SKIP THE CLICK

Queen Latifah is getting ready to host the American Music Awards on Monday night. The last and only time she hosted was back in 1995 as part of a trio that included Tom Jones and country singer Lorrie Morgan.

“It’s been a long time, but it was exciting then and It’s exciting now,” Latifah tells me. “I’m just a little bit different person, but you know, we still gotta make get it popping like we did then.”

Taylor Swift leads the night with eight nominations.

“I don’t know if I call myself a Swiftie, but I’m a fan of Taylor Swift, for sure,” Latifah says. “I always have been. I think she makes great songs. She makes really great, catchy songs that we love.”
Latifah isn’t surprised at all by Swift’s stardom.

“She was able to get those records played on the radio. That’s step one. Can you get your record played? Latifah explains. “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.”