Z100’s Jingle Ball is one of the most anticipated concerts every year. This year, acts such as Taylor Swift, One Direction, Justin Bieber, f.u.n., B.o.B., Jason Mraz, Olly Murs, Cher Lloyd, Ne-yo, Ed Sheeran, and The Wanted performed at Madison Square Garden.
Madison Square Garden seats about 40,000 people, and the concert-turned-films for Justin Bieber, the Jonas Brothers, Lady GaGa, and the recent Sandy Hurricane Relief, were filmed there.
The hosts for Jingle Ball were mostly from the Z100 Morning Show. Featuring Elvis Duran, Danielle, Froggy, TJ, Greg T and Skeery. Also joining them was Mo’ Bouce, and JJ.
The first act, One Direction, opened up with their single, Live While We’re Young. Also included in their set was One Thing, their latest single Little Things, written by Ed Sheeran, and their closing song as well as their first single in the UK and the US, What Makes You Beautiful. The entire performance was high-energy and a lot of fun!
After them, their British pal, Olly Murs, dominated the stage with his song Heart Skips a Beat and his new song Troublemaker.
Taylor Swift came onto the stage next and the entire crowd was consumed in her catchy tunes and heartfelt messages. She sang three songs from her new album, State of Grace, I Knew You Were Trouble, and her chart-topping single We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. She also took her fans back to the beginning of her career when she performed You Belong With Me and Love Story.
Taylor also sang her song with B.o.B., Both of Us.
This allowed a seamless transition to B.o.B.’s set of Magic, Airplanes, and Nothing On You. They got the crowd excited and ready for the next act, f.u.n..
When lead singer, Nate Reuss, finished their first song of the night, Some Nights, he laid down on the stage in pure amazement. Their next song, Carry On, although not well known, was a good song to dance to. They closed with their first single, We Are Young: rest assured, everyone in the crowd was singing along.
Guest presenter, Bridget Mendler, helped two of the hosts bring out Cher Lloyd. Cher only performed her first single, Want U Back, but had a great time with it. Cher came in fourth place on the British X Factor in season 7; as a point of note, One Direction was in third place.
As Ed Sheeran stepped on the stage, the crowd fell silent under his charm. Everyone had a glimpse of him before he sang his song with Taylor Swift, Everything Has Changed. Clad in a simple green-and-black t-shirt and a Santa hat, Ed overtook the entire stadium, using only his guitar and his voice the entire time. He performed songs from his album, +, Lego House and A Team. He threw his hat into the crowd before leaving and took a picture of the crowd’s cell phone lights, as he does at every show.
One of the most energetic performances of the night was The Wanted. “Rivals” of One Direction, these British boys were certainly a highlight of the night. They opened with one of their hit singles, Chasing the Sun. They used the stage very well and had a lot of fun, especially with their next song, All Time Low. They then performed their newest single, I Found You. Jumping around, and even dancing a little, band members Jay McGuiness and Max George (rumored to be dating Lindsey Lohan), brought a little girl on stage during their final song, Glad You Came.
Jason Mraz performed his set on a platform in the middle of the audience. He opened with his new single, I Won’t Give Up. The crowd sang along to one of his older singles, I’m Yours. While performing, he added in a bit of a Bob Marley song, Three Little Birds. It was a very original performance and very mellow and entertaining.
One of the two dance-oriented acts, Ne-yo, was amazing. He sang and danced to his songs Let Me Love You, Give Me Everything, Let’s Go, and, as he described “an oldie but a goodie,” So Sick. His dancing was incredible and mesmerizing and added a completely magical element to the entire set.
The last act of the night, Justin Bieber, was a big reason a lot of the people were the in the audience. The crowd screamed the loudest, cried the hardest, and had a lot of fun. He opened with his single with Nicki Minaj, Beauty and a Beat. The dancing was a lot more impressive than a lot would think, leaving many impressed. Grabbing his guitar, he sat down with his guitarist and sang a couple of songs acoustic; such as Fall. He joked around and truly showed his personality with the fans. He also sang his Christmas song, Mistletoe, and another one off of his holiday album. Justin danced and belted out As Long As You Love Me, Boyfriend, and All Around the World from his newest album, Believe. Justin finished with one of his first singles, Baby, having the entire stadium singing along.
There could be no complaints about Jingle Ball 2012. The acts were certainly talented in more ways than one, and the crowd was unbelievable. The energy overall was fantastic and everyone can’t wait for next year!
