Jingle Ball 2025 at Capital One Arena

By Sonya Lee

[Jingle Ball 2025, Washington, D.C.] Olivia Dean; Rachel Kaplan for iHeartRadio

Running closer to show time, I headed to my seat overlooking the arena, having a clear view of the floor and other seats. There were some VIP booths behind me, and I smiled at the group of girls who were energetically together, ready to have a fantastic night. The lights dimmed as the crowd cheered, though, unlike most concerts I have been to, most people were not standing. I could not tell if it was due to my seat, but I was soon to get my answer. White smoke took over the stage, and the first performer, Grammy-nominated Olivia Dean, dissipated from the cloud of mist. Representing snow herself, she walked out wearing a white dress with feather elements, and with her energetic personality, announced, “Hello, Washington! Merry Christmas! I’m gonna get you ready for Christmas!” She did just that, by performing her iconic hits “Nice To Each Other” (The Art of Loving, 2nd Album), “So Easy” (The Art of Loving, 2nd Album), “Let Alone The One You Love” (The Art of Loving, 2nd Album) and “Man I Need” (The Art of Loving, 2nd Album). 

She revealed this was her final show of the year and was thrilled to spend it with the audience. Between each song, she did her own freestyle of jazz-inspired choreography, backed up by her live band sharing heartbreaking yet soulful instrumental. Throughout the set, the audience swayed or sang along with all of her classic songs, matching the mood she was setting with her jazz-pop theme. Olivia Dean finished her final song by wishing everyone a final Merry Christmas before skipping off stage. As the crew was shifting to prepare for the next performance, I was shocked to find out how the transition worked for an event like Jingle Ball. True to the description, the changes between each artist worked similarly to if a radio were live, with the screens showcasing the next artists, commercials, and hosts from HOT 99.5 walking out on stage to interact with the audience. The next artist on the lineup was the talented Jelly Roll. He interacted with the crowd the most as he shared anecdotes and thoughts between each song. Opening the show with a “D.C.! Who wants some country music?!” He played his rocking songs, “Need a Favor” (Whitsitt Chapel, 9th album), “Liar” (Beautifully Broken (Pickin’ Up The Pieces), 10th album) and “Save Me” (Self Medicated, 7th album). 

He lamented throughout the show that he couldn’t believe he was at Jingle Ball. During some of the breaks, he gave very inspirational quotes such as “If you ever heard a voice saying you can’t do something, it’s wrong because you can do whatever you want in life!” and “I have always believed music comes from the soul.” He ended the night with a remix of classic songs such as “So What” by Snoop Dogg and “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus. The song “Flowers” was dedicated to his wife, who was not able to make it to the show, to which he mentioned to all the girls in the crowd to sing along loudly in her absence. He closed out his set by mentioning other artists who would perform, such as Alex Warren, Zara Larsson, and MONSTA X. He then wished Larsson a happy birthday. Before waving to go off-stage, he said his closing thoughts, “To all the young people, I hope you have a good night! To all the old people, I hope we feel like these kids again this one night!” One of the aspects that blew me away was the live band and their sheer skill with each song, along with the back-up singers, whose vocals blew me away. The next artist had me on the edge of my seat as they were introduced by the radio hosts, as they were the reason I wanted to attend Jingle Ball this year. 

[Jingle Ball 2025, Washington, D.C.] MONSTA X; Rachel Kaplan for iHeartRadio

While it was already awkward being the only person cheering and standing in my sections, I felt a bit saddened. Perhaps it was due to where I was sitting in the arena, but from what I could hear, the cheers for MONSTA X were minimal compared to the wave of excitement the other artists on this lineup were receiving. Though it might not have been true, I felt as though their set was rushed. That or I was having too much fun to notice time was up, but the group did not interact with the audience as much compared to the other artists. I do not know if it was due to time constraints between each act or due to the little cheering. This is not to say there were no fans, as I saw some lightsticks in the audience below, but there was a drastic difference in the sound levels of cheers, which is a shame, since MONSTA X is full of so much talent. Their stage performance for this year’s Jingle Ball especially impressed me with their choreography (one involving their microphone stands and fancy footwork) to their vocals (loved Kihyun’s high notes). After their performance, I heard people asking each other, “Do you know who they were?” So if anyone wants to know, the group is called MONSTA X, and they are a talented six-member K-pop boy group, which I highly recommend. 

After MONSTA X hit their final pose on stage, the hosts introduced the next artist, Alex Warren. The screams and applause were that of a tsunami as the sound was loud even before his full name was announced. If his entrance on stage was not already full of cheers, he opened his set by bringing Jelly Roll back on stage as they sang “Bloodline” (You’ll Be Alright, Kid, 1st Album). The momentum never stopped as he performed “Carry You Home” (You’ll Be Alright, Kid, 1st Album) and “Ordinary” (You’ll Be Alright, Kid, 1st Album). Throughout the show, he mentioned how exciting it was to be on the Jingle Ball stage, as he was once part of the crowd not too long ago, and how he is one of the performers. He thanked Jelly Roll for doing the collaboration with him, and also wished Zara Larsson a happy birthday. Everyone was up on their feet, and the applause and screams only seemed to grow, then turned into a full sing-along once “”Ordinary was performed. With a final bow and sparklers shining on the stage, Alex Warren closed out his set.

