Sin City turned into a mecca for cross-genre music superstars on Friday (September 21) when the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival took over the T-Mobile Arena and saw chart-toppers like Childish Gambino, Mariah Carey and more for Night 1 of the star-studded affair. From the Atlanta star's show-stopping moves to Jason Aldean's touching tribute to the victims of the horrific mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, it was a full-blown spectacle that touched on each genre, with the help of host Ryan Seacrest.
If you missed out on the affair, scroll on below to see some of the biggest highlights from the Las Vegas show.
Mariah Carey Debuts Savage Breakup Anthem "GTFO"
After completing the first leg of her "Butterfly Returns" Las Vegas residency, Mariah Carey returned to Sin City on Friday night (September 21) to dazzle our 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival with the live debut of her recent single, "GTFO," a string of her biggest hits and an explosion of gold confetti.
"You take my love for granted /You left me lost and disenchanted /Bulldozed my heart as if you planned it," Carey crooned mid-song, before repeating "How 'bout you get the f**k out?" during the savage hook. In case you haven't heard, "GTFO" serves as a buzz single, which hears Carey use her angelic falsetto to tell a former lover to, well, get the f**k out of her house. In short, it's the most Mariah Carey breakup anthem you will ever hear.
Photo: Greg Noire for iHeartRadio
Photo: Todd Owyoung for iHeartRadio
Childish Gambino Brings His Moves
Photo: Getty Images for iHeartRadio
If you've watched the "This is America" music video then you most likely were immediately drawn to the eclectic dance moves that Childish Gambino displayed. In fact, along with the facial expressions, the moves, choreographed by Sherrie Silver, may have been a main focal point of the video. We watched as Gambino seemingly mimicked early 19th-century minstrel shows infamous for mocking people of African descent through musical performances. Characters were typically played by white people in blackface and occasionally by black performers themselves.
Gambino hit the iHeartRadio Music Festival to show off some of those same moves from his hit music video. We watched as his body vibed and grooved to the melodic flow of his music and couldn't help but to do the same. That much soul just cannot be contained and is in fact contagious
Photo: Greg Noire for iHeartRadio
Photo: Getty Images for iHeartRadio
Jason Aldean & Bobby Bones Pay Tribute To Route 91 Victims On One-Year Anniversary
Photo: Getty Images for iHeartRadio
With the one year anniversary of the horrific mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival coming up on October 1st, Jason Aldean helped to honor all of the heroic first responders during the show.
Jason, who was performing on stage when the shooting occurred, and Bobby Bones appeared on stage to help pay tribute to police, firefighters, and all other first responders who selflessly worked to help survivors, as they invited a handful of them up on stage to personally shine the spotlight on their heroic service. As a group of first responders walked out on stage surrounding Jason and Bobby, the radio host explained, "Nearly one year ago, 22,000 fans gathered in Las Vegas to celebrate their love for country music. I was there myself, performing with my band, and what started as a beautiful weekend, was shattered when a senseless act of violence took 58 lives and impacted countless others, and their families forever."
Earlier in the night, the country superstar met with a fellow survivor backstage. Aldean connected with Melissa Wall, a country music fan who traveled to Las Vegas in October 2017 to attend Route 91 Harvest, and it was a truly special moment for both of them. Wall was in attendance at our 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival with her aunt Lisa Barnard and some friends. For Wall, this was the perfect way to return to Las Vegas after experiencing such a traumatic event. A big part of that, of course, was the kindness and generosity of Aldean.
Photo: Greg Noire for iHeartRadio
Photo: Greg Noire for iHeartRadio
Rae Sremmurd Made Us All Feel Poor
Photo: Greg Noire for iHeartRadio
Along with all of their classic hits like "Black Beatle" and "No Flex Zone," the duo performed that latest hit Powerglide off of their new album SR3MM. It was what was on the stage that really caught our eye. Rae showed up on stage with a Brinks armored truck. Yes - that same truck you frequently see parked in front of a bank to transport their money. If they were looking to display their rich lifestyle any better then what a perfect way to do so. The brothers also showed some love by throwing out wads of cash mula to their fans. Talk about a whole shmood!
