iHeartRadio Music Festival Announces Star-Studded Lineup For 2015
Yesterday, iHeartRadio announced the lineup for their annual music festival in Las Vegas, and it’s amazing to say the least. The 2-day event, which is to be hosted by none other than Ryan Seacrest, will include performances by Kanye West, Sam Smith, Coldplay, The Who, Kenny Chesney, Janet Jackson, Lil Wayne, and more top artists. The 2015 iHeartRadio Music Festival will be held September 18-19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
In addition to the arena performances, there will be plenty more acts playing at the festival’s Daytime Village at the nearby MGM Resorts Village on September 19. Daytime Village performers include Demi Lovato, Hozier, Tove Lo, Walk The Moon, Nick Jonas, Big Sean, and more.
Check out a full, detailed listing of the festival lineup below.
2015 iHeartRadio Music Festival Lineup
Kanye West
Love him or hate him, Kanye West is without a doubt one of the biggest figures in the entire music industry, and he’s firmly cemented his place as one of the best-selling artists of all time. He’s sold millions of records and won an astounding 21 Grammy Awards over the years, and is currently listed as one of Time’s 100 most influential people in the world. With an ego as big as his net worth, he’s been known to run his mouth on some pretty controersial issues, but despite his often abrasive nature, you can’t deny that the guy makes good music (or G.O.O.D. Music, as his label is called). Yeezus himself will be headlining this year’s iHeartRadio Music Festival, so it’s sure to be an interesting event that you won’t want to miss.
Sam Smith
Sam Smith is undoubtedly one of the greatest music success stories of the last few years. The soulful English singer initially gained attention when he lent his vocals to Disclosure’s 2012 hit single “Latch.” The next year, he was featured on Naughty Boy’s “La La La,” earning his first number one and international recognition. In 2014, Smith released his debut full-length, the now multiplatinum In the Lonely Hour, which got him nominated for six Grammy Awards, of which he won four.
The Who
The Who, considered one of the all-time greatest rock bands, will be making an appearance at this year’s iHeartRadio Music Festival as part of their 50th Anniversary tour. With the classic lineup of Roger Daltrey on lead vocals, Pete Townshend on guitar, Keith Moon on drums, and John Entwistle on bass, The Who has been regarded as a legendary rock band for decades, having played a key part in the British Invasion of the 1960s. Despite the tragic losses of Moon and Entwistle over the years, The Who still remains active today with Daltrey and Townshend continuing to write and perform music. In 2014, they released the hits compilation album The Who Hits 50, which included the band’s first new material in nearly a decade.
Coldplay
Modern masters of the emotional ballad, Coldplay, recently announced a new album called A Head Full of Dreams. Though no official release date has been announced yet, the new record is expected by the end of the year, and there will probably be a tour to go with it this time, so get excited, Coldplay fans. Lead singer Chris Martin referred to A Head Full of Dreams as being like the last Harry Potter book, so that might be a hint that it could be the band’s final release. Their performance at this festival is going to be huge, as they barely toured in support of their 2014 album Ghost Stories, so this is a rare chance to see them live right now.
Demi Lovato
Former Disney teen idol Demi Lovato broke out onto the music scene early on in her career, soon becoming a huge pop star in her own right. Now, Lovato is tearing up the charts, has millions of fans, and has earned enough respect in the industry to be a judge on “The X Factor.” After embarking on several headlining world tours over the last few years, she returned this summer with a new single called “Cool for the Summer,” which she released ahead of her yet-to-be-announced fifth studio album.
David Guetta
French DJ David Guetta is undoubtedly one of the biggest names in electronic music today. He has had several #1 singles and has achieved international mainstream success. In his early days, Guetta was a fixture in the Paris club scene, and as he continued to rise to fame, he built up a niche following of dance music fans. His commercial popularity and international breakthrough, however, came with his 2009 album One Love, which included several number one singles and launched him into the sphere of pop music.
