Jack Harlow’s hip-hop, Jason DeRulo’s dance pop tops Allstate sell out of 103.5 KISS FM’s Jingle Ball
Every year, 103.5 KISS FM’s Jingle Ball is a surefire sellout, and considering the strength and diversity of the 2024 line-up, tickets flew faster than ever out of the Allstate Arena, where for over three hours, fans of all ages were treated to the top names representing practically every angle of pop.
Red hot rapper Jack Harlow dropped the “Jackman” album and already has another on the way since previously appearing on the heels of “Come Home The Kids Miss You,” but he nonetheless managed to merge multiple eras throughout a tight and efficient headlining set.
They included such catchy and confident staples as “Industry Baby,” “Whats Poppin” and “First Class,” plus the brand new “Lovin On Me,” each delivered with his signature swagger and clever wordplay.
Artist/dancer Jason DeRulo is of course no stranger to superstar status, who managed to pack a ton of humongous hits that spanned the entire 2010s through his latest long player, “Nu King.”
After getting blown away by the throbbing grooves and flashy presentations of “Swalla,” “Wiggle,” “Whatcha Say,” “Talk Dirty” and “Want To Want Me,” this all-around entertainer did indeed come across as radio royalty.
Singer/songwriter and frequent backflipper Benson Boone is certainly well on his way to the leading tier thanks to emotive vocals and thought-provoking lyrics from “Fireworks & Rollerblades,” culminating in the world premiere of “Young American Heart” and the momentum burst of “Beautiful Things.”
The same could be said about Madison Beer, minus the literal stunts, although her vocal variety was just as impressive as she weaved around straight up pop, R&B and dance flavors, including a cover of “Please Come Home For Christmas” and her own “Make You Mine.”
“Lose Control” troubadour Teddy Swims already tore up the charts with his highly heralded freshman full-length, “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1),” and he’s poised to have history repeat itself come a second installment due in 2025, while in the meantime, he kept seamlessly blurring the lines between R&B, soul, country and acoustic expressions.
K-pop also earned two significant shout-outs with NCT Dream providing the perfect “Dreamscape” of insanely contagious choruses, stacked harmonies and spectacular choreography, which wasn’t surprising considering the guys already sell out venues of this size by themselves.
Wonho is known for doing the same as a member of Monsta X, yet after making his local arena debut as a solo artist, is poised for a similar trajectory given an energetic stage presence and constant endorphin rush of surging beats.
Rapper and “Icy Girl” extraordinaire Saweetie started the whole show by oozing charisma and a fab flow as she sampled some singles leading up to her freshman long player, “Pretty B*tch Music,” alongside the festive “Big Santa.”
Though the extraordinary 103.5 KISS FM edition may be officially over, there’s still a chance to relive many key moments from various iHeartRadio Jingle Ball dates during an ABC broadcast on Wednesday, December 18 at 7:00 p.m. Central or streaming on Hulu the following day.
For additional information on 103.5. Jingle Ball, visit iHeart.com/Jingle-Ball.
Upcoming concerts at the Allstate Arena include Andrea Bocelli (Dec. 11); Pentatonix (Dec. 12); Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Dec. 23); Disney On Ice: “Let’s Dance (Jan. 23-26) and Feb. 6-9); Intocable (Mar. 22); Kylie Minogue (Apr. 2); Brooks & Dunn (Apr. 5); Los Tucanes De Tijuana (Apr. 12); Theo Von (Apr. 25); Ghost (Aug. 1) and Disney “Descendants” & “Zombies” (Aug. 6). For additional details, visit Rosemont.com/Allstate/.