The Radio Disney Presents ARDYs Summer Playlist special will air July 10 on Disney Channel. Austin & Ally alum, singer, songwriter, and recording artist Laura Marano will host the special. The star-filled special will throw it way back and feature iconic moments from the first seven years of the ARDYs, including performances by Ariana Grande, Camila Cabello, Selena Gomez, and Shawn Mendes.
There have been a number of incredible ARDYs performances over the years. For Laura, the 2017 Britney Spears medley with Sofia Carson, Kelsea Ballerini, and Hailee Steinfeld is one she won’t forget. “It was incredible!” Laura said. “I love me some Britney; after all, ‘…Baby One More Time’ is the first album I remember buying, so I think I actually would have died being a part of that moment. But I also maybe would have fainted, so that wouldn’t have been great.”
HSMTMTS star and Andi Mack alum Sofia Wylie loved fellow Disney Channel vet Sabrina Carpenter’s performance of “Thumbs” in 2017. “First of all, I LOVE THAT SONG!” Sofia raved. “I thought the visuals in the performance were amazing. I loved how they brought the music video to life on stage. Where she and the dancers are just regular citizens on the subway and then they all come together to perform in unity!”
Raven’s Home star Issac Ryan Brown told HollywoodLife that he wished he “could have been a part of Zendaya’s performance of ‘Replay’ back in 2014. She crushed it! That was one of my favorite performances.” Issac’s fellow co-star, Sky Katz, is all about Ariana’s performance of “Problem” in 2014. “I LOVED it and LOVED her outfit. Her performance was tight and she killed it!” Sky raved.
As for Zombies star Meg Donnelly, she would have loved to perform alongside Carrie Underwood during the 2018 show. Meg said: “At my first RDMAs, Carrie Underwood performed. I worked with her on The Sound of Music Live! In addition to being such a talented artist, Carrie is so down to earth and generous with her time. It would have been an honor to have performed with her.”
The hour-long celebration will showcase many of today’s brightest stars in music including scheduled appearances and performances by Katy Perry, Sia, BTS, Thriii – the R&B group comprised of China Anne McClain and her sisters, Sierra and Lauryn McClain, Dua Lipa, Megan Trainor, Sofia Carson, Alessia Cara, Maddie Ziegler, Kenzie Ziegler, Sabrina Carpenter, Meg Donnelly, Bebe Rexha, Ally Brooke, Keedron Bryant, Sarah Jeffery, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Asher Angel, Sofia Wylie, Issac Ryan Brown, Sky Katz, Kylie Cantrall, Now United, Anne-Marie, Blanco Brown, Brent Rivera, Echosmith, Max & Harvey, Alex Aiono, Lindsay Ell, Kaycee Rice, and Loren Gray. Additionally, this year Radio Disney will honor teachers as part of “ARDYs” “Heroes For Change” Award and will give a donation to DonorsChoose to fulfill teacher projects, bringing classroom dreams to life and helping kids thrive. Radio Disney Presents ARDYs Summer Playlist will air back-to-back with Disney Channel Summer Sing-Along starting at 8 p.m. on Disney Channel. Immediately after the ARDYs, Descendants star Sarah Jeffery’s new Disney Channel Voices music video, “Even the Stars,” will make its Disney Channel debut.