Kenny Chesney
One of the biggest names in contemporary country music, Kenny Chesney, has certified himself as a superstar within the last twenty years. Though the Tennessee native began his career in the early ’90s, he didn’t hit the big time until his 1995 album All I Need to Know, which produced several hit singles and propelled him into the limelight. In the last two decades or so, Chesney has released an astonishing fifteen studio albums, most of which have been certified gold or platinum. His most recent effort is 2014’s The Big Revival, which marks a conscious movement toward a more lively and cheerful sound.
The Weeknd
The Weeknd is the stage name of Canadian alternative R&B musician Abel Tesfaye. He surfaced in 2011 with his nine-track mixtape House of Balloons, and was soon championed by superstar rapper Drake, which increased his profile tremendously. He issued a series of mixtapes that were received favorably by critics before the arrival of his debut album Kiss Land 2013. In the few years that he’s been in the spotlight, The Weeknd has collaborated with such big-name artists as Drake, Ariana Grande, and Wiz Khalifa, and is now a well-known name himself.
Tove Lo
Sweden’s Tove Lo gained attention in 2013 when her breakthrough electropop single “Habits” reached number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The song became even more popular and saw more international exposure when it was remixed by American production duo Hippie Sabotage, and soon Tove Lo was opening for Katy Perry on her world tour. In September 2014 she released her debut album Queen of the Clouds, which is her first full-length record.
Lil Wayne
One of the biggest rappers in the game, Lil Wayne, just dropped a new record called the Free Weezy Album. The New Orleans-based rapper has stated that he will retire at 35 (that’s just over two years from now), and his career will culminate in the release of his Tha Carter V album, which after multiple delays has not yet been given an official release date. Given that information, it’s possible that there won’t be many more chances to see Weezy live in concert, so I’d recommend seeing him now while you still can.
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy emerged as one of the front runners of the 2000s pop punk scene, spurred by the success of their 2005 breakthrough album From Under the Cork Tree. They set the mid-2000s radio ablaze with hits like “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” and “Dance, Dance,” both of which were top ten singles that went multi-platinum. Fans were immediately drawn to the impressive vocal chops of singer Patrick Stump and the charm and charisma of guylinered bassist Pete Wentz, and soon enough Fall Out Boy became a group of international rock stars, selling out arenas all over the world. After a few more successful albums, the band went on a brief hiatus, but made a solid return in 2013 with their album Save Rock and Roll. After extensive touring in support of the record, the band premiered their new single “Centuries” in 2014. The single was issued as a lead-up to their sixth album, American Beauty/American Psycho, which came out in January of this year and is the band’s third #1 album to date.
Disclosure
English electronic music duo Disclosure consists of brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence. Their breakthrough came in 2012 with the hit single “Latch,” which features vocals from Sam Smith. A year later, they released their debut album Settle, earning the Lawrence brothers their first Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronica Album. Next month, the duo is set to release their highly anticipated sophomore album Caracal. The new record features collabs with The Weeknd, Sam Smith, Lorde, and more.
Hozier
Andrew Hozier-Byrne, better known as Hozier, is an Irish singer-songwriter who has gained tremendous success recently with his multi-platinum gospel and blues-inspired single “Take Me to Church.” The wise-beyond-his-years twenty-something singer grew up as the son of a blues musician, so it’s no wonder he does the genre so well. Hozier released his self-titled debut album near the end of 2014, and his song “Take Me to Church” was nominated for a Grammy award for Song of the Year. His record has since been certified 6x platinum in his home country of Ireland.
Jason Derulo
Though he already had a successful career penning songs for popular artists like Diddy, Pitbull, and Lil Wayne, Jason Derulo eventually stepped out from behind the scenes to become a mainstream solo artist in his own right. By 2009, he already had a hit on his hands with “Whatcha Say,” which featured an R&B-tweaked sample of Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek.” Derulo’s sleekly autotuned brand of R&B caught on with the masses, and he’s churned out hit after hit since then. Earlier this year, he released his fourth studio album, titled Everything Is 4, which features the number one single “Want to Want Me.”
Duran Duran
New wave heroes Duran Duran, known for such ’80s gems as “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “Rio,” are releasing a new album next month. Slated for release on September 11, Paper Gods is Duran Duran’s fourteenth studio album and their first in five years.
