Backstreet Boys, Kelly Clarkson, Fergie, & more light up the 2nd annual iHeartRadio Jingle Ball at the Air Canada Centre

Photos by Angelo Marchini

Kelly Clarkson, Fergie, Fifth Harmony and the Backstreet Boys rang in some holiday cheer at the ACC. 13 year old me would have never even imagined being at an event like this – it’s like a discount MTV awards. Over five hours of music and jollity to get ready for the holidays – that’s Jingle Ball North.

The ACC is decked out with giant baubles and plastic Christmas trees as Kelly Clarkson welcomes us to the show and encourages the cheer. Clarkson does an excellent job as host; offering disarming comments as things need to be reshot and repeated. Her southern charm is on full display tonight and she’s an expert crowd handler.

During setups, the audience is kept entertained by a compere. It’s a little like being here for a hockey match – with the jumbotron in full effect and insistent requests to the crowd to dance up a storm and keep the energy up. After about the 3^rd band, I’ve had about as much cheer as I can stand…but the audience seems very excited at the potential of being on the big screen and the backstage chats with the acts keep things interesting rather than the usual silent wait between bands you get at a festival.

A couple of forgettable performances open the show before Nova Scotian Ria Mae puts on a compelling, upbeat performance with her catchy pop songs. Fellow Canadian Jessie Reyes played just two songs, but absolutely nails Gatekeeper – a fittingly topical commentary on the pressure of young women in the entertainment industry at the mercy of exploitative executives. It was the most powerful performance of the night. Part of me thinks this ‘family event’ might not be the best place for it, but it’s an important message for young girls about the commodification of women’s bodies, even if the girls in the audience are too young to fully understand it yet. It was a bold move that reflects Reyes’ strong character. Definitely check her out.

The mood was significantly lightened by a five track set from Fergie – who cracked out Fergalicious with much aplomb. She’s a hell of an entertainer in a very different way to Reyes and the crowd was having a great time. Fergie’s very sweet on stage and I can’t help but want her to do well with her marvellous pop nonsense. She released her second solo album Double Dutchess in November and I want everyone to buy it.

New Yorker Cardi B glittered all over the stage with her sparkly knee length boots, bringing “a taste of the club” to the ACC. She puts on a surprisingly family friendly show for such a badass persona, and from the noise of the crowd it looks like she’ll keep going from strength to strength. Fifth Harmony get an ovation when they begin, although I found their set of seven tracks not all that compelling, and the crowd agreed – with most people back in their seats by song three. Maybe I’m too old for girl groups. Next up was Post Malone – a mediocre white dude with not one, but two face tattoos. Not my cup of tea at all, but if you like scruffy white guys doing RnB, be my guest – everyone else seemed thrilled. Kelly Clarkson belted out classics like Stronger, Miss Independent and Since U Been Gone, getting the crowd amped up for the main event.

The Backstreet Boys had the audience hyped up into a frenzy by the time they took to the stage, and they more or less lived up to the hype. It’s pretty clever to have a line up with Fifth Harmony and BSB – some stuff for the kids and a self-described trip down memory lane for the parents. The boys had all of their moves as well as some younger, more energetic dancers backing them. I was impressed with the energy, since they’re all pushing 40 or more. Brian still looked as baby faced as ever – though I may have been tricked by his backwards baseball cap. They opened with Larger than Life and topped off their hour set with As Long As You Love Me and Backstreet’s Back. They put in a great performance and closed the night on a high.

After almost 6 hours of festivities and entertainment…I think I’ve met my seasonal pop quota for the decade. You can catch a two hour TV special of the IHEARTRADIO JINGLE BALL NORTH on Sunday, Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.