It’s the best admirable time of year for a lot of reasons, but for New Yorkers, Friday night (Dec. 8) may accept been the best acumen of all: iHeartRadio’s Z100 Jingle Ball hit Madison Square Garden.
This year’s calendar may accept been the best accommodation with superstars yet, as the night began with one-man-show Ed Sheeran and concluded with Taylor Swift, seeing the brand of Camila Cabello, The Chainsmokers, Demi Lovato, Sam Smith and Niall Horan (and many more) in between. With a absolute of 14 all-star performers demography the date throughout the night — forth with a bulk of abruptness guests — the actualization acquainted like Christmas came a brace weeks early.
Of course, with 14 hit-making artists arranged into one night, there were a lot of memorable moments in the five-hour show. If you weren’t advantageous abundant to get a admission to the big night, Billboard has all the better Jingle Ball 2017 affairs from star-studded collaborations to Grammy choice celebrations.
Ed Sheeran celebrates a hometown achievement (and hopes for a Billboard Hot 100 win) for “Perfect”
As he kicked off the actualization (“My job is to balmy you up for tonight,” he told the sold-out crowd), Sheeran crooned his aboriginal hit adulation song "Thinking Out Loud” afterwards aperture with a roaring arrangement of “Castle on the Hill.” But as admirers acceptable hoped, Sheeran followed that up with his accepted adventurous tune “Perfect” — and although there was acutely no Beyonce actualization for their afresh appear affiliation adaptation of the song, Sheeran had some fun account to share.
“I appear a new adaptation of a song aftermost anniversary and it went No. 1 in my home country today and hopefully, fingers crossed, it’s activity to hit No. 1 actuality over the weekend.”
(As ahead reported, Sheeran’s “Perfect” is branch for the top atom of the Hot 100 acknowledgment to the new Beyonce-featuring version. Charts will be adapted Monday, Dec. 11.)
Niall Horan acknowledgment admirers for authoritative him No. 1
“Good atramentous Madison Square Garden,” Horan addressed admirers afore abacus with a laugh, "That never gets old, actuality able to say that.”
Another affair that the “Slow Hands” accompanist will actually never get annoyed of adage is “Thank you for the No. 1 album,” as he fabricated abiding to use his 15-minute time aperture to accurate his acknowledgment to admirers for sending Flicker to the top of the Billboard 200 aloof one ages afterwards “Slow Hands” accomplished the No. 1 atom on the Pop Songs chart.
"Thank you so abundant for authoritative Slow Hands a no. 1 song and the anthology No. 1 in the United States of America,” he gushed. "I actually acknowledge it."
Julia Michaels shares her songwriter ancillary with a hit-filled medley
“I’ve gotten to abode a lot of songs for a lot of actually admirable people,” Michaels said afterwards assuming “Uh Huh” and her Clean Bandit accord “I Miss You.” If bodies weren’t already afraid to apprehend that she’s not aloof a singer, the songs she appear she wrote were Selena Gomez’s “Bad Liar” and “Good For You,” Hailee Steinfeld’s “Love Myself” and Justin Bieber’s “Sorry."
But alike with her absorbing arrangement of co-written tracks, it seemed the army was best aflame for Michaels to sing her own accident hit “Issues,” as the song angry into a behemothic sing-along — and accepted its account for the song of the year nod.
Why Don't We brings the ‘90s boy bandage nostalgia
The amplified screams that sparked from Why Don’t We’s addition was abundant to actualization that they accept a agnate abode to that of Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC (at atomic in their aboriginal days), and what ensued during their achievement did the same. Demography the date in advanced of ablaze boxes that audible anniversary member, Why Don’t We proceeded to absorb fun ball moves as they fabricated the girls collapse with songs like “Nobody Gotta Know” and “These Girls."
While their complete is a little added current, the accordance in the allowance and on the date actually adumbrated that these boys are headed for a agrarian ride.
Charlie Puth pays accolade to the backward Chris Cornell
Puth had to aboriginal abode how “surreal” it was for him to be on the Z100 lineup, as the New Jersey built-in grew up alert to the New York station. And afterwards agitation the army with his accepted radio hits “Attention” and “How Long,” he aggregate a fun and actual applicable story.
“The aboriginal time I anytime heard my song on the radio was on Z100,” he said with a smile, absolute that it was his Wiz Khalifa accord “See You Again.” But with no Wiz to accompany, Puth took on the song himself with his piano, and fabricated the full-circle moment alike added appropriate by dedicating the affecting song to the backward Chris Cornell and his family.
Camila dances to Kendrick (and admits she ripped her pants)
Cabello fabricated acceptable use of her quick three-song set, dancing up a storm through her hits “OMG” and “Havana.” She took things up addition akin during “Havana” — as if she bare to — throwing in a Kendrick Lamar atom as she and her dancers bankrupt it bottomward to “DNA.”
But allegedly all of that dancing didn’t appear after its struggles. Afore closing with the slower breakdown tune “Never Be the Same” (during which she played a guitar), Cabello hilariously accepted that she had ripped her pants backstage. “I feel like SpongeBob back he goes, ‘I ripped my pants!’"
Sam Smith admits he fangirled “so hard” to Camila
Judging by the amplified screams back Smith took the stage, the admirers was above aflame for the crooner’s set. According to his aboriginal comment, though, Smith was above aflame for Camila Cabello.
“I was aloof fangirling so adamantine watching Camila,” he said, “I adulation her so much.”
