Fans have deemed Elle King unrecognizable after she entered the stage to host New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville Big Bash in Music City on Sunday evening (Dec. 31), sporting a striking new appearance. The “Lucky” singer debuted a new look with darker hair and a more fit physique as she made her way onto the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park stage in a hot pink two-piece ensemble.
Some viewers questioned whether it was Elle King or not, as she looked like a totally different person since fans last saw her during a televised appearance.
“I’m like…wait!!!..what??? That does not look or sound like Elle King at all!!! She’s lost a lot of weight, hair is different, her voice doesn’t even sound the same to me…🤷♀️ Am I wrong or what???” one fan said in a state of confusion before another stated, “Elle King has lost weight and darkened her hair… I didn’t recognize her.”
While some fans seemed confused, others gushed over her jaw-dropping new look.
“Elle King looks [expletive] GOOD,” one X user wrote, while another added, “holy smokes, Elle King looks so friggen good I didn’t even recognize her with dark hair!!!”
“I didn’t even recognize Elle King. She looks great!” another fan admitted.
Elle King Weight Loss
Earlier this year, Elle King took to social media to share insight into her significant weight loss journey and her experience with postpartum depression following her pregnancy and the arrival of her son, Lucky, in the fall of 2021.
“Almost 2 years postpartum! I am making this post to share my journey from 284 lbs at 5’3 from pregnancy 2021 – now 2023. It doesn’t happen overnight. It didn’t even happen in a year for me. In fact, it’s an ongoing still working towards ever-changing goals kinda thing,” King wrote on social media in August 2023. Though she didn’t disclose the exact amount of weight she lost, she did detail the factors that contributed to her lifestyle changes.
“I fell into a very deep depression during my pregnancy [and] I also didn’t even realize how intense postpartum depression is and was until I very slowly began to crawl out. I felt trapped in my body [and] I couldn’t even sing,” she admitted at the time. “So I started slow. Metabolic workouts. Light cardio to warm up my body, my lungs, my voice, and my spirit. I am a creature of habit, so I changed my fucking habits. Every few weeks I feel my body getting stronger. I add more workouts, I exercise with @pauldominic_ who is basically a bodybuilder.”
She also made an attempt to shut down any rumors that would come about from her recent weight loss, insisting that she did not and is not taking any medication to aid in her weight loss journey. “I have PCOS and am pre-diabetic,” she revealed. “My diabetic grandfather died when I was 10 years old. I watched him prick his finger and give himself shots.”
What Is Elle King’s New Year’s Resolution?
Ahead of the show, Elle King shared her New Year’s Resolution. “My New Year’s resolution for 2024 is to keep touring, keep making awesome music and finish my next record and to be the best mom that I could be,” King shared.
How To Watch New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville Big Bash
New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash also featured performances from Grace Bowers, Kane Brown, Jackson Dean, Old Dominion, HARDY, Elle King, Cody Johnson, Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, Brothers Osborne, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Thomas Rhett, Trombone Shorty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman.
In addition to solo performances, several of the artists joined forces for one-of-a-kind collaborations throughout the night. Lainey Wilson teamed up with Grace Bowers and Jackson Dean, while Brothers Osborne performed alongside Trombone Shorty. Tennessee Titans’ wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, and comedian, Rob Schneider, who is Elle King’s dad, also made an appearance during the special.
The five-hour broadcast was filmed throughout Music City from a variety of locations, including Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park along with numerous honky-tonks, bars, and clubs on the city’s infamous Lower Broadway. The show featured over 50 impressive performances across multiple time zones, all live from Nashville. Nashville synchronized its countdown with the East Coast at midnight and continued its festivities until midnight Central Time, which concluded with the city’s iconic Music Note Drop at the Bicentennial Mall stage.
Directed by Sandra Restrepo, the New Year’s Eve celebration was co-hosted by Elle King and Entertainment Tonight‘s Rachel Smith alongside TV and radio host Cody Alan, CBS anchor Lonnie Quinn and Dustin Lynch, who corresponded from New York City’s iconic Times Square.
Nashville’s Big Bash aired LIVE on Sunday, December 31 (7:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT, 10:30 PM-1:05 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streamed via Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs).
