The excitement for the iHeartRadio 102.7 KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball 2024 reached a fever pitch on December 6 as fans gathered at the Intuit Dome for this year’s annual concert. Jingle Ball, which began in 2000 in Los Angeles, is known for bringing together some of the year’s most influential musicians for a night of back-to-back showstopping performances. Since 2011, the event has expanded into an annual, nationwide concert series, with this year’s concerts taking place across other cities like Chicago, Detroit, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Atlanta, and Miami.
K-Pop is no stranger to Jingle Ball. In 2008, BoA promoted her U.S. debut on the Jingle Ball Village stage and wowed the crowd with her sleek, polished dance moves. In 2012, PSY took the Jingle Ball crowd by storm with the year’s chart-shattering, viral hit, “Gangnam Style.” In 2018, Monsta X became the first K-Pop boy group to perform on Jingle Ball‘s main stages, shortly followed by BTS and NCT127 in 2019. For 2024, Wonho, NCT Dream, and P1Harmony, as well as global girl group KATSEYE were set to captivate audiences as part of this year’s main lineup.
The 2024 102.7 KIIS FM Jingle Ball Pre-Show Village, held from 3-6PM (PT) at the Intuit Dome Plaza, offered a festive preview of the night’s main event, with performances from Full Circle Boys, Isabel LaRosa, Mckenna Grace, Spencer Sutherland, and K-Pop group KISS OF LIFE. Attendees were greeted by sponsor booths featuring free onsite activations and opportunities to win tickets to the main show later that evening. Ulta Beauty members were gifted with a mini swag bag filled with mascara, eye patches, face gems, and press-on nails, while Toyota gave away candy canes, beanies, and t-shirts to Instagram followers. Toyota’s activation also featured a photo-opp with Santa Claus while an LA Dodgers Bobblehead mascot greeted everyone as they entered the grounds.
Around the Village, K-Pop fans were out in full force and dressed to the nines, donning color-coordinated outfits, lightsticks, banners, and signs in support of KISS OF LIFE as well as NCT Dream, who were one of the performers at the main event later that evening. A queue of NCT fans, called NCTzens, formed in front of the large NCT Dream event banner while KISS OF LIFE FANS, called KISSYs, lined the outdoor stage, eagerly awaiting the girls’ appearance.
Fresh off of their two-day, sold-out concerts at The Novo, KISS OF LIFE, who stepped in after POW’s unexpected withdrawal from the Village lineup, brought their unbeatable charms and charisma to the outdoor stage. The performance served as a quick pitstop before their tour bus navigated through the impending Friday rush hour traffic to Las Vegas for the next stop on their KISS ROAD North America tour.
KISS OF LIFE sauntered on stage in all-white, multi-textured outfits paired with fur-trimmed boots and Haneul’s furry winter hat to fit into the Village’s holiday themes. They started their set with the viral hip-hop/R&B banger, “Igloo.” Like the lyrics which boast the girls’ flaming charisma that can melt ice as thick as igloos, they turned up the heat with their performance as KISSYs hyped them up as they sang along to the chorus, “I can melt an igloo, yeah, ’cause I’m so dang hot.”
After the performance, KISS OF LIFE was joined onstage by Jojo Wright, host of “Jojo on The Radio,” for a quick Q&A. When asked about touring, Julie spoke for the group, noting, “This is our first world tour, and we’re beyond thrilled to meet all our KISSYs here in America. We’re so excited!” Since mid-November, the group has traveled across North America, meeting their American KISSYs in over 20 cities. When asked about life on the road, Julie shared, “This is our first time touring, and we’re really enjoying it. It’s been a lot of fun!”
The discussion moved towards their latest album, Lose Yourself, which Belle explained is about “losing [themselves] to music.” Boasting seven tracks ranging in genre and style, the album showcases the girls’ confidence in tackling any new concepts and sounds that come their way.
As for their holiday plans, they shared that they have a jam-packed month filled with award shows and exciting stages for their KISSYs. Looking ahead to 2025, Julie shared their wishes to keep developing themselves, releasing more music, and performing on more stages. “To all our KISSYs, thank you so much for your endless love and support. We’ll keep making you proud!”
Following the Q&A, KISS OF LIFE jumped straight into “Sticky,” the beloved fan-favorite track that was the first to go viral and showcase the group’s immeasurable confidence and charisma. KISSYs went wild during the signature twerking choreography as they sang along to the lyrics, “How long before we fall in love?” Although KISS OF LIFE’s appearance was short, it didn’t take long for the audience, staff, and nearby bystanders to fall in love with their sound.
The free event was a perfect precursor to the main Jingle Ball festivities, which kicked off later in the evening with performances from major artists like SZA, Tate McRae, Meghan Trainor, Kane Brown, and NCT Dream.
The Jingle Ball series concludes this week with Atlanta on December 19 and Miami on December 21. For more information about Jingle Ball, check out their official website.