Queen Latifah on Hosting the American Music Awards, Releasing New Music This Year and Being a Taylor Swift Fan: ‘She Makes Really Great, Catchy Songs That We Love’

Queen Latifah is set to take the reins as host of the American Music Awards this Monday night. Her previous stint in that role dates back to 1995, when she co-hosted alongside Tom Jones and country artist Lorrie Morgan as part of a trio. “It’s been a long time, but it was exciting then and it’s exciting now,” Latifah shared in a recent conversation. “I’m just a little bit different person, but you know, we still gotta make it get popping like we did then.” The hip-hop icon and actress, whose career spans decades from her groundbreaking 1989 debut album "All Hail the Queen" to an Oscar-nominated turn in "Chicago," will oversee an evening where Taylor Swift leads the pack with eight nominations. “I don’t know if I call myself a Swiftie, but I’m a fan of Taylor Swift, for sure,” Latifah remarked. “I always have been. I think she makes great songs. She makes really great, catchy songs that we love.”

Latifah expressed no surprise at Swift’s enduring success, offering a sharp analysis of the pop star’s rise. “She was able to get those records played on the radio. That’s step one. Can you get your record played?” Latifah explained. “When she got her records played, there were a bunch of girls who looked like her who connected to those songs. She wrote to what a lot of young girls were feeling, and young people, for that matter. And then, as you got to hear her talk, she seemed to be like someone who wanted to stick up for people rather than talk down to people.” When asked if she would perform during the show, Latifah demurred, stating, “This isn’t the Queen Latifah show. It is the American Music Awards, and there are lovely people that are nominated, and they deserve to have the stage and really rock the stage. I’m here to facilitate their greatness, that’s all I’m here to do.” Despite being labeled American music royalty, she added with a chuckle, “Thank you, but I’m always prepared for whatever. Roll up with a piano and if a guitar appears from nowhere, I’m sure I can figure something out.” On her preparation strategy, she noted, “I can’t say I’m such a musicologist that I’m familiar with everyone’s everything but, of course, I’ll play their music to get familiar with whomever I might not be familiar with. With some people, I realize I know their music, I just didn’t know their names.”

Regarding her wardrobe for the evening, Latifah kept details close to the vest. “A girl doesn’t tell her outfit change, but let’s say no less than three,” she revealed. Reflecting on her last musical moment, she described a spontaneous Instagram discovery: “I was singing in the mirror last night. There’s a girl who made this version of ‘I Will Survive,’ and I just watched it on Instagram. Bray’s Anatomy is her name. I watched her singing with all these harmonies, and before you knew it I was singing, ‘I Will Survive’ with her.” On the topic of new music, Latifah confirmed plans for a release after a long hiatus since her 2009 album "Persona." “I am going to try and drop something this year. I guess I have to, at least start letting some of this music out that I’ve been holding on my computer for so long,” she said. “I play it so much that I feel like it’s already out. I think I will actually share it with the people this year. There’s nothing that really sounds like me or is my style that is out there. There’s bits and pieces here and there, but there’s only one me, so I think I need to put some of this music out.” When asked about the genre, she described it as a blend of hip hop, jazz, and soul. As for a return to musical films—following her Oscar-nominated role in "Chicago"—Latifah quipped, “You gotta call the people and say, ‘When are you going to put Queen in a musical again?’ They listen to you! I don’t think there’s any type of movie that I like making more than a musical because, honestly, I like rehearsal.” She also hinted at a possible Broadway venture, noting, “That has been an option so it’s always possible. We gotta get the Jersey girl on Broadway. I can shoot through the tunnel real quick and make it happen for the people.” The AMAs, produced by Dick Clark Productions and CBS, will air live on Memorial Day, May 25, at 8 p.m. ET and 5 p.m. PT on CBS, with streaming and on-demand availability via Paramount+. Variety will also cover the red carpet starting at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET across its social channels.