Fans had a chance to re-live the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Festival on Saturday evening on The CW and one performance that had everyone talking (and dancing!) was Walker Hayes.
The rising country star took to the T-Mobile Arena stage for a performance of his viral hit, “Fancy Like,” prompting a massive sing-a-long and dance-a-long as the sold-out crowd showed off moves to the infamous TikTok dance that took the internet by storm over the summer.
Hayes, sporting a white t-shirt, jeans and boots, effortlessly performed the song and was welcomed to the stage with open arms.
Since its release, “Fancy Like” has gone on to become a true viral sensation, with millions dancing to the track on TikTok and other social media platforms.
The song has been so successful that it caught the attention of Applebee’s, who recently teamed up with Hayes to star in a new television advertisement for the brand. Additionally, the restaurant chain has brought back the beloved Oreo Shake in honor of the song.
“For years, my wife Laney and I have been regulars at Applebee’s for date night, and I’ve always wanted to write a song about it,” Hayes recently shared. “The response to ‘Fancy Like,’ the dance and the fan love has been a dream come true – plus, Applebee’s even brought back their Oreo Cookie Shake! What’s better than that?”
The “Fancy Like” success began when Hayes’ daughter, Lila, suggested that they create a TikTok dance for the song one Sunday afternoon. They did the dance on their front porch and within hours, the TikTok had over a million views.
For Hayes, the numbers were mind-blowing, but that was only just the beginning. The song has gone on to chart on multiple charts and crush his previous streaming records.
“It’s really just what you dream of as an artist,” Hayes shared in a recent interview with Country Now. “The beautiful thing about being a creative person is you literally wake up every day, and you’re like, ‘Maybe this is the day.’ It just so happens this was it.”
“Fancy Like” is featured on Hayes’ Country Stuff EP, which is available to stream now.
Additionally, Hayes recently shared a remix of the track with pop superstar Kesha.
Oh we're getting FANCY at #iHeartFestival2021 … like @walkerhayes at @applebees on a date night 😎 Watch now on @thecw app or https://t.co/FIgcDbBgMM! pic.twitter.com/4uDajmA5Cb
— iHeartRadio (@iHeartRadio) September 18, 2021
Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, iHeartRadio Music Festival also featured performances by Billie Eilish, Cheap Trick, Coldplay, Darius Rucker, Dua Lipa, FINNEAS, J. Cole, Journey, Khalid, Lil Baby, Nelly, Sam Hunt and Weezer, with special guests Florida Georgia Line and more.
The event took place on the main stage at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on the evenings of September 17 and September 18.
The Daytime Stage at the iHeartRadio Music Festival was at AREA15 and featured performances by Olivia Rodrigo, The Kid Laroi, Saweetie, All Time Low, 24KGoldn, Russell Dickerson, Yungblud, Gabby Barrett, Tate McRae, and Conan Gray.
In addition to the star-studded list of performance, the two-night event also featured celebrity appearances from 98 Degrees, Debbie Gibson, Teddi Mellencamp, Derek Hough, Chrissy Metz, Olivia Jade, Maddie and Kenzie Ziegler, Joey McIntyre, Donny Osmond, Jana Kramer, Tayshia Adams, Asher Angel, AREA21, CL, Olivia Holt, MAX and more, plus host Ryan Seacrest and iHeartRadio’s presenters Elvis Duran, Bobby Bones, Woody, Mario Lopez, Big Boy, DJ Envy, and more.
Night two of the annual event airs on Sunday, October 3 at 8/7c.
