The 2016 Radio Disney Music Awards was jam packed with amazing performances and we are going to do the impossible – rank them!
Everyone from Flo Rida to Gwen Stefani to Ariana Grande lit up the stage and had the crowd dancing in their seats at the Microsoft Theater and at home. While ALL the performances were amazing, some just made a more lasting impression, so here we go!
11. Jordan Smith – “Stand In the Light”
There is no denying that Jordan’s voice is phenomenal, we mean he did win “The Voice”! The song definitely helped bring that inspirational feeling to the show after the heroes for change awards were given out and had everyone in the audience feeling good. Sam Smith & Adele better watch out!
10. Flo Rida – “My House”
The party got started with Flo Rida singing his infectious hit “My House” in a small room then the doors opened to reveal the crowd and everyone was up dancing. It was a great way to kick off the show.
9. Gwen Stefani – “Make Me Like You”
The 2016 Hero For Change recipient made a fun surprise performance complete with dancers on roller skates! Also, Gwen and her boyfriend Blake Shelton gave us #relationshipgoals throughout the whole show.
8. Ariana Grande – “Dangerous Woman”
Ariana Grande sort of toned down her sexy song “Dangerous Woman” for the RDMA crowd. With a hint of James Bond in the performance, Ariana donned what sort of looked like a little night gown and coat to belt out her hit single. Those high notes…wow!
7. Zara Larsson – “Never Forget You”
This Swedish import wowed the audience with her hit song “Never Forget You.” When that beat dropped, everyone started dancing and with those light up bracelets, the theater was a sight to see! Plus, those massive fans on stage “blew us away.” Get it…corny joke, sorry!
6. Hailee Steinfeld Medley w/ Hudson Thames & Joe Jonas
We have loved seeing Hailee Steinfeld grow as a musician the past few years and really come into her own. She’s turning into an awesome performer as demonstrated by her medley at the RDMAs. She sounded great and had so much personality it was infectious. We love that she got to sing three songs but part of us wishes she would have just sang solo because this was her time to shine and she was sort of overshadowed by Hudson and Joe during their duets.
5. DNCE – “Cake By the Ocean”
DNCE is one of our favorites and “Cake By the Ocean” is the song we can’t get out of our heads. This band has electric energy every time they take the stage and it was a fantastic way to close out the show. There was even silly string involved! We would have ranked this higher, but they set the bar high when they played on a giant cake at the KCAs.
4. Sofia Carson – “Love Is the Name”
Sofia has quickly become one of our favorites since we interviewed her for “Descendants” last year. Her debut performance of “Love is the Name” was fun and girl commanded the stage! We love the bit of dancing and can’t wait to hear the rest of her new music. Sofia is going places!
3. Laura Marano – “Boombox”
The one performance that really had us smiling throughout was “Boombox.” Laura’s energy mixed with the lights and dancers and just the happy beat of the song had the whole theater on their feet. Also, that outfit change and lightup shirt? A+!
2. Kelsea Ballerini & Daya – “Peter Pan/Hide Away” Mashup
We love Kelsea’s “Peter Pan” and Daya’s “Hide Away” and we have to admit, when we first heard they were mashing them up, we were a little skeptical. We were blown away by how amazing these two sounded together and how beautifully the songs blended. We need a recorded version of this ASAP!
1. Sabrina Carpenter – “Smoke & Fire”
Our favorite performance of the night goes to Sabrina Carpenter. Sabrina sang her ass off and those notes she hit gave us chills. Plus, the smoke and fire effects added that little extra pizzazz. We need her to go on tour now!
What was your favorite performance from the RDMA?
[nggallery id=2435]
