by BRIANNA SICILIANO Photo/Video Editor
New York’s famous radio station Z100 held yet another successful Jingle Ball concert at Madison Square Garden on December 13.
Jingle Ball concerts are held in other states as well, including California and Pennsylvania, but none are quite as special as the Jingle Ball that Z100 hosts every December. Year after year, the radio station reserves the famous Garden venue for one early Friday in December.
Z100 invites successful artists, who are usually at the top of the charts at the time, to give grand performances at the Garden.
However, the radio station does not allow artists to come back every single year, but the artists are allowed to come every other year to spice things up. The concert would be boring if the same acts performed year after year.
This year was the first year in which Z100 live-streamed the event. People worldwide who did not snatch the limited concert tickets were able to watch the event live. Fans at home were also able to see artists backstage.
Jingle Ball is not any ordinary concert; it is not limited to just one act. This year, there were ten phenomenal acts, including: Jason Derulo, Selena Gomez, Fifth Harmony, Ariana Grande, R. Kelly, Austin Mahone, Pitbull, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Miley Cyrus, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Enrique Iglesias, and Robin Thicke.
Although not everyone is a fan of every performing artist, each audience member leaves the Garden with a fond memory and smile on their face. Singing along to well-known songs, even if they are not your favorite, is not a terrible way to spend a Friday night.
“I have never been able to see Jingle Ball in person, but I think the concept of the concert is amazing! It must be really cool to attend a concert that stars 10 different artists. If a person attends two jingle balls consecutively, then they did not just attend one two act’s concerts, but instead, have seen at least 20 different performances. That seems pretty cool to me,” said junior Richa Patel.
This year, Derulo opened the concert spectacularly with a few of his songs, including “Talk Dirty to Me,” “In My Head,” and “Marry Me.” Derulo put all of his heart, soul, and energy into the performance.
After Derulo, Gomez took the stage. She performed a few of her songs, including, “Love You Like a Love Song” and “Come and Get It.” Gomez’s voice is very beautiful and powerful.
The performances that were the most memorable and will not be forgotten by the audience were Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, along with Miley Cyrus.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis performed “Thrift Shop,” “Can’t Hold Us,” “Same Love” and bits of “White Walls.” While Lewis stayed on stage, Macklemore jumped off the stage and into the audience. A few lucky fans were able to touch the artist and be a part of his performance.
For their hit song “Same Love,” the duo was joined by Mary Lambert, leaving fans speechless. Before singing the song, Macklemore gave an inspiring speech about equality, tolerance, compassion, and love. The musical geniuses brought some fans to tears.
“Macklemore is amazing. Honestly, at first I was not a fan of his music, but the man is a legend and is extremely inspiring. I hope that one day I will be able to watch him perform,” said junior Giulietta Flaherty.
It was not long until Cyrus entered the stage, bringing a party to Madison Square Garden by singing “Party in the USA,” followed by a few other songs, including “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball.”
Along with the amazing artists, there were a few celebrity guests, including Kellan Lutz, Lindsey Lohan, Jordin Sparks, Katie Holmes, Ryan Seacrest, and Anna Kendrick.
Parts of the concert aired on the CW Network on December 18. Clips of the concert are available on Z100’s website, and on YouTube as well.
What is holding you back from watching clips of this memorable concert experience?