En Vogue Brings the Heat to ‘Free Your Mind’ at Billboard Music Awards

En Vogue closed out a very odd Billboard Music Awards ceremony on Wednesday night with a rock-out performance of their 1992 single “Free Your Mind.”

Decked out in all-black outfits, the current En Vogue trio of Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, and Rhona Bennett exchanged vocal belts in front of a live rock band, briefly giving way to their guitarist’s ripping solo. “Free your mind and the rest will follow/Be color blind, don’t be so shallow,” they sang together. The political message of “Free Your Mind” was not lost on the group, as the band wore “Vote” face masks and a brief sample of Childish Gambino’s racial justice anthem “This Is America” was played toward the end of the song.

Earlier this year, En Vogue reissued their debut album Born to Sing for its 30th anniversary. The reissue included nine rarities from the girl group, including “Mover,” originally released as a B-side exclusive in Japan.

The Billboard Music Awards aired on Wednesday night after six months of delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Because of ongoing social distancing restrictions, the ceremony was held at the Dolby Theatre with no audience. Post Malone was the big winner of the night, taking home nine awards including Top Artist.