Lorde and Michael Jackson hologram that doesn't look like Michael Jackson steal spotlight at Billboard Awards 2014

Jacko posthumously-promoted his new album Xscape

Fans were quick to point out the hologram didn't have a very good likeness (ABC/YouTube)

The 2014 Billboard Music Awards took place in Las Vegas last night, and as ever no-one cared much about who won (Justin Timberlake took home seven awards, Imagine Dragons five), with the conversation around the ceremony instead being dominated by performances from Lorde, Katy Perry and some semblance of Michael Jackson.

Ever since Coachella debuted a Tupac Shakur hologram, no major musical event is complete without flogging the corpse of a dead pop star, as was the case last night when a holo-Jacko shone on the stage to the simultaneous excitement and disappointment of the audience.

The performance began with a SWAT team dancing en masse before a curtain dropped to reveal a Dangerous-era MJ sitting on a throne.

The hologram then moved around the stage looking somewhat like Michael Jackson and dancing somewhat like he once did to "Slave To The Rhythm", which appears on new album Xscape that is made from all the unfinished songs he probably never wanted anybody to hear.

Elsewhere during the ceremony, Lorde gave a typically creepy performance of "Tennis Court", squirming to the track in a black outfit with Zorro-esque hat, Katy Perry performed "Birthday" and Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea teamed up on "Problem".

Jennifer Lopez collected the Icon Award for lifetime achievement meanwhile, and country singer Carrie Underwood was given the fan-voted Milestone Award.