KIIS-FM 102.7 and iHeartRadio’s annual Jingle Ball extravaganza is always a bit of chaos mixed with holiday cheer.
The fast-moving, yet hourslong, concert features a variety of artists that are in current rotation on the airwaves. They’re paraded out in rapid-fire fashion onto a rotating stage, playing anywhere from 3-minute to 25-minute sets with a lot of pace-slowing banter (and strategic ad placement) in between delivered by celebrities and on-air personalities.
This has been the format all along. But stomaching a few of these awkward pauses is usually worth the discovery of up-and-coming acts and getting to hear the biggest songs on the planet from pop, R&B and hip-hop superstars.
ALSO SEE: KIIS-FM 102.7’s annual Jingle Ball kicks off with free and festive fun in Inglewood
Though Murrieta native and fast-rising talent Olivia Rodrigo was the star atop Jingle Ball’s Christmas tree at Kia Forum in Inglewood on Friday night, I need to start with Teddy Swims. The 31-year-old Atlanta, Georgia native — who seamlessly blends R&B and soul music with a tinge of pop and a country twang — was an absolute show stealer and he hit the main stage first.
Fans who showed up early to the free Jingle Ball Village in the parking lot got a taste of what Swims had to offer, but kicking off the official show inside, he was a beast. With a vocal and vibe reminiscent of Chris Stapleton and Nathaniel Rateliff, Swims and his powerhouse band were mighty impressive as fans trickled into the arena and he belted out “Goodbye’s Been Good to You.” He wrapped up his far too short set with “Lose Control,” the radio single that caught more ears in the crowd and had people singing along.
Though Rodrigo, One Direction’s Niall Horan and actress and singer Sabrina Carpenter were the more recognizable names on this year’s lineup, the biggest moments came from some of the very early acts. All-female K-pop group (G)I-dle was so much fun with a mix of pop and hip-hop, lots of mesmerizing choreography and a whole lot of sass with songs like “Tomboy,” “Queencard” and “I Want That.” That set was much tighter than K-pop boy band P1Harmony. Though the audience screamed their heads off for this group, which did come pretty hard with the kick-off song “Back Down,” their energy seemed to fizzle in a short period of time.
Jingle Ball fans were in for a treat with Florida rapper Doechii, who came out wearing a festive bra with a string of Christmas lights attached. Her delivery was fast and furious and her dance moves were dangerous. With songs like “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” and “Crazy,” she was exactly the energy this evening needed. The same can be said about San Pedro native and R&B star Miguel. Though a different type of energy, Miguel has always been captivating to watch on stage. He rocked on guitar through “Sky Walker” and had everyone singing to the sweet hit, “Sure Thing.”
Speaking of chaos, Flo Rida put out the biggest bangers of the evening, cranking out club hit after club hit with “Right Round,” “Low,” “Club Can’t Handle Me” and he brought out Public Enemy hype man Flava Flav for “Wild Ones.”
Horan had to follow Flo Rida’s rambunctious turn and even he joked that the back-to-back sets were “quite the contrast” as he sang a little Flo Rida tune. Horan is one of those artists that just seems effortlessly talented. He came out with the new song, “Heaven,” and slowed things down a bit with “The Show.” Things picked back up with “Meltdown” and he closed with a throwback, getting folks to groove and clap along to “Slow Hands.”
I didn’t think I knew any songs by sibling trio AJR going into the evening. It turns out I knew and could sing along to all five songs the group performed (I just always assumed two of the songs I was hearing on the radio were actually Twenty One Pilots, but I was very wrong. Similar vibes though). These guys are undoubtedly very talented and brought the entire arena to its feet in what felt like a cathartic moment for most who wildly danced to shake off the stress of the day and screamed along to “Way Less Sad” and “Weak.”
Jingle Ball Village headliner Paul Russell was invited to the stage for an encore performance of his TikTok famous track “Lil Boo Thang” and, again, a dance party ensued. He was one-and-done on the main stage, but a welcome addition.
It was a battle of the screams between Carpenter’s fanbase and Rodrigo’s loyal devotees. Though these two women are supposedly at odds over some boy, there was plenty of space for both of them on the bill. As fans pointed out, the pair were basically throwing shade at one another with songs they allegedly wrote about each other. But it wasn’t the high school-grade pettiness that resonated with the crowd, but rather all of that raw emotion. We’ve all been there — cheated on, lied to, betrayed and misunderstood. It’s not like any of that changes with adulthood, just ask the lovely women from “The Golden Bachelor,” who were hanging out at Jingle Ball and looking fabulous and single in their 60s and 70s post-reality TV drama.
Carpenter, dressed like a sexy Mrs. Claus, slinked her way across the stage, hitting marks and striking sexy poses while singing “Because I Liked a Boy.” She also played two holiday songs off her new Christmas EP, “Fruitcake,” including “Santa Doesn’t Know You Like I Do” and a Christmas version of her sexually charged song “Nonsense.”
Rodrigo has a different approach. Like kickass women in bands that came before her such as The Breeders, Veruca Salt, Shirley Manson, Gwen Stefani and Alanis Morrissette, she just gets out there and does her thing. She dances around like she’s in a mosh pit, flings her hair everywhere and belts out her lyrics like her life depends upon it. She live debuted her song “Can’t Catch Me Now,” which was featured in the new “Hunger Games” film.
Rodrigo also rocked through a trio of songs from her sophomore album, “Guts,” which came out earlier this year, including “All-American Bitch,” “Get Him Back!” and “Vampire.” She took us back to where it all started for her and played the sleepy, piano-driven hit “Drivers License,” though she did flub on the keys a few times. She picked back up and roared through “Brutal” and ended her eight-song set with “Good 4 U,” which seemed like the perfect sarcasm-loaded but still feelin’ fine ending to the 2023 Jingle Ball.
Since Jingle Ball is a tour, featuring varying lineups in radio markets throughout the country, some of the footage from the Inglewood date will be featured in an ABC special that will be broadcast on the network at 8 p.m. Dec. 21 and it will be available to view on Hulu the following day.
iHeartRadio and KIIS-FM 102.7’s Jingle Ball
When: Friday, Dec. 1
Where: Kia Forum, Inglewood