The mood shifted with such a grand ending from Alex Warren. The host presented the next group, the timeless rock band, Shinedown. Their performance focused on the familial and heartwarming aspect of Jingle Ball. They asked everyone to represent stars by shining flashlights or turning to the person next to them to introduce each other and perhaps make a new friend. Overall, they were very involved with the audience, which I think helped compel the younger audience to join in, since they might not know who they are, but with small interactions as these, it allows the younger demographic to participate. Keeping up with their genre, the rocking band performed “Sound of Madness” (The Sound of Madness, 3rd Album), “A Symptom of Being Human” (Planet Zero, 7th Album), “365” (Pre-release Single), “Second Chance” (The Sound of Madness, 3rd Album) and “Dance Kid Dance” (Pre-release Single). The audience truly delivered when the band asked “Did you bring your singing voice?” While people might not have been entirely familiar with their songs, it did not stop anyone from trying to follow along. 

Following a final appreciation of the audience with “D.C., you look absolutely amazing!” and thanking everyone for coming out to see them on a cold night, the sparklers shone once more as the band released their final drumming beat. Asking Myles to take over, it made the perfect transition for the next artist, Myles Smith, to take the stage. After another “commercial” break from the LED screens, Myles enthusiastically presented himself with a “How are we feeling?!” He was met with a round of applause. Similar to Olivia Dean, he mentioned this was his final show of the year. While Shinedown brought the soul to the event, Myles came in with a lot of hype. He asked the crowd to get up on their feet and to dance along. He performed “Wait For You” (A Minute, A Moment…, 3rd EP), “Nice To Meet You” (A Minute, A Moment…, 3rd EP), “Stay” (If You Wanna Dance) (Single) and “Stargazing” (A Minute, A Moment…, 3rd EP). Between each song, he checked in with the crowd to make sure the energy never died down. He even shared a little secret with everyone, which is that he wrote “Stargazing,” inspired by Alex Warren, which is a nice little fun fact people got to know. Myles ended the set with the crowd chanting along to his final song as he thanked everyone with a final bow. 

As the stage was being rearranged, this allowed the crowd to prepare for the next performer. The radio host made their way out to say a few words before presenting Zara Larsson. She needed no full introduction, as the hosts agreed upon from the audience’s screams from the mention of her first name alone (plus the fact that the previous performers mentioned her). The cheers seemed to reach their peak as they reverberated off the arena walls. Zara made a splashy entrance as she was carried on stage by four of her dancers, truly turning her stage from winter to summer. She opened the stage full of hype with the holiday version of “Pretty Ugly” (Midnight Sun, 5th Album). Feeling the surge of her 28th birthday, she sang energetically with “Ain’t My Fault” (So Good, 2nd Album), “Midnight Sun” (Midnight Sun, 5th Album) and “Symphony” (So Good, 2nd Album). The fans never could get enough of Zara, with her amazing vocals and expressive choreography. In the spirit of giving, for her final song, she asked if someone wanted to dance with her on stage. Hands went flying as each person tried to show off their perfect moves. Ultimately, a lucky fan named Grace was chosen to join her on stage. Starstruck from being picked, Grace tearfully accepted in joy, dancing along with her. Together, both of them sang and danced to Zara’s viral hit, “Lush Life” (So Good, 2nd Album). Amazed by her quick study, the audience followed along, dancing and singing cheerfully to both of them. 

Having spent the best way performing for her birthday, Zara energetically thanked the crowd and wished everyone a merry Christmas and happy holidays! As usual, another transition period was put in place for the event. However, this was a special moment, as the hosts returned out on stage, they had a surprise waiting for the fans. On the LED panels, the screens shifted from running commercials to three familiar faces. EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, he singing voices of HUNTR/X from K-pop Demon Hunters. The trio left a message asking the fans to sing along to the iconic hits from the movie, knowing how much of an impact it has had on people. I could see from the corner of my eye little kids and their parents eagerly awaiting the songs to be played. Next, the screens changed to show “Soda Pop” (K-pop Demon Hunters, Soundtrack Album), which slew in almost the entire arena, up on their feet. This was the most I had heard the majority of the crowd all singing along and doing the iconic “Soda Pop” dance. If the singing was not already thunderous, it surpassed decibels with the next song, “Golden” (K-pop Demon Hunters, Soundtrack Album). This had everyone screaming along to each of the lyrics while jumping to their feet. Once the small event was over, the radio hosts thanked the crowd for playing along with the small treat and asked everyone to be prepared for the next artist, AJR.

[Jingle Ball 2025, Washington, D.C.] Zara Larsson; Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for iHeartRadio