Smith’s actualization apparent his aboriginal time in New York back his new album, The Thrill of It All, went No. 1 on the Billboard 200, for which he affably thanked admirers afore singing (and actually nailing) anthology advance “Pray” and “Too Acceptable At Goodbyes." “I caked my affection into every distinct word, so acknowledge you so abundant from the basal of my heart."
Liam Payne pays admiration to his One Direction Jingle Ball memories
Starting off with a blast by singing his Hot 100 top 10 hit “Strip That Down,” Payne altogether played off a bit of a abstruse annihilate during “Get Low” by exclaiming “Oh my!” back his mic briefly cut out. Auspiciously that was the alone affair he experienced, and he affably agitated on.
Although his dance-filled actualization brought a actual altered vibe and accoutrement than that of his adolescent One Direction mate’s Niall Horan, Payne gave his buddy’s achievement a shout-out afore additionally highlighting his 1D past.
“I performed actuality back I was 17 or 18 with my bandage One Direction,” he said, which afire a access of screams. “It feels abundant to be here."
Halsey surprises the army with two appropriate guests
Similarly to Puth, Halsey’s New Jersey roots fabricated her MSG actualization "really special.” Her action to be on date showed, and the “Bad at Love” singer's activity could’ve agitated her through her set on her own — but of course, she couldn’t abide accepting a little advice from her friends.
First, Halsey brought out Fifth Harmony’s Lauren Jauregui for their hopeless bubbler commonwealth accord “Strangers,” followed by her admirer G-Eazy to allotment the date for their afresh appear team-up “Him & I.” In band with her LBGTQ accolade song and bringing her admirer on stage, Halsey larboard the army with a able statement: "This anniversary division I appetite you to accomplish some babble for love!"
Logic stops the actualization to bless a fan’s birthday
The rapper who spreads peace, adulation and positivity did absolutely that with his 10-minute set, cogent admirers that anybody was ancestors for the night. He captivated accurate to his sentiment, endlessly mid-song to accord a shout-out to a altogether babe in the advanced row.
The absolute accordance agitated through to his Grammy-nominated clue "1-800-273-8255,” as the army lit up with a sea of buzz lights. Logic bankrupt out his time on date by starting a “I wanna be alive” chant, which he concluded with a cheerful “I’m gonna be alive!” acclamation afore putting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on the big screen.
Fall Out Boy lights up the amphitheatre with all of the pyro
As the veterans of the night, Fall Out Boy managed to accept alike the adolescent admirers in the army agitation out as they played their activating hits “Centuries” and “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)” — abnormally acknowledgment to the pyrotechnics (both blaze and fireworks) they congenital into their bedrock numbers.
After administration one of their new M A N I A tracks “Hold Me Tight or Don’t” to a absolute army response, anybody was on their anxiety for their danciest number, “Uma Thurman,” proving their blockage ability that bassist Pete Wentz accustomed as they kicked things off. “We played Jingle Ball in ’05 or ’06, so it actually agency a lot to us that we get to play for all you guys."
Demi Lovato proves her articulation is absolutely adequate in activating fashion
The aftermost iHeartRadio actualization Lovato played in New York was her anthology absolution affair in September, area the assertive was angry a affection that fabricated it boxy for her to hit her about absolute aerial notes. But auspiciously for Jingle Ball-goers, that wasn’t the case this time.
Lovato absolutely nailed every belt-out in “Confident,” “Sorry Not Sorry” and the gospel-like “Tell Me You Adulation Me,” which had admirers both singing forth and out of their seats. While her articulation actually blanket the actualization during her time on stage, she added to the action by bringing out Cheat Codes for their accord “No Promises."
The Chainsmokers accompany “Closer” to life
Despite accepting a abate date amplitude than accustomed and alone about 20 account to perform, The Chainsmokers fabricated the best of their time with streamers, fireworks and their hits — and of course, a brace abruptness appearances.
After the duo started “Closer” with aloof Drew Taggart singing, Halsey came aerial in to lay bottomward her verses and accompany the activity to addition level. Alike back she larboard the stage, The Chainsmokers agitated that ability through the actual aftermost additional of their set, accepting common assistant Emily Warren accompany them for “Don’t Let Me Down” afore closing with a rainbow-filled “Something Aloof Like This."
Taylor Swift turns “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” acoustic (and brings out Ed Sheeran already more)
It had been axiomatic the absolute night that this was the moment anybody was cat-and-mouse for, and Swift actually didn’t disappoint. Donning a sequined atramentous shirt bizarre with a Santa hat-wearing snake, Swift brought the abode bottomward with Reputation banger “…Ready For It?” afore throwing in a brace 1989 jams, “Blank Space” and “Shake It Off.”
Though Zayn wasn’t there to advice her sing a beautifully stripped-down adaptation of the Grammy-nominated “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” — which saw addition sea of lights for the final time of the night — Swift did admit addition superstar associate to advice her out during her set: Ed Sheeran alternate for his raps in “End Game,” abundant to the contentment of admirers as he had done the aforementioned in LA one anniversary prior.
As she accent afore closing the night, her achievement previewed what’s to appear with her 2018 Reputation Tour (“see you . With added choreography and acknowledge than Swifties accept anytime witnessed at a Taylor Swift actualization before, it’s bright that the old Taylor isn't dead, she's aloof new and bigger with a angry attitude - and accessible to accost her now serpent-wrapped throne.
