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Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024 | 2 a.m.
Radio and TV property Ryan Seacrest, who served arsenic emcee for past weekend’s iHeartRadio Music Festival, opened the 2nd variation of the two-night festival by promising a “one-of-a-kind” amusement to those attending Saturday nighttime astatine T-Mobile Arena.
While the ensuing 4 and a fractional hours easy delivered connected Seacrest’s vow, a much apt committedness could person been “something for everyone.”
Saturday night’s lineup included popular from the New Kids connected the Block and Halsey; Doja Cat and Big Sean’s takes connected hip-hop and rap; pop-influenced state offerings from Keith Urban; a lively acceptable of R&B, popular and psyche selections performed by Victoria Monét; Hozier represented the alt-rock/indie industry; Coldplay’s Chris Martin wowed the assemblage with post-Britpop melodies; and The Weeknd’s acceptable packaged his marque of R&B, caller question and alt-pop.
And successful their ain way, each was outstanding.
New Kids connected the Block, the lad set that roseate to fame successful the mid-1980s, opened the show. A time aft they announced their archetypal Las Vegas residency (June 20-July 5 and Nov. 1-15, 2025 astatine Park MGM), set members Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood took the assemblage backmost to 1988 with their deed “You Got It (The Right Stuff).” A small longer successful the bony than they were 40 years ago, the “kids” inactive glided crossed the signifier with crowd-pleasing choreographed moves. Just earlier their acceptable ended, Wahlberg thanked the assemblage for their assistance successful NKOTB getting their archetypal top-20 illustration deed successful 20 years, “Kids,” which they performed with impermanent creator and uber U.S. women’s h2o polo squad instrumentality Flavor Flav arsenic their walk-off.
It was the commencement of a nighttime filled with memorable moments. Among the biggest was erstwhile Martin, appearing without his Coldplay bandmates, took to the stage. He mesmerized the now-standing assemblage playing an acoustic guitar and singing an abbreviated mentation of the 2014 hit, “A Sky Full of Stars.” Next up, Martin traded his guitar and took a spot astatine a soft for “Hymn for the Weekend,” and a screen of the Chainsmokers’ “Something Just Like This,” a opus that led Martin to graciously archer the crowd, “I can’t sing it precise well; you sing it amended than me.” He past returned to Coldplay’s catalog, singing “Viva La Vida” portion playing the acoustic guitar, and a piano-backed rendition of “Yellow”that perfectly captivated the arena. For his finale, Martin brought retired Palestinian-Chilean singer-songwriter Elyanna to adhd vocals to “We Pray,” which Coldplay released past period and volition beryllium released arsenic a azygous connected their upcoming album, “Moon Music.”
Other standouts from the nighttime included Doja Cat, who enticed the assemblage dancing and twerking to respective of her popular anthems, “WYM Freestyle,” “Demons,” “Need to Know” and “Paint the Town Red.”
Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, backed by his afloat band, rocked the nighttime with his acceptable that included his newest deed “Too Sweet,” and his debut azygous from 2014, “Take Me to Church,” a opus that was punctuated with peculiar effect-lighting that appeared to acceptable the signifier ablaze.
Urban, who begins a five-night residency Oct. 5 astatine Fontainebleau Las Vegas, performed 3 songs — “Messed Up As Me,” “Straight Line” and “Wildside” — from “High,” an medium helium released Friday. The talented guitarist besides sang a brace of hits from his 2016 album, “Ripcord”: “Blue Ain’t Your Color” and “Wasted Time.”
Halsey, whose live-performance docket has taken a backseat the past mates of years portion plagued by a signifier of lupus and a uncommon T-cell disorder, performed a acceptable that included “Nightmare,” “You Should Be Sad,” and “Closer.” In an affectional speech with the audience, Halsey admitted their emotion of performing, saying, “I fought my mode done a precise agelong hellhole to beryllium connected this signifier close now. It conscionable hits different.”
Big Sean was affectional for a antithetic reason. The hip-hop artist’s begetter was successful the arena for the evening, and successful summation to giving a shoutout to his father, Big Sean besides dedicated “On Up,” from his caller medium “Better Me Than You,” to his year-old son. The assemblage joined successful with him connected hits including “My Last,” “Dance (A$$)” and “Bounce Back.”
Victoria Monét’s “Jaguar” bid was the exclusive absorption of the Atlanta songstress’ set. She began her high-energy, dance-filled acceptable with “Alright” and “Cadillac (A Pimp’s Anthem)” from her “Jaguar II” album, past segued to 3 songs from “Jaguar,” “Ass Like That,” “We Might Even Be Falling successful Love,” and the rubric way earlier closing retired with “On My Mama,” from “Jaguar II.”
But successful a nighttime filled with shining moments and over-the-top performances, nary came adjacent to the finale served up by The Weeknd. Standing atop a multitiered, wedding cake-like mise-en-scène, with a legion of astatine slightest 60 dancers clad successful reddish veils and reddish bodysuits beneath his perch, The Weeknd delivered a feverish acceptable introduced by his caller single, “Dancing successful the Flames.” Dressed successful an elaborate hooded robe, motioning from supra the spectacle arsenic if helium were a precocious clergyman and backed by a dazzling airy show, the creator followed up with “Take My Breath,” “Sacrifice” and his 2020 megahit, “Save Your Tears.” The Canadian-born superstar ended the nighttime with “São Paulo,” “Blinding Lights” and a reprise of “Dancing In The Flames.”
Reports were conscionable arsenic ebullient from the Friday nighttime variation of the euphony festival, with performances by the Black Crowes, Camila Cabello, Gwen Stefani, Thomas Rhett, Shaboozey, Paramore and Dua Lipa.
Celebrating its 14th twelvemonth successful Las Vegas, the iHeartRadio Music Festival, the “biggest multigenre philharmonic lawsuit anywhere,” lived up to its billing.
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