The annual iHeartRadio’s KIIS FM Wango Tango returned as an in-person festival for the first time since 2019 on Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, and the pop music fans were ready to party.
Though the event was far from being sold out, it was still a fun, hit song-filled afternoon that featured performances by a whopping 13 artists on the main stage and a handful of additional performers during the pre-show Wango Tango Village.
Here are five takeaways from the 2022 Wango Tango:
A Positive Message
On Friday, singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes posted on his social media that he wanted fans to show up to Wango Tango wearing the color orange in recognition of National Gun Violence Awareness Day and Wear Orange Weekend. Mendes, who was wearing an orange T-shirt, said he’d been working with the organization Everytown for Gun Safety to end gun violence. “They’re making it easy to be able to connect with your senators and demand change,” he told the crowd, which cheered in response. Several fans were spotted wearing head-to-toe orange outfits in support.
Mendes is preparing for his Wonder World Tour, which hits Crypto.com Arena in Los Angles with fellow Wango Tango performer Tate McRae Sept. 9-10, and if this seven-song set sampling is any indication of what his full show will be like, he’s more than ready. He played two songs off of his 2020 album “Wonder” including the title track and “Call My Friends,” both of which went over well. His biggest hits, “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” and the set closer, “In My Blood,” sparked the biggest moments during his turn. At one point, after pounding away on his acoustic guitar, he paused, simply smiled and told the enthusiastic audience, “I love you guys,” as they very loudly sang along.
Latin Pop Bonanza
Latin singer-songwriter Becky Gomez, professionally known as Becky G, grew up in Inglewood and went big for a hometown show. The 25-year-old said she first played the small stage at the Wango Tango Village back in 2013 and was thrilled to be performing on the main stage where she delivered a powerful five-song set. Singing in Spanish, Gomez ripped through “Fulanito” and delivered some words of encouragement to fans during “Buen Dia,” letting them know “It’s never too late to have a good day.” She also kept fans on their feet and shaking their hips to “Mayores,” which is a duet with rapper Bad Bunny, and “Mamii,” her latest collaboration with Karol G.
Cuban-American singer Camila Cabello brought Latin music and dancing to the stage as she and her backup dancers looked like they were having a blast during her eight-song run. Cabello opened with a tease of “Señorita” that bled into “Havana.” After playing “Never Be the Same” and “My Oh My,” she took a deep breath and told the crowd, “It’s so good to be playing live music again with people … my soul needed it.” She ended her run with “Bam Bam” and “Don’t Go Yet.”
One-Hit Performances
Since there were so many performers on the main stage, some of the sets had to be short. A few were a single song. Rapper Latto came out and performed her hit “Big Energy,” which samples Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy.” Singer-songwriter Em Beihold sang her Tik Tok-famous hit “Numb Little Bug” and singer Lauren Spencer-Smith was able to squeak in two songs that put her on the map, “Someone You Loved” and “Fingers Crossed.” Pop singer Gayle’s two-song turn was a lot of fun. She played her big song “abcdefu,” which also blew up on Tik Tok, and “Sleeping With My Friends.”
With one popular song, you can land a main stage slot on a major radio festival. It was fun and moved along the event well, but it felt like a bit of a disservice to these artists who all seem to have so much more to offer than “the one song we heard on Tik Tok.”
Let The Good Times Roll
DJ Diplo likes a good party and he got one going just after the sunset on Wango Tango. Fans packed in a little tighter in the pit for his 20-minute set and whipped out the glow sticks to dance along. It was an impressive mix that held the attention of fans of all ages, including a pair of young elementary-school aged girls who ran around while wildly waving their hands and did snow angels on the grassy field along to his music. Diplo also added in “Tupelo Shuffle,” a new song which features Swae Lee and is part of the new “Elvis” movie soundtrack.
Electronic duo The Chainsmokers ended the night by coming in hot with “High.” Since there were delays earlier in the day, the pair weren’t left with much time to crank out their set, but went with a no-filler approach as they immediately went into “I Love U,” “Roses” and a new single, “Riptide.” The guys kept the energy past 11 p.m. with it’s Coldplay collaboration “Something Just Like This” and closed out the festival with the mega-hit “Closer,” which features Halsey.
Charlie’s Sing-A-Long
Charlie Puth gets his very own category because his performance was unique. He performed his five-song set in the middle of the festival, and he received probably the biggest response next to rockers 5 Seconds of Summer. But Puth was able point the microphone out into to the audience for most of his songs to let them sing along. He wasn’t declining to sing, but it seemed like more of an experiment he was genuinely amused by. He played “Light Switch” and “How Long” and let the fans sing his Ed Sheeran-inspired “We Don’t Talk Anymore.”
“You sing better than me,” he said with a laugh. Before delivering the final song, “See You Again,” which he teamed up with rapper Wiz Khalifa on for the “Furious 7” soundtrack, he said it was a track that changed his life. He sings it beautifully and on this night he let the audience really take it home.
iHeartRadio’s KIIS FM Wango Tango
When: Saturday, June 4
Where: Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson
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