Chris Brown
ummer means pools, and a party is not a party without music, so expectations are high when iHeartRadio throws a pool party with a focus on pop artists. This year, after Miami Beach hosted the 2013 and 2014 live music events, the iHeartRadio Summer Pool Party moves to the Garden of the Gods pool complex at Caesars Palace on May 30, with a lineup that includes Nick Jonas, Chris Brown, Kelly Clarkson, Nicki Minaj, Shaggy and Echosmith. DJ David Guetta, whose “Hey Mama” collaboration with Minaj and Afrojack looks to be a summertime anthem, is set to provide a dance music mix set while iHeartRadio featured talent Prostyle leads the roster of DJs pumping up the party atmosphere during the daytime.
A host had not been named at press time, but whoever gets the gig will have big shoes to fill after Nick Cannon emceed last year’s poolside concert at Miami Beach’s Fontainebleau hotel. That event featured headliner Jennifer Lopez driving the audience into a frenzy with a “Booty”-shaking performance, Ariana Grande joined by Iggy Azalea for their hit “Problem,” Tiësto accompanied by Neon Trees’ Tyler Glenn for the first live performance of 2014 dance track “Red Lights,” and DJ Steve Aoki making a guest appearance during Lil Jon’s set to deliver their 2011 track “Turbulence.” The 2013 lineup featuring Maroon 5, Flo Rida, Ke$ha and Gym Class Heroes was no amateur night, either.
Nick Jonas
With a live stream scheduled for Yahoo Live (yahoo.com/live) when the concert starts at 8 p.m., iHeartRadio is banking on the popularity of Nick Jonas, whose 2014 single “Chains” has been a Top 20 mainstay since its re-release in January. Jonas is reportedly opening for fellow pool partier Clarkson during her fall tour later this year—both singers should also be fresh from their performances at the May 17 Billboard Music Awards held in Las Vegas—which indicates Clarkson has more of a chance at being the iHeart headliner than Jonas.
That is, of course, if Minaj doesn’t top the bill. Her vocal on Guetta’s “Hey Mama” just scratches the surface of her everywhere-at-once visibility in recent years. Since her guest rap on Young Money’s No. 2 single “BedRock,” Minaj has been a constant presence on the charts as both support and solo artist, garnering her first No. 1 album in 2011 with Pink Friday and reaching a career high last year with her Grammy-nominated hit “Anaconda.” While Chris Brown is unlikely to have any problem electrifying the audience with hits from his own catalog, Minaj’s star is substantially higher right now and shining bright enough to warrant topping the bill.
Echosmith
Expect Shaggy and the four siblings in Echosmith to appear early in the lineup, with iHeartMedia Mainstream Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR), Rhythmic Contemporary Hit Radio (RCHR), HOT-AC and Electronic Dance Music (EDM) stations simulcasting the audio while Yahoo Live relays the video. The CW Network will rebroadcast the party in prime time on June 11.
Caesars Palace Garden of the Gods pool complex 8 p.m. May 30, call for more information. 702.731.7110 or caesars.com
