Maren Morris, Kim Petras: iHeartRadio Music Competition Attracts Starry Combine

The iHeartRadio Music Competition, after 12 years as a staple occasion in Las Vegas’ datebook, took over the T-Cellular Enviornment Friday and Saturday with the highest stars of music and podcasting, radio and streaming, canvassing each the viewers, onstage and backstage. Identified for its shock collaborative performances and world premieres, the iHeartRadio Competition crosses genres and codecs. This yr belonged to nation stars, legacy acts and viral sensations.

That includes performances from Black Eyed Peas, Lionel Richie, Morgan Wallen, Diplo, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, Pitbull, Sam Smith and the Black Keys, the motion behind the scenes started to roll round 6 p.m. on night time one, all main right into a 7:30 p.m. showtime.

To loosen up the nerves and spark the last word cross-marketing alternative, Casa Dragones, the tequila model co-founded by iHeart CEO Bob Pittman and Bertha González Nieves, gifted every artist performing on the occasion a custom-wrapped bottle of its newly launched fourth expression, Tequila Casa Dragones Reposado Mizunara.

Libations apart, these backstage knew it was nearly curtain-time when a parade of bubbly dancers in blue-sequined mini-dresses rushed the stage to hit their marks for Pitbull, the night’s opener. 

The Cuban-American rapper roused the gang with greater than half-dozen of his greatest hits, together with 2022’s “Can’t Cease Us Now” with Zac Brown.

“No person would’ve ever thought we might have a document with Zac Brown,” Pitbull advised the viewers.

Because the Miami hitmaker took the stage, on the sidelines, iHeartRadio Competition producers took a celebratory selfie with Mr. Worldwide as their background.

Whereas motion kicked into gear within the entrance of the home, backstage, Sam Smith and Kim Petras, who formally launched their viral hit “Unholy” this week, shared a vogue second whereas making their method by means of pre-show duties. The duo fawned over one another’s appears to be like. “So slutty,” they mentioned with a giggle, of their Vegas-appropriate sparkle outfits. 

Throughout Smith’s set, they introduced Petras onstage for the reside debut of “Unholy,” Smith’s first single in two years. “It has been a loopy couple of days,” mentioned Smith. “I launched a music yesterday. I’ve been sitting on this music like a goose — it has been with me for a yr.”

In August, Smith and Petras dance-teased the music on TikTok making it a viral sensation with over 29 million views and a whole bunch of 1000’s of customers creating “Unholy” movies of their very own. Petras, a German pop artist, topped viral musical charts with 2017’s  “I Don’t Need It At All.”

Petras says they’ve been speaking about recording collectively for just a few years and initially linked by means of a DM.

“I’m actually proud and grateful that Sam requested me to collaborate with them on it,” Petras advised Selection. “I had a lot enjoyable with an artist who really writes, has an opinion and a imaginative and prescient. After they despatched it to me I used to be instantly like ‘sure.’ It feels actually contemporary and new for Sam and for me, too. Collectively we made some magic and now we’re associates.”

Anticipate extra appearances from Petras and Smith this yr; and subsequent yr, an album from Petras.

Previous to introducing Smith, Lance Bass shared with Selection how proud he’s to see LGBT artists on the forefront of the business.

“Again in my day, you you couldn’t be [openly] homosexual and be within the music business,” mentioned Bass. “It was laborious and nobody actually accepted you that a lot. The final 10 years, it has been unimaginable to see so many queer artists get their highlight and so they did it themselves.”

A number of weeks in the past, former sweethearts Bass and Danielle Fishel introduced on her podcast “Pod Meets World” that their love story and promenade date can be recounted in a brand new film written by Lauren Lapkus and Mary Holland.

“I’ve now realized after I’m going to pitch my initiatives, I’m simply going to announce it to the world as a result of that factor bought in a short time after that got here out,” he mentioned. “We have now a tremendous studio that’s going to be hopefully making it if we will strike deal. I by no means thought that my promenade night time story would grow to be such a enjoyable film.” 

The previous NSYNC member, who was sporting a playful Balenciaga Pokemon sweater, famous that he was channeling that power heading into his “dad’s weekend” in Vegas. “I’m excited, I haven’t been to a present in a really very long time and I’m simply going to loosen up,” he mentioned. “My dad and mom have my children.” 

Additionally backstage, Bass slid effortlessly into a photograph with rock legends Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, who shall be inducted into the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame in November. Then the couple, married for 40 years, took the stage to carry out their hits after an introduction from “One Tree Hill” and “Drama Queens” podcast hosts Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton and Bethany Pleasure Lenz. Benatar and Giraldo’s set included the hits “Love Is a Battlefield” and even a canopy of Johnny Money’s “Ring of Fireplace.”

Earlier than Benatar and Giraldo carried out, the Black Keys took their flip, with an introduction by Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling. The duos posed collectively on the crimson carpet as properly. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney delivered a strong rock present starting with “Howling for You” and shutting with “Lonely Boy.”

