Z100’s on the Ball with streaming, apps & more
EVERY YEAR, Jingle Ball seems to jingle a little louder.
As New Yorkers know, WHTZ (Z100, 100.3 FM) has for years sponsored an annual holiday concert with many of the year’s hottest artists.
This year’s Jingle Ball pops Friday night at Madison Square Garden, with Taylor Swift topping a 16-act bill that includes Ariana Grande, Maroon 5, 5 Seconds of Summer, Charli XCX, Pharrell and Nick Jonas.
But these days, says Tom Poleman, president of national programming platforms for Z100’s parent, iHeart, the Garden show is just the start.
There are 10 other Jingle Balls across the country, patterned on the Z100 model. The New York concert is streamed live on Yahoo and apps, and a highlights version will air Thursday on the CW.
“People around the country love to hear what’s going on in New York,” Poleman says. “We’re the epicenter of pop culture.”
This year, he says, has been especially rich for music with classic pop appeal, and Swift has led the way.
“We knew she’d have a new album at the end of the year, so she was at the top of our wish list all along,” Poleman says.
“She’s an artist that both mom and daughter think is cool. Yet as her music has evolved she’s still stayed relevant to her original fans — and she does social media better than anyone on the planet.”
It’s been a particularly good year for female artists, reflected in the fact that Jingle Ball also includes Iggy Azalea, Jessie J and Rita Ora.
Poleman half-jokes that this edition nearly could have reprised one of the early Jingle Balls, “Girls Rule the Yule.”
Whatever the gender of the stars, Poleman says Jingle Ball just remains unique.
“You don’t see this many top artists on the same stage,” he says. “Never.”