Z100's Jingle Ball

If Jingle Ball 2012 was the ultimate Christmas spectacular with Taylor Swift and One Direction augmented by Justin Bieber, the Wanted and more, 2013 was the must to avoid featuring Robin Thicke and Miley Cyrus replaying the VMA awards with overlong sets, then 2014 was the point of diminishing returns, a fast paced, 15 set mad dash to the top of the charts. Too mad, too dash, it left you hungry for an actual performance. Taylor Swift (read here) got 23 minutes, Ariana Grande, Pharrell Williams, Sam Smith, One Republic, Maroon 5, and 5 Seconds Of Summer got 15 minutes, and so far so OK,Iggy Azalea was mixing and matching, with Rita joining her on Black Widow but DJ Calvin Harris only got ten minutes, Rixton got a song, Shawn Mendes got two songs, Rita Ora got a song, Nick Jonas got a song, a goodie, though he did get to promote his 2015 tour with Iggy, Charli XCX got two songs, Jessie J did some mix and matching. Did we really need this much chopping and changing? And while I ll agree with you when you say Charli and Rita were there to sing their featured spots on others songs, we needed less. Taylor needed 40 minutes (the same amount of time Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, indeed Taylor herself, were given in the final slot at previous Jingle Balls) or at least long enough to add Love Story , removed from the setlist to make way for Welcome To New York . As for Meghan Trainor? Trainor has spent the previous three months in either the # 1 or # 2 spots on the Billboard 200 and we got two songs, forced into a medley, for less than five minute. I bet we get a lot more than that next year. Plus, what s with Taylor sending her a lousy text instead of dropping by backstage after Meghan said how excited she was to finally meet her? Put it all together and it was like Jingle Ball mistook a concert for a radio show, live shows need a little time to gell and these performances didn t get it right. I ve seen most of these performers in full concert and we didn t get what we get. Particularly Iggy who needs a little while to find her feet. The relentless parade of pop stars was like a pleasure overload and while I m all about the bass myself, and who doesn t love pleasure overload?, it didn t work as well as it should have. It was all dessert. How about some awards: Most improved Ariana Grande She was already a pocket sized Mariah Carey last year, but this year her singing was better or maybe the material was better, though why she didn t bring Iggy out for Problem I have no idea.Plus she was the only person who remembered the season. Makes You Appreciate One Direction More Than Ever 5 Seconds Of Summer had a lot to prove and failed to do so with fifteen minutes of full scale posturing. 1D in the exact same position in 2012 blew the house down. What a Drag It Is Getting Old Pharrell and Gwen -Not only did Pharrell open his set with Blurred Lines but he brought out Gwen for the awful Spark A Fire before performing Get Lucky and ending it with Happy . How March 2014 can you get? Best Vocals: Sam Smith sounded immaculate, caressed every note and the teen girls ate it up\u2026 just a pity he hasn t mastered stage presence yet. This Year s Ed Sheeran With his opening slot on the Taylor Swift tour and a smart and charming two song acoustic performance, Shawn Mendes is getting ready for his close up. Best Set Taylor Swift s birthday bash Worst Set: The entire Charli to Jesse J to Iggy featured artists didn t quite work for me. Worse is relative, Bang Bang was the second best song of evening, but one song sets aren t sets, they aren t even mini sets. Most Surprising: My loathing of Onerepublic is well documented but I was pleasantly taken by Ryan s star turn here. Making The Most Of His One Song: Nick Jonas, who brought out a Gospel choir for a soulful Jealous Missing In Action: Where the hell was Nicki Minaj? Best Song: Shake It Off Second Best Song: Bang Bang Third Best Song: Breaking Up Longest Night: It drifted by the four mark, and into Taylor s 25th birthday with no let down in energy. If this is the state of the singles chart in 2014, and the only thing missing was Idina Menzel singing Let It Go , then the state is very healthy indeed. For pop music, and for both form and content, , 2014 may be seen as one of the best years ever. This is far from sterile beats and schtick, however much it may feel that way. Max Martin might work with both Ariana and Taylor, but Taylor is playing pop country (even as she denies it) and Ariana is a pop soul singer. Iggy is a real time rapper, Sam a cabaret act for the 21st Century and Maroon 5 and One Republic an alternative future of rock and roll. We got to see the charts live last night, and a lot of it, but what we didn t get was a cohesive concert for the most part. The power of Taylor Swift s set was it was a musical concept maintained for 20 minutes, the problem was nobody else could do that in such a short time frame. The idea of live radio is an old one, as Mike Holcomb noted to me the line up read like an old Alan Freed Show, and as Helen Bach noted, the audience, teenage girls, must have loved it, so I realize my caveats might sound strange. Still, while it was a very good show, it was a little dissatisfying. They ve done better with less. It was like radio but since the medium wasn t radio and since they pushed the concept of a live radio show well past the point of no return, it didn t happen the way it should have. Grade: B+

