Those who know me well (and perhaps those who don’t!) know that the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball tour is something I truly look forward to every single year. Many of the biggest names in music come together to perform the songs millions have enjoyed listening to on iHeartRadio stations all year long. It’s an American holiday tradition that has been going strong for over 20 years, and one of my personal traditions since 2016!
This year’s star-studded lineup for Los Angeles included BTS, Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, Saweetie, Black Eyed Peas, The Kid LAROI, Tate McRae, Dixie D’Amelio, and Bazzi. While Dua Lipa was also slated to join the holiday bash at The Forum, a case of laryngitis led to a last-minute cancellation from the singer. However, it was still an iconic night full of great surprises.
It was also a bit of a bittersweet night, as it would be BTS’ final performance in LA for 2021. Over the past week, I joined over 65,000 ARMYs per night at SoFi Stadium for BTS’ Permission To Dance On Stage concerts. With a historic sold-out four night run and finally reuniting with ARMY again, BTS certainly had a reason to be cheerful this holiday season. The septet would spread even more of that cheer at Jingle Ball, and plenty of ARMYs were in attendance to cheer BTS on!
As always, I kicked my evening off at the KIIS FM Jingle Ball Village, located right outside The Forum. The Village is a free pre-show event with its own performances, plenty of sponsor activations, and opportunities for fans to win last-minute tickets into the main show. I also forgot for a sweet second that the sun sets earlier in the winter, so I seized the opportunity to take as many photos of myself as possible with the remaining light.
On the village stage, fans were treated to performances by CL, Tai Verdes, Trevor Daniel, and Anitta! CL and 2NE1 were essentially my “gateway” into K-Pop back in high school, so it was a total blessing being able to finally catch CL live. (There’s something extremely empowering about shouting “HELLO B*TCHES!” along with your fave. Absolutely.) Trevor Daniel brought the feels, and Tai Verdes brought the good vibes. Better yet, he brought the “I know a margarita would be perfect right now, but we’re gonna do a rain check because my alcohol tolerance is non-existent and I have a long drive to make once this whole thing ends” type vibes.
As for Anitta? Without a doubt, she brought the booty-shaking vibes! I was introduced to her music around 2017, and the opportunity to see her at last was something I absolutely wasn’t going to take for granted. I made sure to get a spot as close to the stage as possible, and really took in the amazing energy the world’s favorite “Girl From Rio” was emitting. It’s also no secret that her fanbase is incredibly devoted, so I wanted to be able to capture some good videos for my own memories as well as for those who were unable to attend.
A true queen 💖 @Anitta @1027KIISFM #KIISJingleBall pic.twitter.com/HeYMf7ONle
— chels⁷ (@PlNKWIFI) December 4, 2021
BUT HERE’S THE REAL TEA! After Anitta’s performance concluded, I needed to take a moment to myself to fangirl and process what I had just witnessed. I hung out against a fence, and started talking to some other fans. Literally a few seconds later, we were signaled to walk into the backstage area to say hi to Anitta herself! Yes, my brain was going HFOISDAHGIOUARHGOJERHGHSDHDFLVTB. I quickly put on my TinyTan mask, wished her a Merry Christmas, and we snapped a pic!
Anitta is as sweet as can be, but this should come as no surprise at all to the millions all around the globe who adore her. For years, I’ve heard that her and her team are great people… and now I can 100% confirm that myself!
After taking a few moments to (genuinely attempt) to process what just happened, I started making my way over to The Forum. I was freezing. I was also met with yet another amazing surprise on the way! From the side I entered, I got to see BTS walk into the building with their crew. They all looked incredibly gorgeous, but again, you already knew this. They’re just a sight to behold.
BTS were set to open the show with their #1 hits “Butter” and “Dynamite.” Right before it all kicked off, some amazing ARMYs all throughout the arena led a few moments of fanchants. There was also plenty of purple, and plenty of screams too!
It’s more than fair to assume that BTS (and ARMYs alike) must have been exhausted after what had been a jam-packed week. But guess what? As soon as BTS hit the Jingle Ball stage, there wasn’t a single sign of fatigue. These guys are world-class performers, and while they take their work ethic very seriously, they also make sure to have as much fun as possible on stage. In between singing “Butter” and their holiday remix of “Dynamite,” Jin received a special birthday surprise! A giant birthday cake was wheeled out by Jojo Wright from KIIS FM, and the whole crowd sang happy birthday to Jin.
In this moment, I instantly remembered how the KIIS FM crew wheeled out a birthday cake for Britney Spears during her Jingle Ball performance in 2016 at the Staples Center. Watching Jin get one too was another moment made for the Jingle Ball history books! There were also tons of other moments throughout the night that will make perfect fits. Take Doja Cat’s entire performance for example. The crowd was absolutely whipped the entire time, and there wasn’t a single dull moment. Even while performing a relatively slower song such as “You Right,” Doja managed to keep the energy levels high in the sky. By the way, her rock ‘n roll rendition of “Tia Tamera” will forever live in my mind rent-free.
Props must also be given to Dixie D’Amelio. The social media star turned pop star may not have had a catalog as broad as the other names she shared a stage with, but see she set out to do the absolute best with what she had. Her performance was quite entertaining, with backup dancers and even her sister Charli in tow! It was clear to see that Dixie was having the time of her life, and I hope to catch her on the Jingle Ball stage in the coming years.
Of course, this wouldn’t be a proper Jingle Ball recap without gushing about Lil Nas X’s performance. I was very curious to see what Lil Nas X would have in store for the Jingle Ball crowd, and he had nothing less than a spectacle prepared. He’s got a thing for theatrics – and we’re here for it! Belting out hits such as “Industry Baby,” “Old Town Road,” and even “That’s What I Want,” Lil Nas X proved why he’s an unstoppable force to anyone who needed some reassurance.
The 2021 102.7 KIIS FM Jingle Ball Presented by Capital One was a blast! Who says you can’t see BTS five times in a week?
Be sure to head on over to CWTV.com or The CW App on Friday, December 10 at 7PM ET to watch a special live stream of the Z100 Jingle Ball in New York. You can also listen live on your favorite iHeartRadio CHR station, and catch the television special on Wednesday, December 15 at 8PM ET on The CW Network.
Did Anitta perform during the main show too? Or was it only the Village pre-show? I’ve seen people say Tate McCrae and Bazzi also performed but none of the articles say they were part of the main show either.
Author
Anitta performed during both! Tate McRae and Bazzi were in the main show too but not the pre-show. Not sure if that was the case for other cities though.