The Black Eyed Peas, in the meantime, delivered an electrifying efficiency transferring by means of their a long time of hits from “Let’s Get It Began” to new monitor “Don’t You Fear” to “I Gotta A Feeling.”

Talking to Selection, the Peas shared that “Don’t You Fear,” with Shakira, David Guetta and Farruko, reminded them of one other collaboration they did just a few years again that went very properly.

Mentioned will.i.am: “We toss songs round in textual content messages. David Guetta despatched me the beat in 2008 to ‘I Acquired a Feeling.’ In 2022, he despatched me the beat to ‘Don’t You Fear.’ And we went into the studio, chopped it up, despatched it over to Shakira, after which Farruko dropped his verse. Distant work is superior. Musicians began that shit.”

Following the Black Eyed Peas, Lionel Richie, who has a residency on the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas, bounced by means of 5 chart-toppers, together with “Dancing on the Ceiling” and “All Night time Lengthy,” whereas “Actual Housewives” Meghan O’Toole King and Teddi Mellencamp and radio character Bobby Bones (who lately introduced his personal one-night present at Encore Theater) and spouse Caitlin Parker had been seen dancing within the pit.

In an epic backstage second, iHeartRadio Competition host Ryan Seacrest, Morgan Wallen and Richie chatted earlier than a photograph bombing by Black Eyed Peas. Richie overvalued the thought of main a collaboration between the artists.

iHeartRadio Competition night time one undoubtedly belonged to Wallen, whose “Harmful: The Double Album” simply established a brand new mark for the album by a single artist that has spent essentially the most weeks within the Billboard 200 album chart’s Prime 10: 86.

Earlier than hitting the crimson carpet, Wallen requested his stylist to regulate his well-known mullet, pushing the hair again behind his ears beneath his baseball cap.

Onstage Wallen performed piano throughout “Sand in My Boots” after which took on his hits “Wasted On You” and “Whiskey Glasses” and extra all through his six-song set.

Diplo, coming straight from opening for Dangerous Bunny at Allegiant Stadium, grabbed a jumbo bag of popcorn within the hallway of T-Cellular Enviornment and introduced it to the crimson carpet for his picture session. It was a giant week for the DJ, who was awarded $1.2 million on account of a violation of the restraining order settlement in his ongoing sexual harrassment case with a former fling.

To shut out night time one, Diplo and Wallen carried out their collaboration “Heartless” for the primary time.

Night time two of the iHeartRadio Competition showcased pop-rock and hip-hop legacy acts, nation chart toppers, a self-titled solo flip and a sizzling woman nearer. On the invoice, Avril Lavigne, Halsey, LL Cool J, Luke Combs, Marcus Mumford, Maren Morris, Megan Thee Stallion and Sean Diddy Combs represented 5 a long time of hits.

The night of sudden collisions started when former highschool classmates Luke Combs and Chase Rice noticed one another on the crimson carpet. Rice, who carried out on the “daytime stage” and made his method backstage at T-Cellular throughout iHeartRadio Competition night time two, shared that the camaraderie between nation artists runs deep. Rice had dinner with Morgan Wallen the night time earlier than and likewise noticed his set.

“He’s killing it proper now,” Rice advised Selection. “We did a handful of reveals this summer season collectively. And it’s simply enjoyable to see the place he’s in life. [Wallen] is completely happy and benefiting from this second.”

The nice vibes prolong throughout genres, one thing that occurs organically at this occasion. “I didn’t assume I’d ever share a stage with Avril Lavigne,” Rice mentioned of the pop-punk artist who did a double shift between iHeartRadio daytime and nighttime occasions. “Completely different experiences like that makes this actually particular. You discuss backstage. [Cheat Codes] goes to ship me some songs, and we’ll see what we will do. I don’t know if it’ll work out. However there’s lots of various things that might occur.”

Having simply launched the one “Key West & Colorado,” Rice revealed that subsequent up for him is an actual “soiled” monitor referred to as “Manner Down Yonder.” “It’s the fringe of the document. It’s actual, it’s plausible,” he mentioned. “There aren’t any tracks on the document, which is totally different for nation music nowadays — imagine it or not — as a result of everyone’s doing tracks. None of that. There’s not even a click on on it. The entire thing was primarily based on the texture of the drummers — us enjoying off one another.”

Rice additionally amped for the music, “All Canine Go to Hell, “which is a completely loopy title, I get it,” Rice confessed. “It’s a twist.”

EDM trio Cheat Codes, who additionally performed the daytime stage, grabbed Luke Combs for a photograph as he walked to the crimson carpet. Making main waves within the nation world, they shared with Selection particulars about their nation collaborations together with Woman A, Jimmie Allen, Dolly Parton and Mackenzie Porter. They’ll even play Las Vegas’ Rodeo World in December all whereas sustaining their EDM residency at Zouk Nightclub at Resorts World.