This concert was definitely the best one I have ever been to with Jay-Z coming a very close second. All the theatrics mixed with all of the artist made this a night to be remembered! A sold out Madison Square Garden singing practically every soong that came on over the amazing sound system made it even more enjoyable then last. I took a friend as her birthday gift and she couldn't believe how wild it became! This concert has definitely made itsself an annual event for me. All of the artist that performed were currently on Top 40 charts! This means more than likely you have heard every song that was played. The performers were Lady Gaga, LMFAO, Pitbull, Kelly Clarkson, Hot Chelle Rae, Demi Lovato, David Guetta, Foster The Kids, Gym Class Heros. The two surprise guest were Karmin and The Script! This is definitely a concert you do not want to miss next year!

David Guetta and Pitbull were so great, my ears were not 100 percent for Lady Gaga. I will wear musician's ear plugs next time. I can't wait for the next Monster Ball.

I WAS AMAZED AT EACH AND EVERY PERFORMANCE!!! I DIDNT SIT DOWN THE WHOLE TIME. I BOUGHT THE TICKETS AS A PRE-CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR MY DAUGHTER. WE BOTH ENJOYED THE SHOW AND WOULD SEE IT AGAIN AND AGAIN

The artists were great, the show moved along fantastic, no down time. Only down side was the sound. The singers voices were not clear. Heard Michael Buble two weeks ago at Pru Center in Jersey and there was a big difference. At Pru you could here 10x better.

Even though I had nose bleed seats my daughter and I had a great time. Her favorite was Katy Perry and mine was Paramore Enrique and Bruno. I'd definitely go again next year.

Jingle Ball was VERY disappointing this year. We go every year and this year was really lacking entertainment. I guess better luck next year.

My daughter and I had a great time. All of the performers rocked MSG. The special effects with snow and fireworks was fun, and each performer sounded great. My favorites were Taio Cruz, Enrique and Michael Buble. My daughter's of course was Justin Bieber, she could not stop smiling as he sang. Thanks Z100, see you next year!!!!!!

As my child would say, "the concert was awesome". Very happy that the artists were conscious that it was a young teen crowd, so there was no touching of body parts and no foul language in their songs. Also the crowd was very "clean". no drunks or vulgar screaming.

Amazing show. From One Direction all the way to Justin Bieber. Taylor Swift and The Wanted got the crowd crazy! Cher Lloyd, Olly Murs, Ed Sheeran are some UK cuties ;). All the artists sounded great! The energy from the crowd, from the hosts, from the artists was awesome. It was my first time being able to purchase tickets and I seriously cannot wait to go again next year!!!! Totally recommend.

The show was AMAZING, we were behind the stage...(sadly) and still had fun. But i was a little disappointed with the service help, no one was there to tell where to go and also the artists did not pay attention to the back of the stage and we were very disappointed because we were expecting them towage to us or something. also i think if you have the worst seats in the house you should get a free meet and greet.

I have to say this is the best concert that I have ever been to. The lineup was amazing and I absolutely lived one direction and justin bieber. Every artist had everyone in my section up on their feet the entire time even though we were section 200 to the left behind the stage. It was honestly the best concert ever. And I still have no voice two days after. Thank you for making my first jingle ball unforgettable

One of the best nights of my life. The lineup was amazing.

I had the time of my life. It was the first time I have seen any of these artist Live and I was not disappointed. I loved Pitbull and Lady Gaga the best. I can't wait for next year.

Concert was great. Have to go every year from now on. It was my daughters first concert and they will never forget it.

good show. opening should contain better artists. Lady gaga music great but her show not good.

The jingle ball rocked! I had a blast there and every performer was AMAZING!! Going avian next year:)))

This was actually the BEST concert ive ever went to. its great for all ages but mostly teens who know all the popular hits and LOVE music.. its a collaboration of all of the hottest artists and they preform their top hits. its a night you will never forgett!! i recomend EVERYONE to go, it may be expensive at times but its worth it !! i loved it coming from a concert freak who has seen & been to every concert in NY .. ONE OF MY FAVORITES ! ! !

Great show - Very well produced. Only wish that Gym class heros, Pitbaull and David Guetta had the real artists to collaborate with rather than tracks.

Very very good show, pittbul lmfao and David guetta was awesome

This was my firtst concert ever, and it was SO FUN! The artists were really good, and they all sang live which I loved a lot. Everyone was smiling and dancing, the vibe was amazing. This concert is also really safe, there's security everywhere, and it's for all ages. I love it so much, I can't wait till I go again this year. I definately recommend this concert, it's worth the money.

