Lastnight (Dec. 10th) at HOT 99.5’s Jingle Ball 2018 Presented by Capital One at Capital One Arena, the star studded lineup of hitmakers included Shawn Mendes, The Chainsmokers, G-Eazy, Meghan Trainor, NF, Bebe Rexha, Bazzi and Sabrina Carpenter. This marks the eight stop of the iconic national iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour 2018 Presented by Capital One.
Sabrina Carpenter launched the night with a breathtaking performance of “Almost Love,” from her latest album, Singular: Act I, making the crowd go wild, before Bazzi took to the Jingle Ball stage. Bazzi then conquering the stage with his impeccable vocals and with hits like “Beautiful,” and of course the song that launched him to stardom via a Snapchat filter, “Mine.” Rapper NF, was up next to wow the crowd appearing in a jail cell as he began his set with “Outcast,” later ending with a sing-a-long to his radio single “Let You Down” which took radio airwaves by storm earlier this year.
Shawn Mendes was the fourth performer of the night bursting onto the stage to a sea of screaming fans, to his hit “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” off his second studio album, Illuminate, before taking fans throughout his plethora of hits which included “Stitches,” “Mercy,” “Treat You Better,” and songs from her his current self titled album, Shawn Mendes, like “In My Blood” and “Lost In Japan.” Mendes also performed a very memorable cover Kings Of Leon’s “Use Somebody.” Mendes smiling throughout his entire set showcasing his appreciation for his loyal fans for getting him to the height of his career that is headlining sold out arena shows and now also headlining a newly announced hometown Stadium show. I remember when Mendes was opening the Jingle Ball and performing at Jingle Ball pre-shows.
2x Grammy Nominee, Bebe Rexha grasping the nearly sold out crowds attention with her rhinestone encrusted red-latex outfit with an electrifying, empowering and very energetic performance including hits like “Me Myself and I,” “In The Name of Love (feat. Martin Garrix),” and her chart-topping single featuring Florida Georgia Line “Meant To Be” which ended with a mesmerizing sing-a-long louder than we have ever heard that won’t soon be forgotten. During “Meant To Be” there was a slideshow of images displayed on the massive video wall behind her that included photos from throughout her childhood and career with her family. Rexha’s fierce performance of her latest single “I’m A Mess” from her debut album, Expectations, took the crowd by storm as she demanded their attention with her stunning vocals. Rexha definitely was a highlight of Hot 99.5’s 2018 Jingle Ball and one of the best performances of the evening, which is one of the reasons why she is nominated for two Grammys including Best New Artist and Best Country Duo/Group Performance with Florida Georgia Line.
Meghan Trainor then returning to the Jingle Ball, sparkling onto stage in a plaid blazer complete with white tinsel sleeves, launching her set with her singles, “All About That Bass,” “Let You Be Right,” and “No Excuses.” Trainor told the crowd this was her last show before she gets married to her soon-to-be husband, Daryl Sabara. Leaving for her honeymoon on Christmas night then returning home to work her “hardest” on her upcoming new album, Treat Myself, as she told Elvin Duran in an interview at the Z100 Jingle Ball in New York.
The Chainsmokers exploded onto stage to their single “Don’t Let Me Down” before bursting into their latest single “This Feeling” that features Kelsea Ballerini, which although Ballerini was not present which would have been incredible, the duo still performed the single flawlessly and it’s one of our favorite new songs from 2018. Powering through a collection of their chart-topping hits like “Sick Boy,” “Paris,” “Something Just Like This (feat. Chris Martin of Coldplay),” and of course the song that put them on the maps, “Closer (feat. Halsey).”
The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2018 Tour is presented by Capital One®. Additional proud partners of this year’s national iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour event(s) include: The CW Network, Macy’s and Tic Tac GUM. Multimarket partners include: FUJIFILM instax®, Gravity Blankets, LUMIFY™, Power Crunch Protein Energy Bars, and Splat Rebellious Hair Color. The concert also donated $1.00 of each ticket sold to the Ryan Seacrest Foundation – a non-profit organization, which is dedicated to inspiring today’s youth through entertainment and education focused initiatives.
Check out Andrew Wendowski‘s exclusive photos from the show below:
PHOTOS: Red Carpet Arrivals at Hot 99.5 Jingle Ball feat. Bebe Rexha, Meghan Trainor, G-Eazy and more
