93.3 FLZ’s Jingle Ball is one of Tampa’s most well known music events. Every year they gather a number of diverse music acts. The artists they get are usually an assortment of whatever has been overplayed on the radio in the past year.
The floor of the Tampa Bay Times Forum was littered with Santa hats and the crowd was buzzing as the anticipation for the show to begin grew.
93.3FLZ’s most well known DJ’s introduced each act, and the familiar voices were full of excitement to be there.
The first group to grace the stage was the lovely ladies of Fifth Harmony. They are an all girl group that formed on the second season of The X-Factor. The girls were definitely not lip-syncing but the performance verged on obnoxious because of their high pitched voices and lack of interesting stage production but they weren’t on stage long enough to become a nuisance, thankfully.
Jason Derulo waltzed on stage and delivered a performance that oozed with pretentiousness, but the showy swag was still likeable. By the end of his set, he was without a shirt and a midst the crowd. The crowd was into him and he was equally into himself.
Enrique Iglesias is a name most people are familiar with. I knew his name and probably his most famous song, but I was pleasantly surprised with his performance. He brought a unique sense of excitement and authentic musicality to the stage that was unmatched by anyone else.
I was excited to see Flo Rida because he has been a staple of mainstream music since I was in middle school. He delivered a high-energy performance and thanked the crowd for all the success he has encountered. He was the most emotionally invested performer of the night and probably the most down to earth.
Some people know her as Kat from Sam and Kat or Victorious but Ariana Grande has broken free of her Nickelodeon days and has made a new name for herself. Ariana’s vocals are unprecedented and her stage presence was captivating. Her delicate beauty entranced the guys and the girls were green with envy.
Miley Cyrus was the performance everyone was anxious for. Her unpredictable and bizarre behavior has become legendary and Tampa was eager to see it with their own eyes. She strutted onstage and began with an oldie, Party In The USA. She was toting an oversized fur cross body Chanel bag, and a miniscule red leotard. The Chanel bag was in front of her body the entire time, almost to an obnoxious extent. Joined by her 7 foot tall dancer and her little friend Ashley, she created a whimsical Christmas wonderland filled with auto-tune and twerking. Despite her oddness she delivered a high-energy performance that did not disappoint.