CHART-TOPPING BREAKOUT ARTISTS ALESSIA CARA, JIDENNA AND LUKAS GRAHAM TO PERFORM AT THE 2016 “MTV VMA PRE-SHOW”
MTV logoNew York, NY (August 24, 2016) – MTV today announced that newly-minted Pepsi “The Sound Drop” artists Alessia Cara, Jidenna and Lukas Graham will perform live from the red carpet at the 2016 “MTV VMA Pre-Show” outside of New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden on Sunday, August 28 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. Additionally, global hit-making producer, recording artist and social media mogul, DJ Khaled, will host the hour-long pre-show alongside MTV2’s “Uncommon Sense” star, Charlamagne Tha God, and hip hop artist, Lizzo, from MTV’s upcoming live music series, “Wonderland.” The telecast will air leading into the 2016 “MTV Video Music Awards” live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.
The 2016 “MTV VMA Pre-Show” will kick off with Alessia Cara performing a medley of her hit singles, “Wild Things” and “Scars To Your Beautiful.” Chart-topper, Jidenna, is set to get the crowd moving with the infectious beats of his summer smash, “Little Bit More,” and “Best New Artist” nominee Lukas Graham will show off their mix of soul-infused pop by closing the pre-show with a performance of their current hit single “Mama Said.”
DJ Khaled, Charlamagne Tha God and Lizzo will take the stage as hosts for a pre-show that promises the hottest celebrity interviews, buzz-worthy performances and very special surprises fans won’t want to miss, all leading into the 2016 “Video Music Awards.” DJ Khaled will also serve as a correspondent during the VMA main show and created a special remix of this year’s VMA theme song, “Do Your Thing” by Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band.
Adding to the red carpet extravaganza will be an Instagram Booth in collaboration with Marc Jacobs and a Twitter 360 Scratch Booth giving artists and attendees the opportunity to take photos for social media, along with a Giphy cam creating real-time gifs powering MTV’s gifs on Tumblr and the official VMA website (VMA.MTV.com). Audiences can visit the VMA.MTV.com and the MTV App (iOS, android, AppleTV, Roku, Xbox) to catch the entire VMA Pre-Show and main show along with behind-the-scenes streams from the red carpet, backstage, audience cams and post-show interviews hosted by MTV News’ Gaby Wilson, Tinashe and ASAP Ferg. The post-show footage will also be streamed live on MTV’s Facebook.
Marc Jacobs and frequent Rihanna collaborator Dennis Leupold are teaming up to design and capture stunning video portraits on August 28, which will debut on MTV’s Instagram account throughout the night. During pre-show, Dennis will be shooting on the red carpet adjacent to the step & repeat; during the main show, Dennis will capture portraits in the talent hospitality area, adjoining the press room and photo wall. Final portraits will also be available for talent to post on their own social accounts.
There’s a new breed of pop star seizing hold of the world’s airwaves and online—more accurately, a conscious pop star who’s set to subversively top charts and sway hearts and minds. This enigma is embodied by Def Jam Recordings’ 18-year-old Canadian-Italian Alessia Cara, who’s riding the refrains of her ironic anthem, “Here.” “Here” started humbly with a premiere by The Fader, praised for its freshness and insight, and quickly grew into a viral smash. Three million downloads and 300 million streams later, “Here” topped the pop charts as Alessia’s first #1 single and powered her debut Def Jam album “KNOW-IT-ALL” to Gold status. Alessia is equal parts fresh face, old soul, newcomer, and lifer. She’s going, quickly. Now it’s up to the rest of the world to catch up and catch on.
Jidenna’s #1 hit single “Classic Man” (featuring Roman GianArthur) not only earned a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, but also paved the way for the first official Wondaland Records compilation EP, THE EEPHUS, released under the revolutionary joint venture between Janelle Monáe’s Wondaland Records and Epic Records. With “Little Bit More,” the scorching new hit single from Jidenna’s hotly anticipated forthcoming debut album, Long Live the Chief, the Nigerian-American artist showcases his worldly influences and heritage against a backdrop of pulsing Afrobeats drums, while flexing the distinctive swagger and style that has quickly established him as music’s swankiest new breakout star.
Lukas Graham have solidified their status as one of this year’s biggest breakout acts with the success of their Certified Triple Platinum single “7 Years,” which has been streamed on Spotify over 540M times globally, and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. New single “Mama Said” is quickly following in the footsteps of “7 Years,” climbing the Top 20 chart at Hot AC and Top 40, with over 100M streams on Spotify, with performances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Conan, and The Late Late Show with James Corden. The Danish foursome, led by Lukas Forchhammer, released their self-titled U.S. debut earlier this year, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 and propelled the band further into the global spotlight with what The New York Times describes as “neatly turned songs that merge the lilt of pop-soul with the quick cadences of hip-hop.” Known for a phenomenal live show, Lukas Graham will embark on a North American headline tour later this year.
The pre-show headliner performances are presented by Pepsi and are part of “The Sound Drop,” a brand new platform Pepsi is launching on August 28 at the 2016 MTV VMA’s to support and celebrate the next generation of artists. “The Sound Drop” will spotlight three new artists, every new quarter through the year beginning with Alessia Cara, Jidenna and Lukas Graham – the first artists to become part of the platform. By partnering with iHeart, Shazam and Viacom, “The Sound Drop” will provide emerging artists the most powerful platform to promote their story, their art, and connect with their fans. To kick off the program, “The Sound Drop” will feature fresh content from each artist, putting the spotlight on the singers – their come-up story and their source of inspiration.
