Mariah Carey is many things – but casual isn’t one of them. So naturally, when she performed Sunday (Oct. 6) evening at the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special, she had to make an entrance.

The middle portion of a giant hot pink ‘M’ on the AMAs stage opened up to reveal the diva herself, resplendent in an elegant white gown and shimmering jewelry. And Mimi did not disappoint. Singing her 14-week Billboard Hot 100 smash “We Belong Together” – one of 19 No. 1s on that chart – Carey was in top form, weaving through the deep, soulful runs and hitting that sustained, impossibly long note at the end. It was a powerful performance, with the enraptured audience singing every word and some people even clasping their hearts.

Prior to hitting the AMAs stage, Carey sat down with Billboard’s Tetris Kelly to discuss the classic hit and her 2005 album The Emancipation of Mimi. “People had written me off,” she recalls. “And the song of the decade with ‘We Belong Together’ — it had to be that big of a record for me to actually have a comeback.” At the close of the ‘00s, Billboard declared “We Belong Together” the song of the decade due to its massive chart success.

Elsewhere during the AMAs 50th anniversary broadcast, Stray Kids performed their single “Chk Chk Boom” as well as a bit of *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye,” recreating some of *NSYNC’s marionette-inspired choreography in homage to the boy band’s memorable performance at the 2000 American Music Awards. Smokey Robinson – who co-hosted the very first American Music Awards ceremony in 1974 – was also on hand at the 50th special to reflect on a half century of the awards show.

American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special is produced by Dick Clark Productions. DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldrige. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.