This is my 5th year in a row going to both Z100's Jingle Ball and the All Access Lounge. Every year is an amazing day, and by attending both events, it's like two parties in one day. This year's show was by far the best. All the performers were spot-on with their singing, a collection of fabulous voices. What I really liked was all the collaborations; everyone seemed to really feed off each other, and really, REALLY have a good time themselves. Thanks again, Z100, can't wait until next year :)

This year's Jingle Ball presented by H&M was amazing. I say this because the line-up was incredible. I'll tell you about the line-up later. My seat was section 329, row G, seat 9. The seat was located behind the stage on a diagonal and all i could se was the backs of the artists at all times but i could hear them perfectly well. I am the type of person who LOVES going to see concerts all the time. Whenever the concert ends, i am getting tickets of the next one right away. Anyway, i loved the concert. Words cannot express how much i loved it!! I recommend it to everyone! (go see Jingle Ball 2011, you might see me there!!)

I got tickets for 2 groups of teenagers. They all had a blast. It was great and all the girls wanted to up on that stage with Enrique..they were so jealous of that girl! Thanks for a great show! They are all looking forward to next year!

Had a lot of fun, all performances were right for all type of age. Z100 really knows how to rock the MSG. I cant wait for Jingle Ball 2011. I could say it was the show of the year. Thanks Z100 for an amazing Night.

The whole show was great - all the performers - Katie Perry was really good but Justin Bieber was the star

It was an amazing show but for the money that i paid for the seats they could have been much better ! I feel as though i was ripped off !

It was my very first Jingle Ball concert and I freaking loved it, the performances were amazing especially Katy perry, Bruno Mars, and Justin Bieber they rocked the stage!!!! Hopefully they will be back for next year's show :D

The Z100 Jingle Ball Concert is the best concert that myself and my family have ever been too! We went last year, and couldn't wait to go back this year!

An incredible evening! Amazing performances! No regrets at all! Amazing tech crew!

FUN - kids enjoyed it. Good music - entertainers could have turned around to back a little more than once each, if that.

WOW! LIKE WOW! AMAZING GREAT! ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING!

I got these tickets for my grandson, and boy was I surprised. The tickets were a fortune, but you know nothing is too good for a grandchild. Who would think that Grandma would enjoy the concert as much or maybe more than he did. I will be hoarse for a month, that how much screaming I did. I am a hep grandma cause I knew every performer and very song.

All the artists were amazing, and even though I didn't have floor seats, I still had a great view. I definitely plan on going in 2011!

Z100 Jingle Ball 2010 was great! Great show, fast set changes, started on time as promised, one artist better than the next! (favorites were Katy Perry & Enrique Iglesias!) Hopefully line up is good next year because we would love to go again!

Being a Rock fan I didn't know how I would handle a Pop concert and 30,000 screaming girl's, but I took my daughter and was extremely surprised how well this concert was run. No more than about 3 minutes in between Artists. They were all awsome. Selena Gomez was adorable as was the headliner Justin Bieber. Although I think his first 2 songs were lip-synced. He still commands a presence. Katy Perry not one of my favorites is an incredible performer. I was very impressed with her very strong voice. I really enjoyed the B.O.B - Hayley Williams duo (Airplanes) and the B.O.B. - Bruno Mars duo. I have to say I think Bruno Mars stole the show. Extremely all around talent. But all in all My favorite had to be Paramore. I love Paramore's songs. Hayley Williams is an extremely talented singer/performer. But please lower the prices of these tickets. Way, Way too much and way too many given away. Almost everyone I talked to got their tickets free from husband's work or some other promotion. Not fair to those of us who practically payed a mortgage payment for these tickets, and tried endlessly to win from Z100.

The concert was overall amazing!! 2 things that i would of changed. You put most of the good people at the end like Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, and Enrique, so the beggining wasn't as good you should of spread the good people out and the begging of the concert should of been a lot bigger. One last thing is that the microphone effect made everone sound really weird especially selena gomez when she spoke and justin bieber when he sang. It made their voices sound sick and nasaly. Overall i had the best time ever and as long as justinbieber is their next year i am definately going!! p.s. paramore wasnt that good and everyone was sitting down during their performance

This was an amazing day overall. The preshow was insanse. The staff was so friendly and the Hammerstein Ballroom had an great layout. The crowd wasn't pushy and the free stuff was fun. The show at the Garden was awesome too. I loved all the special effects. It had good transititons and never left me bored or wanting to leave between peformers.

Jingle Ball was AMAZINGGGG!!! every artist performed all their biggest hits so everyone knew the words and were singing along the whole time. The concert was so much fun i would deff like to go to next years! Justin Bieber made the show<3

So many great artists! So many popular hit songs! Nonstop entertainment!

First time Jingle Ball goer and this is something my wife and I will NEVER forget. Amazing show!

This concert was so much fun. Loved the mix of artists. I would highly recommend although the prices are very high.

This was an A-list entertainment event. I had the best time and hope to go every year,

When one act would finish we thought it couldn't get better & then the next act would blow us away!

