Spring just started, but Megan Thee Stallion kicked off Hot Girl Summer 2022 at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on Tuesday (Mar. 22). Megan, 27, was one of the few performers booked for the show, and she slayed the Shrine Auditorium’s stage. Megan arrived in style – actually, she showed up in a giant red oven. After emerging in a fire-engine red outfit, Megan delivered a few bars of “Megan’s Piano” from her Something For the Hotties album. She then kicked into her new hit with Dua Lipa, “Sweetest Pie.” There was everything – people getting hit in the faces with pies. Dancing. Megan even twerked on a red piano. That’s one way to play the 88 keys!
It was Megan twerking on that Piano for me😍🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 #MeganTheStallion pic.twitter.com/VQExvTdKVF
— theequeenstallion1👑/SWEETEST PIE🔥 (@queen_stallion1) March 23, 2022
Afterward, she was awarded the 2022 Trailblazer Award. A breathless Megan swore that she would use her platform to stand up against adversity and champion Black women. She thanked everyone, especially her Hotties, for all their support. Megan also gave love to all the women who blazed a trail for her.
SHE NEVER ASKED TO BE THE IT GIRL BABY! 👏👑 @theestallion #iHeartAwards2022 pic.twitter.com/DtgnmJRZtS
— iHeartRadio (@iHeartRadio) March 23, 2022
We ALLLLL have someone we wanna do this to! 🤣 @theestallion #iHeartAwards2022 pic.twitter.com/Dw0wI5QVuN
— iHeartRadio (@iHeartRadio) March 23, 2022
LOOOOL did Megan thee stallion just twerk on the piano keys 😭😭 #iHeartAwards2022 pic.twitter.com/TMlN2uKJLK
— dosa ✨🧚🏾♀️ (@doseofdosa) March 23, 2022
The Houston native went into the 2022 awards with three nominations. She was up for Hip-Hop Artist of the Year, facing Drake, Lil Baby, Moneybagg Yo, and Pop Smoke. Meg was also nominated for Best Fan Army, with her Hotties going up against Beliebers (Justin Bieber), Rushers (Big Time Rush), Arianators (Ariana Grande), Selenators (Selena Gomez), Livies (Olivia Rodrigo), Harries (Harry Styles), Swifties (Taylor Swift), Louies (Louis Tomlinson), Limelights (Why Don’t We), and the ARMY of BTS.
Meg’s third nomination was for TikTok Bop Of The Year. Like the Fan Army Award, this was socially voted. Her “Thot Sh-t” was nominated alongside Maneskin’s “Beggin’,” Olivia Rodrigo’s “good 4 u,” PinkPantheress’s “Just For Me,” Doja Cat and SZA’s “Kiss Me More,” Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” Justin Bieber and The Kid LAROI’s “Stay,” Coi Leray’s “Twinnem,” Cardi B’s “Up,” and Doja Cat’s “Woman.”
Unfortunately, Megan also went into the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards while battling her label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, once again. Megan sued 1501 in February, claiming that her label told her that Something for Thee Hotties, the collection of B-sides and loose singles, doesn’t meet her contract’s definition of an “Album.” Thus, Something for Thee Hotties didn’t satisfy her contract’s “Minimum Recording Commitment.” Megan is contractually obligated to release a certain number of labels for 1501, and Billboard reports that she would have one album left on the deal if Something for Thee Hotties was counted towards the total.
1501 has since countersued Megan, seeking a court to declare that Something for Thee Hotties is not an album, as well as monetary damages “based on the contract breaches, and attorneys’ fees and costs,” per Pitchfork. The countersuit also shared some details about Megan’s contract. The label alleges, per Pitchfork, that “terms of multiple contracts Megan has signed with the label” require her releases to contain “at least 12 new master recordings of her studio performances of previously-unreleased musical compositions” as well as approval from the label. Something for the Hotties does include 12 original compositions that have not been given an official release.
“First the man over my label said I don’t make him any money … now he counter suing trying to keep me on his label because he wants to make more money lol if I ain’t making you no money why not just drop me?” Megan tweeted on Mar. 21. From there, she blasted the “greedy ass men” keeping her in this contract. She accused 5101 label boss Carl Crawford of putting his personal jewelry purchases on the expense report that 1501 spent on her. “Lord, free me from this joke ass label,” she tweeted.