes, Again, for Janet Jackson. They have won five Grammy awards so far and have 11 nominations in the Producer of the Year category at the Grammy Awards. The duo has also produced songs for Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, Usher, Alexander O'Neal. 

(Image: Jimmy Jam's Instagram)