Oh, and can we talk about their fashion for a moment? Swae Lee walked out onto the stage with a twist to a simple classic jean jacket. Parts of his arms and his entire back area was cut out in a ripped fashion to display a sheer cheetah print fabric. Of course, the Calvin Klein briefs were on display underneath the gold lined jeans.
Photo: Getty Images for iHeartRadio
Slim Jxmmi rocked his own classic southern style fashion by donning a colorful Torino print button up. His wasn't on his body that was so eye-catching as his head. Slim came out rocking a diamond-encrusted watch headband.
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Hometown Hero Brendon Urie Hit 8 Insane High Notes During His Set
Photo: Todd Owyoung for iHeartRadio
Fourteen years ago, Panic! at the Disco was performing Blink-182 covers out of a garage in suburban Summerlin, Las Vegas. On Friday night (Sept. 21st), frontman Brendon Urie took the stage at our iHeartRadio Music Festival at the T-Mobile arena in his hometown. It was a special night for Urie, who made sure to shout out the city he grew up in.
The performance itself was nothing short of spectacular. Panic! at the Disco played a seven song set that fans won't soon forget. "Good Time" was the opener, followed by "Hey Look MA," "High Hopes," "Death of a Bachelor," "Saturday Night," "I Write Sins Not Tragedies," and "Victorious." During his set, Urie hit 8 insane high notes that you might not believe a human being could achieve.
Photo: Brian Friedman for iHeartRadio
Photo: Getty Images for iHeartRadio
Kygo Brings Out Special Guests, Including Miguel
Photo: Todd Owyoung for iHeartRadio
There's something special about experiencing a live DJ set and Kygo's hit-packed performance on Friday was a sight to see on all ends. From the star-studded surprise appearances of Miguel and Conrad Sewell to the insane production, the 25-minute set was a visional explosion of flames, and so much more. To be exact, the set also featured performances of "It Ain't Me," "Remind Me To Forget" with Miguel, "Firestone" with Sewell and a previously unreleased song called "Happy Now" with Justin Jesso.
Photo: Brian Friedman for iHeartRadio
Photo: Todd Owyoung for iHeartRadio
Photo: Greg Noire for iHeartRadio
Sam Smith Sends His Sincerest Apologies For Cancellation
Jack White Gave Us Some of the Greatest Solos
Photo: Getty Images for iHeartRadio
There were plenty of performers during the first night of the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival, like Panic! at the Disco, Fleetwood Mac and Mariah Carey, but none were as loud as the one and only Jack White. The rocker, who released his latest album, Boarding House Reach, almost six months ago to the day, took the stage by storm and brought the entire audience to their feet. Along with entertaining the sold-out crowd at Las Vegas's T-Mobile Arena, he also wowed them with incredible guitar solos. Here are his six greatest ones of the night.
The best solo of the night came when Jack showed his absolute mastery of the guitar during "Over And Over And Over," another track off the new record.
Photo: Todd Owyoung for iHeartRadio
Stevie Nicks Sang, Moved & Looked Amazing
Photo: Getty Images for iHeartRadio
Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac in 1974, but she's been performing live since 1966, and while the legendary singer has been working for decades, if you saw her at this year's iHeartRadio Music Festival, you'd swear she is just an incredibly talented up-and-coming musician. During the band's set, Stevie showed how amazing she sounds, how gracefully she moves and how flawless she looks.
Nicks slayed on every song the band performed - "The Chain," "Little Lies," "Second Hand News," "Gold Dust Woman," and of course, their closer, the group's classic hit, "Don't Stop." Her voice was full and smooth, and if it's changed since she started out, it's only because it's gotten better.
Photo: Todd Owyoung for iHeartRadio
If you missed any of this year's iHeartRadio Music Festival, we've got you covered! Fans can re-live all of the best moments from the unforgettable weekend by tuning into a two-night television special, exclusively on The CW, on October 7th and October 8th from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET/PT.
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