“Like a British Invasion, we’re just like the Nashville invasion,” cracked Kevi. “We simply took over the town.”

“We’ve at all times cherished nation music,” added Trevor Dahl. “We labored on a music with Little Large City and Lee Brice and that one become 13 songs. We weren’t forcing it in any respect.”

“I feel our followers know that we perform a little little bit of all the things,” mentioned Matthew Russell. “We make music you can hearken to on the health club, you possibly can hearken to on the grocery retailer you possibly can hearken to at dwelling. We need to make music for all totally different functions in your life. We don’t actually care in regards to the style, that’s secondary for us.”

Onstage, Lavigne celebrated 20 years since her debut album with a success from then, “Girlfriend,” and a success from now, “Chew Me,” from 2022’s “Love Sux,” on Travis Barker’s label DTA Information. She grabbed her guitar on “My Joyful Ending” and went gradual on “I’m With You,” closing with the ever-rocking “Sk8er Boi.”

Having simply launched his debut solo album “Self-Titled” on September 16, Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons fame began his five-song set with “Prior Warning” after which led into the collaboration with Clairo referred to as “Harmful Recreation.” Taking the gang deeper into the brand new work, “Higher Off Excessive,” “Grace” and “Higher Angels” rounded out the hassle.

Luke Combs constructed a setlist that spanned his profession “Hurricane,” “When It Rains It Pours” and “Lovin’ on You” amongst others. Nevertheless, he began with a brand new monitor, “Sort of Love We Make,” from his long-awaited new album “Growin’ Up.” Throughout his finale, he tossed a Solo cup into the viewers whereas singing “Beer By no means Broke My Coronary heart.”

Maren Morris, who walked the crimson carpet and carried out “I Can’t Love You Anymore” with husband Ryan Hurd, advised Selection that these moments when their careers collide are very particular.

Mentioned Morris: “We met writing songs — Ryan and I — our music is so intertwined with our private life. Now we’re each busy and we’re on separate excursions so it’s very uncommon that we get days like this. We’re on the identical day of a pageant.” Hurd additionally carried out a solo set on the daytime stage. “We have now just a few extra weekends of my tour after which we’ve got a trip deliberate as a result of he and I must go away someplace with out and have husband and spouse time to reconnect.”

Morris says that all of it performs into teamwork. “I undoubtedly need to begin writing once more. We’re staying busy after we can after which taking  break day and decompressing after we can as properly. I really feel like that’s the one method good songs come out — for those who give your self time to reside some life.”

Of the lineup, she shared there was one performer topping her checklist: Meghan Thee Stallion. “I’m a Texas woman. So Meg, I’ve by no means seen her carry out.”

Ryan Seacrest introduced Las Vegas headliner Criss Angel on stage to introduce Diddy. Angel’s new present, “Magic With the Stars,” debuts Oct. 22 on the CW. The music mogul proceeded to do the Diddy dance biking by means of his greatest hits of Dangerous Boy classics — from “Juicy” and “Mo Cash Extra Issues” to “Dangerous Boy 4 Life” and “All Concerning the Benjamins.” The large second in his set was when son King Combs, 24, joined him for “Can’t Cease Received’t Cease,” primarily based on the Dangerous Boy hit, “Crush on You,” with Lil’ Kim and Lil’ Stop. 

Leslie Jones, comic and host of podcast “The Fckry With Leslie Jones and Lenny Marcus,” popped into the viewers to look at Diddy. 

Dashing to make the pre-show rounds, Halsey made a quick look on the crimson carpet, calling for his or her stylist to repair the sheer black look. “This costume is admittedly difficult and I’m making an attempt to provide you some sheer,” Halsey mentioned to the photographers. Onstage, she introduced the extremely highly effective presence for which she is understood to “Nightmare,” “So Good,” “Dangerous at Love” and “With out Me,” and extra. 

Backstage, LL Cool J made the rounds of picture opps earlier than his set. Posting up in entrance of the stage door, it started to lift mid-snap, with out skipping a beat, LL swaggered away saying, “We had a second and the flood gates opened.” In essentially the most thunderous efficiency of the night time with DJ Z Journey, he blasted by means of his best hits from “Rock the Bells” to “Mama Mentioned Knock You Out” and “I Want Love” to “Jingalin.” Boasting a profession that launched in 1985, Uncle L might now formally be a godfather of hip-hop.

Toting her new album, “Traumazine,” and the ultimate act of the pageant, Megan Thee Stallion conquered the stage in a metallic bodysuit, an homage to the Silver State. Performing “Ungrateful” that includes Key Glock, “Her” and “Plan B,” she additionally bounced again to earlier favorites resembling  “WAP,” “Physique,” “Thot Sh*t” and “Freak Nasty.” 

iHeartRadio Music Competition will air on CW throughout a two-night tv particular on Oct. 7-8 from 8-10 p.m.