20 outstanding moments from Radio 1's 2016
How's your 2016 been, then? There have been plenty of ups and downs over the past 12 months, that's for sure, but here at Radio 1 we want to celebrate all the goodness on offer - and boy was there plenty of that!
1. When we visited Justin Bieber's actual house
The beginning of September saw the one and only Justin Bieber kick off Live Lounge Month not only with a superb acoustic set but with a freaking tour of his home. He showed off his basketball skills, giant crocodiles, and alllll the space he has for activities
2. Heisenberg (aka Bryan Cranston) hypnotically narrating Little Mix lyrics
Think you've seen it all? No, you have not. Bryan Cranston reading these Little Mix lyrics for their latest No.1 hit, Shoutout To My Ex, is...how do we put this... special. His deep, intimidating Heisenberg voice from Breaking Bad makes this weirdly hypnotic.
3. Margot Robbie throwing all the Playground Insults at Will Smith
When Hollywood actors Margot Robbie and Will Smith took part in Playground Insults two things became clear: firstly, Will Smith was waaaaaay too polite to be throwing shade at his co-star, and secondly that Margot Robbie had NO PROBLEM WITH IT AT ALL. Cue absolute hilarity as she unloads a torrent of hilarious abuse on the film legend.
4. Zara Larsson leaving us breathless in the Live Lounge
Zara Larsson never fails to entertain when she stops by, but it was her Live Lounge sesh that really blew our minds. Not only did she amaze us with a great Drake cover, the Swedish popstar performed her hit Ain't My Fault which was a tongue-twisting, rap infused gift as we tried to keep up with her mad skillz.
5. Selena Gomez reacting to British chat-up lines is the best
Hearing and seeing pop princess Selena Gomez's reactions to the great British public sending in their best chat-up lines is quite the spectacle. It's cute how shy and reserved she is and can't help but let out random giggles alongside Cel Spellman who, despite LOLing at many of the lines, is rightly impressed by some!
6. James Arthur giving us goosebumps as an undercover busker
After James Arthur made an impressive comeback this year with his No.1 hit Say You Won't Let Go, Nick Grimshaw conspired with the X Factor winner to get into some crazy prosthetics and go undercover. His time on Secret Busker was a successful one but his disguise wasn't fooling everyone - after not too long the crowds grew as his tone-perfect live versions of his hits gave us chills.
7. Kanye West spilled all when he spoke to Annie Mac
Arguably one of the biggest moments of the year was an exclusive chat with Kanye West. Annie Mac took on the responsibility of having a lengthy chat with the talented, eccentric musician. And, well, he gave us all sorts of insight into his life and how he creates those tune we simply can't get enough of.
8. Craig David killing it during his big comeback
This. Guy. We are of course referring to the iconic Craig David who made a stunning comeback this year with a number of bangers. And, as you can see, his live performances weren't too shabby either!
9. Greg James was an absolute hero for Sport Relief
FIVE triathlons in FIVE days. What madness is this?! Turns out Radio 1's very own Greg James was the bloke insane enough to try this out - but it was all for a great cause, as he raised money for Sport Relief. Just watching the video makes us tired. BRB, just off for a nap...
10. Bruno Mars covering Adele was everything
Bruno Mars is perhaps the funkiest and coolest pop star out there. Yet instead of finishing his recent Live Lounge set with his smash hit 24K Magic, he blew us away with a rendition of Adele's All I Ask, which was actually written by the man himself! And, let's be fair, he does a pretty outstanding job of singing it, doesn't he?
11. Bastille at Radio 1's Big Weekend gave us life
Bastille's appearance at this year's Radio 1's Big Weekend was something special. It had all the raw emotion we could have wanted from a live set, and the crowd were 100% behind them. You probably had to be there, really. But in case you weren't, watch the video, like, on repeat. Goosebumps guaranteed!
12. The Stranger Things kids were amazing when they popped in
2016's newest and arguably biggest show is Netflix series Stranger Things. So when the child actors came in to chat to Grimmy, listeners and the internet all went a bit crazy with excitement - and with very good reason! We cannot wait for season two, we really can't.
13. Little Mix smashed it on vocals at the Teen Awards
Jesy, Perrie, Jade, and Leigh-Anne's fame as Little Mix keeps getting bigger, and 2016 was a great year for the girls. Appearing at the BBC Teen Awards generated some HUGE buzz in itself and that was before they'd even sung a note! When they did take to the stage the girl group sang their hits, including No.1 single Shoutout To My Ex - AND OMG THEIR VOCALS WERE ON POINT.
14. Ariana Grande gave the best dating advice on the planet
Ariana proves she's an opinionated, pint-sized singer when listeners called up to ask her for some much-needed love life advice. Naturally, the Side To Side star was on hand to help, and actually managed to dish out some pretty handy advice on the spot!
15. Matt Damon shared an epic John Malkovich story (and impression)
The nicest guy in movies (probably), Matt Damon's chat with Radio 1 film critic Ali Plumb unearthed all sorts of wonderful stories about his career in Hollywood. It was his revealing (and utterly hilarious) anecdote about his time on Rounders and working with the legendary John Malkovich that had us belly laughing. Oh, and his impression is kinda great too!
16. Shawn Mendes doing the coolest Drake cover ever
Mr. Mendes is hot property this year, so when he dared to take on the might of Drake, it was no surprise that he smashed it when covering Fake Love, we just sat there in utter amazement. Wow. We can only imagine what 2017 has in store for the teen sensation.
17. Tom Hiddleston brought sex appeal to maths
Who the heck ever thought that homework could be, erm, sexy? Well Tom Hiddleston proved all the doubters completely wrong when he was in talking to Nick Grimshaw and ended up seductively reading some maths equations that, on a normal day, we would have mentally switched off from. But here, as Tom tells us something or other about numbers, WE JUST WANTED MORE.
18. Ryan Reynolds dished out essential life advice
Whether it's as his on-screen anti-hero Deadpool or as the actual chiseled-jawed Ryan Reynolds himself, he was there for Radio 1 listeners who'd called in with all their problems. And in true Ryan Reynolds fashion he was able to offer some sound advice while poking fun and making the odd joke at, well, everyone's expense (including his own).
19. The greatest freestyling you will ever hear from P Money
Oh what's that, you were impressed by Eminem's rapping in 8 Mile? Best sit down for this next one then. P Money's live freestyling session he did at 1Xtra for Logan Sama was beyond epic. There are almost no words to describe his skills. Trust us, you've not heard anything like this before; so sit back, take a deep breath, and experience how freestylers really do it.
20. Radio 1's Teen Heroes were utterly inspiring
OK, get the tissues, guys. The Teen Awards was a mix of great performances from the likes of Little Mix and DNCE, but the Teen Heroes only got to meet the flippin' Duke and Duchess of Cambridge! (That's Wills and Kate, FYI.) It was a pretty touching and special moment which kinda caps off 2016 in a very positive way, if you ask us.
