Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
LOS ANGELES — If artists want to launch an album with a bang, "Amazon Music Live" could be the end zone to score big.
Some of the biggest performers in music, including Jelly Roll, Megan Thee Stallion, Ed Sheeran, Kane Brown, Peso Pluma and Lil Baby, have graced the live stage during the weekly concert series in Los Angeles that airs after the NFL's "Thursday Night Football" game on Prime Video. Each show is a unique experience with artists debuting new music on bespoke sets created to bring their vision and style to life.
This season's highlights have included J. Balvin's Latin vibe, Halsey's Halloween circus intro and Gunna's big money talk. Big Sean was joined onstage by North Carolina A&T State University's marching band, and Jhene Aiko, YG and E-40 made guest appearances.
Now, it's Snoop Dogg's turn to take the mic for the season finale this week, just ahead of his highly anticipated 20th album, "Missionary," dropping next month. The performances are filmed live in front of more than a thousand audience members and streamed on Prime Video and Amazon's streaming platform, Twitch.
Creating a new audience
Jelly Roll, a Grammy-nominated country singer, was the season opener in October just days after the release of his 10th studio album, "Beautifully Broken." His special guests included Keith Urban, Skylar Grey and Machine Gun Kelly.
It also came a month before his good friend Post Malone announced he and Jelly Roll would team up to bring next year's stadium tour to Utah, where Jelly Roll recently purchased a home in Park City.
"We could have planned our whole rollout around this," Jelly Roll said. "I'm always excited to try to share what I do in front of new audiences or hope a new audience sees it or maybe the people at home who couldn't see the tour or people who bought the album and see what it's all about."
Last week, TWICE expanded their brand beyond their usual K-pop fandom after the Cleveland Browns upset the Pittsburgh Steelers. The nine-member group made Amazon Music history. The concert livestream earned the most unique viewers of any production — including Kendrick Lamar's "Pop Out" concert in June, and the Ye and Drake "Free Larry Hoover" show in 2021.
"We're normally used to performing just for our fans who are purposely coming to see us — especially in the U.S. where we are used to doing that," said singer Nayeon, who was accompanied by group members Momo, Tzuyu, Mina, Minatozaki Sana, Dahyun, Jihyo, Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung.
TWICE has performed inside major stadiums like MetLife and SoFi Stadium. But AML helped introduce them to first-time listeners, while also promoting their upcoming 14th mini-album "Strategy," releasing Dec. 6.
"For 'Amazon Music Live,' it's not just about our fans, but it's rather related to football," Nayeon said. "It's a lot of football fans to see us. To be invited here to perform is such an honor. We need to keep our game card for people to know who TWICE is."
How the concerts come to life
Here's a behind-the-scenes look at how the concert series comes to life and those who play a key role.
When Jelly Roll first entered the set, the singer thought it was just another rehearsal — until he found himself immersed in an unexpected interactive experience before stepping on the main stage.
"I was overwhelmed. Got nervous," said Jelly Roll, who was floored after he initially walked through the Tailgate Experience at the East End Studios in Glendale, California, where Amazon films Season 3 of the series.
The experience offers a variety of attractions including flat-screen TVs above a massive circular bar, a spacious VIP section, photo booth, themed locker room, digital bonfire, featured vehicle, jersey patch station and a towering football toss game. All of this is set to the music of the week's concert series performer blasted through loudspeakers.
"I wanted a space that was intentional and inclusive to everybody," said Jameka Pankey, the head of events and experiential for artists at Amazon Music. She and her team wanted to make a concerted effort to pay homage to performers and the fans who enjoy their work.
"We thought about all aspects of football and tailgating from fellowship, food and even how we were naming the drinks," Pankey said. "When we were giving away gifts to fans. ... We had to do jerseys. I wanted this to be a fan experience that was out of mind."
Mission accomplished.