Prince Royce
Geoffrey Royce Rojas, better known as Prince Royce, is a Bronx-born Latin pop musician who’s been earning more and more popularity with each year in the biz. Though already a huge presence on the Tropical and Latin charts, his newly released fourth record is already putting him on the mainstream radar. The new album, Double Vision, is the first album Prince Royce recorded primarily in English, and it features heavy-hitting collaborators like Snoop Dogg, Pitbull, and Jennifer Lopez. Currently, he’s touring as the opening act for Ariana Grande’s Honeymoon Tour.
Diplo
Superstar DJ Diplo will be making an appearance at this year’s iHeartRadio Music Festival. Throughout the last decade, he’s been one of the hottest producers out there, having worked with an impressive pool of artists, including M.I.A., Snoop Dogg, Usher, Drake, and Beyonce to name a few. In addition to his DJ career, Diplo oversees the super successful Mad Decent label, which is host to artists like Dillon Francis, DJ Snake, and Flosstradamus. Besides performing as Diplo, he is also the force behind Major Lazer and as of this year is part of the duo Jack U along with Skrillex.
Trey Songz
Hip hop/R&B artist Trey Songz is no stranger to the charts. He has released six studio albums to date, all of which landed within the top 20 on the Billboard 200. Starting with his debut album I Gotta Make It in 2005, he climbed higher and higher on the charts with each subsequent release, until earning his first #1 album with 2012’s Chapter V. Last year, Trey Songz released his sixth record, Trigga, marking his second consecutive #1 album.
The Killers
Few bands achieved success as quickly as The Killers did back in the mid-2000s. Their 2004 debut Hot Fuss was an immediate hit, showcasing the influence of ’80s synthpop mixed with the flashy glamor of the band’s home city of Las Vegas. The record sold millions of copies and earned the band five Grammy Awards, launching vocalist Brandon Flowers, guitarist Dave Keuning, bassist Mark Stoermer, and drummer Ronnie Vannucci into the international spotlight. The Killers’ three subsequent albums were just as successful, and the band remains one of the biggest rock acts out there today with one of the most passionate fan bases in existence. Their latest studio album, Battle Born, saw release in 2012, and the band followed it up the next year with a greatest hits album.
Blake Shelton
In addition to his successful career as a country musician, Blake Shelton is regarded as a national celebrity and television star, thanks to his spot as a judge on NBC’s “The Voice.” Born and raised in Oklahoma, Shelton moved to Nashville right after he graduated high school in order to get a jump on his music career. His big break came in 2001, when his debut single “Austin” spent five weeks at the number one spot on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. His role on “The Voice” has certainly helped boost his profile over the last few years, and his album sales have gone up with the recognition.
Nick Jonas
As of last year, the youngest Jonas brother officially stepped out on his own, releasing a self-titled album in late 2014. The new record helped him somewhat shed his Disney-approved image and spawned huge Top 40 hits like “Chains” and the multiplatinum single “Jealous.” Now a pop star in his own right, Nick Jonas is touring this year with big acts like Maroon 5 and Kelly Clarkson, and recently announced that he is set to embark on his own headlining tour starting this fall.
Janet Jackson
Making a stellar comeback this year is none other than Janet Jackson, whose Unbreakable World Tour kicks off at the end of August. Weirdly enough, iHeartRadio placed Ms. Jackson at the bottom of this lineup, but we all know she’s clearly headliner material, and that’s not just because she shares DNA with the King of Pop himself. The youngest Jackson sibling has released ten studio albums since her self-titled debut back in 1982, six of which peaked at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200. Janet will be releasing a new record this fall under her own label, Rhythm Nation Records.
Daytime Village Lineup
Demi Lovato
Hozier
Tove Lo
Trey Songz
Walk The Moon
Nick Jonas
Big Sean
Lee Brice
George Ezra
Tori Kelly
Echosmith
James Bay
The Struts
Zella Day
Shawn Mendes
Tickets for the 2015 iHeartRadio Music Festival will sell quickly, so be sure to get yours as soon as possible!
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