Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Week 2 Songs and Dances Revealed
The ballroom is ready to turn up the energy as Dancing With the Stars Season 35 moves into its second week, and the remaining celebrities are preparing to dance to some of the biggest viral hits of recent years.
After a dramatic two-night premiere that featured two eliminations, the competition returns Tuesday, September 22, with Viral Hits Night. The theme will give the 14 remaining celebrity contestants a chance to put their own spin on songs that have become widely recognized through social media and modern pop culture.
The full Week 2 lineup was revealed ahead of the episode, giving fans an early look at the songs and dance styles each couple will bring to the ballroom.
The upcoming episode is also the first regular one-night installment following the expanded Season 35 premiere. The show airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+, with episodes available on Hulu afterward.
Viral Hits Night Brings a New Challenge
The theme is a major change from the Season 35 premiere, when contestants performed No. 1 songs from the year they were born.
Now, the remaining couples will have to adapt their choreography to songs associated with viral popularity, giving the professional dancers plenty of opportunities to incorporate recognizable musical moments into their routines.
The episode comes after the premiere sent two celebrities home. Conner Leavitt and Sarah Jane Nader were eliminated during the opening week, leaving 14 couples to continue competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
Several contestants also made strong impressions during the premiere. Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas finished the second night with the highest score of the episode, earning 21 points for their foxtrot to “Black Velvet.” Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson and Olympic athlete Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach were also among the early standouts.
Full Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Week 2 Lineup
The Week 2 performances cover a wide range of dance styles, including salsa, tango, cha-cha, jive, paso doble and Viennese waltz.
Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik
Tatyana Ali will perform a foxtrot with Jan Ravnik to Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?”
The song gives the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star a very different musical setting from the high-energy routines that dominate much of the episode.
Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess
Tyler Cameron returns with Sharna Burgess for a salsa to “Girls” by The Kid LAROI.
The pair will be looking to build on their first appearance as the competition becomes more demanding.
Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten
Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten are scheduled to perform a salsa to Becky G’s “Bella Ciao.”
Their Week 2 performance comes after De Laurentiis revealed that she has been dealing with a broken toe. Bersten previously confirmed the injury after his knee accidentally landed on her foot during rehearsal.
Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy
Jenna Dewan will take on a jive with Val Chmerkovskiy, performing to “Animal” by KATSEYE.
Dewan entered the season with considerable dance experience, making her one of the contestants whose performances will receive particularly close attention as the competition develops.
Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach
Paralympic athlete Ezra Frech will perform a cha-cha with Daniella Karagach to Flo Rida’s “Low.”
Frech was one of the strongest performers during the opening week, and the Week 2 routine gives the pair another opportunity to demonstrate their chemistry and technical ability.
Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov
Olympic figure skating champion Amber Glenn will dance a tango with Pasha Pashkov to “All the Things She Said.”
The dramatic track is a significant departure from some of the lighter songs featured elsewhere in the episode and could provide the pair with room for a more intense performance.
Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart
Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart will perform a cha-cha to DNCE’s “Cake by the Ocean.”
The Hanson singer is continuing his DWTS journey with a song that brings a distinctly upbeat pop-rock feel to the ballroom.
Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas
Maura Higgins will return with Mark Ballas for a cha-cha to Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September.”
Higgins enters Week 2 following one of the strongest performances of the premiere. Her foxtrot with Ballas earned 21 points, putting the couple at the top of the second night’s leaderboard.
Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong
Ciara Miller will dance a tango with Brandon Armstrong to “No Broke Boys.”
The Summer House star will be looking to make an impact as the field becomes smaller following the opening-week eliminations.
Jackson Olson and Emma Slater
Jackson Olson and Emma Slater will perform a foxtrot to Gracie Abrams’ “That’s So True.”
Their Week 2 performance comes after Slater made headlines following the premiere when she revealed that she had lost her toenail during the early stages of the competition.
Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson
Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson are scheduled to perform a paso doble to Rihanna’s “Where Have You Been.”
Rodriguez attracted significant attention during the premiere after receiving a 10 out of 30 from the judges, one of the lowest scores in the show’s history. He will therefore enter Week 2 with plenty to prove.
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson
Harry Shum Jr. will perform a Viennese waltz with Jenna Johnson to the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris.”
Shum Jr. was among the contestants who impressed during the opening week, making his second performance one of the closely watched routines of Viral Hits Night.
Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa
Julia Stiles will dance a tango with Ezra Sosa to “The Door.”
The actress entered the competition with significant attention surrounding her previous dance experience, particularly because of her role in the classic dance film Save the Last Dance.
Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold
Connor Wood will team up with Rylee Arnold for a tango to Sombr’s “12 to 12.”
The pair will be hoping to make a stronger impression as every performance becomes increasingly important.
What Comes After Viral Hits Night?
Season 35 will continue with a series of themed episodes following Week 2.
According to the themes revealed during the official Dancing With the Stars podcast, Week 3 will feature Yacht Rock Night, followed by Mariah Carey Night in Week 4. The theme for Week 5 has not yet been revealed.
Later in the season, viewers can expect Dedication Night, Horror Movie Night, Disney Night and Grammy Night before the competition reaches its semifinal and finale stages.
For now, however, all attention is on Viral Hits Night.
With only 14 couples remaining, the margin for error is already shrinking. Some contestants are coming into the second week after impressive premieres, while others need a significant improvement to remain in contention.
The combination of recognizable songs, demanding choreography and live viewer voting should make Week 2 an important early test for the Season 35 cast.
Dancing With the Stars Season 35 returns Tuesday, September 22, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+.
