Fangirls Came Out in Force at Kiss 108’s Jingle Ball 2014
From left to right, 5SOS fans Angela Scolastico, Samantha Beauregard, Katie Crampton, and Morgan Gaffey / Photo by Jacey Taranto
A year has quickly passed since Miley Cyrus failed to show up at the city’s loudest holiday party, but the teenagers still came out in extreme numbers at Kiss108’s 2014 Jingle Ball on Sunday night. This shouldn’t be a shocking observation considering the lineup always caters to a younger audience, but this year, they had their game faces on.
Jingle Ball is “the best holiday party on the planet,” as proclaimed by Matty in the Morning’s Billy Costa. And we know teenagers don’t like to miss a beat—especially when said beats have everything to do with boy bands, strobe lights, and Vine-famous singers with dimples.
The show started with popular acts, but ones who clearly aren’t fangirl favorites. As OneRepublic took the stage, a girl wearing neon remarked, “I literally don’t know any of their songs.” Meanwhile, lead singer Ryan Tedder writes with One Direction and Taylor Swift, and OneRepublic has been on Top 40 radio since Girl in Neon was six years old. As if on cue, Tedder encouraged the audience to “get out from under the rock” they’re living under if “Apologize” sounded unfamiliar.
The Vine-famous one-man act Shawn Mendes was essential to the fangirl lineup. While a very small group was unsure about who he was, two extreme fans wearing crop tops clarified for everyone within earshot:
“Ohmygod, he’s amazing.”
“He has the most beautiful voice, like ever.”
“He’s famous from Vine—you know, the app.”
Their knowledge was limited, though, because they didn’t know much else outside his level of attractiveness and his decent vocal abilities. A quick Google search said Mendes was born in 1998, and that alone was equally amusing and upsetting.
5 Seconds of Summer lead singer Luke Hemmings on stage at Jingle Ball. Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images for iHeartMedia.
Lil Jon, Calvin Harris, Iggy Azealia, and Meghan Trainor were also among the lineup, but the latest boy band in pop music, 5 Seconds of Summer, was the apparent frontrunner for ultimate fangirl action. And they came on last.
Made famous with the help of One Direction, 5SOS is an Australian boy band trying desperately to not be a boy band with their pop-punk tunes and lip rings and graphic tees. But take one look at the lead singer, and they can’t—and probably shouldn’t—fight what’s undeniable.
Their set was short, but ranged from slow jams like “Amnesia,” and their upbeat hit “She Looks So Perfect.” A tall girl in a red-and-green tutu grasped her friend’s wrist with white knuckles, holding on for dear life. Another was hysterical to the point of tears. The number of upset dads sitting down was directly proportional to the number of alcoholic beverages they regret not getting.
“I literally can’t even,” crop-top-girl-turned-basketcase said when the lights turned on.
Same.