Great, Wonderful, Amazing,Fabulous went last year and this year wish I did have to wait a year till the next one. WOW!

Jingle ball was good this year. Demi Lovato, Shawn Mendes and Charlie Puth stole the show. However, The weekend should not have been the closer. Too down. Not enough inspiration

It couldnt be better we found lots of artists in the audience amazing!

Z100 pulled together some of the most popular entertainers in the business currently. Taylor Swift, Sam Smith, Maroon 5, One Republic, Ariana Grande, 5 Seconds to Summer, Iggy Azalea and many many more. And the staging of the show was spectacular. I realize it is being televised on the CW tonight (Thursday, December 18). I had seen the Los Angeles KISS Jingle Ball the previous Friday, which included Taylor Swift and Sam Smith. Taylor had laryngitis in LA and opened the show. SAM SMITH was brilliant at both shows...one of the finest male singers ever. TAYLOR SWIFT (whose 25th birthday arrived after the midnight hour when she was still performing her set) was brilliant as well. Madison Square Garden is such a huge venue....packed with people. Everyone seemed to have a great time...cheering...singing along and enjoying this phenomenal lineup. I was so thrilled I flew to New York to see the show.

My very first jingle ball hope it's not my last .What an amazing show.

The event was outstanding from beginning to end. Lots of unexpected surprised with guest speakers and performers. Would definitely go again next year. So worth the money

What a night at the MSG for the 2014 Jingle Ball and I had a blast and all of the performers were fabulous!!!!!

Great performances, upbeat crowd. Overall was a ton of fun!

Event was nice, ran out of items to purchase within 20 minutes.... Tickets when you got them said obstructed view, didn't say that when I purchased them.

This was the first Jingle Ball I have attended. I've heard so many good and bad things about Jingle Ball, that made me scared that I spent a lot of money for nothing. I went in excepting the worst but hoping for the best. It was absolutely amazing! It was a little over 4 hours long and it felt like 1 hour. It flew by so fast. I had the time of my life. Such a great line up and very cool appearances by other celebrities. All the performers were incredible. My best friend and I are now making Jingle Ball a tradition! BEST NIGHT EVER!!

This show was a first class act. Never have been to Madison Square Gardens before and what a beautiful venue. The show was fantastic and Z100 sure knows how to put on a show. Can't wait to do it again next year.

Totally awesome and can't wait for next year's! If popular music is your thing then this is it. It's like seeing your 16 favorite artists singing their most popular hits all on one stage.

I thought this jungle ball was not as good as the ones in the past years. Only three to four of the groups were good.. The rest were terrible. they should sing and not lip snyc. I was disappointed.

Awesome show!!! Looking forward to the 2014 Jingle Ball!!!

Pitbull should have been the headliner! Remarkable performance, what a show!

The overall show was great! Some of the artist that performed I'm not a big fan of but for the people who are I'm sure they enjoyed their performances. I personally think Ariana Grande put on the best vocal performance of the night. Other then her I very much enjoyed Miley Cyrus a lot. I was also extremely surprised with Selena Gomez's performance it was my first time seeing her live and wow! That girl is a pretty awesome performer. I would definatley see her live again after witnessing that one.

This is by far the best concert I've ever been to.

Best way to spend time with freinds, good mucis good show.

Awesome! Selena, Ariana and Miley were the highlights.

This was probably the longest concert in the history of Jingle Ball but was also the best! The talent went on and on. So many surprise guests. Great night and great music! Loved it and can't wait till next year's event!

All of the acts were AMAZING but it wasn't until Ne-Yo took the stage that people really started dancing and moving around.

I was put off by the high face value of the Jingle Ball but my daughter really wanted to go and asked for the ticket as her big Christmas gift.. The 4 hour show was packed with great performances by todays best artists and worth the high ticket price.

everyone was sooooo good, even the artists I wasn't looking forward to hear! I wasn't too excited to hear B.o.B. and he actually turned out to be my favorite artist out of the whole night! Jason Mraz was also amazing which I didn't expect that and The Wanted even brought a little girl on stage, wow they were sooo good! Justin Bieber blew me away of course, but I also really enjoyed F.U.N. they were awesome! This year's lineup was amazing because they had my favorite artists of all time One Direction, Justin Bieber, The Wanted, Ed Sheeran, Olly Murs, Taylor Swift, Cher Lloyd, and Ne-Yo. Ed Sheeran is one of my favorite artists but i was sad the him and olly murs and Cher Lloyd only sang a few songs! i wish they would have sung more and Ne-Yo can dance so well! wow, what a great night!

This was not only my first time at JingleBall but it was my first concert.

One Direction was amazing they should have sang more songs and Ed Sheeran and Cher Lloyd too they should have sung at least 4 each and one direction should have sang more than justin bieber. I had fun but I couldn't see.