American Song Contest

[allezfred]

Bad news for @PRlady - Merikuns are getting your own version of Eurovision!

Update: 'American Song Contest' launch moved to March 21, 2022 🇺🇸

The 'American Song Contest' will now premiere on Monday 21 March, 2022, during a two-hour primetime extravaganza on NBC in the States. The Grand Final will air on Monday 9 May - one day before the Eurovision Song Contest First Semi-Final.

eurovision.tv

You’re welcome!

 

[Cachoo]

Hhhmmm...I'll give it a go.

 

[On My Own]

I wonder what Rhode Island will sing. And Idaho.

 

[aliceanne]

It’s on Peacock in Feb. so everyone who signed up for the skating season can watch.

 

[allezfred]

The lineup of singers has been announced:

American Song Contest: Michael Bolton, Macy Gray & Jewel among acts 🇺🇸

Michael Bolton, Macy Gray, Jewel and Sisqo are among the full lineup of acts competing for the title of 'Best Hit Song' when the American Song Contest launches on Monday 21 March.

eurovision.tv

Out of the acts, I think I have only ever heard of Macy Gray, Jewel, Michael Bolton and Sisqo.

 

[Prancer]

The lineup of singers has been announced:

American Song Contest: Michael Bolton, Macy Gray & Jewel among acts 🇺🇸

Michael Bolton, Macy Gray, Jewel and Sisqo are among the full lineup of acts competing for the title of 'Best Hit Song' when the American Song Contest launches on Monday 21 March.

eurovision.tv

Out of the acts, I think I have only ever heard of Macy Gray, Jewel, Michael Bolton and Sisqo.

I can add The Crystal Method to those and that would be it.

I thought this was a contest for cover bands. Guess not.

 

[rfisher]

I think Kelsey Lamb is a country singer.

 

[love skating]

Oh gosh, I thought this was for unknown talent. So my state California has Sweet Taboo - who? lol I see Jewel is trying to win both Masked Singer and American Song Contest! Other names I recognize that you guys didn't already name: Riker Lynch - only cause he was on DWTS and Jordan Smith - The Voice winner. I will probably watch cause I'm a sucker for reality shows.

 

[BaileyCatts]

Why are already established stars/Grammy winners in this show? I thought it was going to be kinda like American Idol, where there were auditions and one winner from each state competes, only it would include bands and groups. Eh, I'll still watch. But if this is fan voted, won't they already have built in fan base voting?

 

[MacMadame]

Why are already established stars/Grammy winners in this show? I thought it was going to be kinda like American Idol, where there were auditions and one winner from each state competes, only it would include bands and groups. Eh, I'll still watch. But if this is fan voted, won't they already have built in fan base voting?

We aren't voting for them, we are voting for the song. That's why it's called "American Song Contest," not "American Singer Contest." The title they are vying for is "Best Original Song."

At least that's the theory. We all know these things are mostly a popularity contest.

 

[Allskate]

At least that's the theory. We all know these things are mostly a popularity contest.

And that people from certain areas of the country tend to win.

The fact that Kelly Clarkson and Snoop Dogg are co-hosting might lure me into checking it out.

 

[allezfred]

Oh gosh, I thought this was for unknown talent.

Why are already established stars/Grammy winners in this show?

I see the messaging on this has been really effective and clear.

The producers of this are Swedish and the format to me looks very like Melodifestivalen which is how Sweden chooses its Eurovision entry every year (albeit acts don’t represent states/regions in that). Don’t know how well this will translate to the US though.

 

[Allskate]

I watched last night. I turned it on a few minutes late, so maybe I missed something. But, I didn't really get the format. Or what the criteria are supposed to be for judging. Does anybody else know more?

One thing that seems quite different from the usual American music competitions is that they put a lot of money and effort into production for the performances. Also, there are no comments from judges and Kelly Clarkson and Snoop Dogg don't say much.

 

[rfisher]

I think the audience does the voting for the state/artist they liked best. I really liked the entries from Puerto Rico, Wisconsin and Mississippi. At the end, the artists themselves got to put one act through to the semi-finals and it was the guy from New Jersey (I wasn't that impressed with him). I assume the others will be announced on the next show.

 

[Garden Kitty]

I watched last night as well. i was watching I thought they're trying to make this like Eurovision with the little couch areas where people related to the performer wave flags/pennants, and then I read today they want this to be America's Eurovision. Uh, no.

They are having one performer from each state and US Territory, and the types of acts/songs are varied. They tried to mix things up (K-Pop from the midwest! Country hip hop from Wyoming! Who''d have seen that coming! ) Like Eurovision they can throw in an established act with newcomers, although it doesn't appear any big current acts are participating. They had a jury (per wikipedia, a jury of around 50 industry professionals) pick one act from the semi-final to advance and I guess the rest are done by popular vote, but I wasn't paying that close attention.

 

[Karen-W]

I think the audience does the voting for the state/artist they liked best. I really liked the entries from Puerto Rico, Wisconsin and Mississippi. At the end, the artists themselves got to put one act through to the semi-finals and it was the guy from New Jersey (I wasn't that impressed with him). I assume the others will be announced on the next show.

I watched last night and don't recall a guy from NJ... are you confusing NJ with Rhode Island?

I liked him. Seemed the most real and genuine of all the artists. Puerto Rico was okay. I also liked the K-pop girl from Oklahoma. The rest was a pile of meh. And don't even get me started on artists who have won Grammys or had multiple #1s competing for their states.

 

[Allskate]

I watched last night and don't recall a guy from NJ... are you confusing NJ with Rhode Island?

I liked him. Seemed the most real and genuine of all the artists. Puerto Rico was okay. I also liked the K-pop girl from Oklahoma. The rest was a pile of meh. And don't even get me started on artists who have won Grammys or had multiple #1s competing for their states.

Yeah. It was Rhode Island who won. I agreed with that. I though his song was the best. And I agree that Puerto Rico and Oklahoma were the best performers of the rest. I'd probably add Minnesota to the list. I didn't think there were any great singers in the group, though.

 

[MacMadame]

although it doesn't appear any big current acts are participating.

Michael Buble is crying.

 

[Karen-W]

Michael Buble is crying.

Buble or Bolton?

 

[MacMadame]

Buble or Bolton?

I swear the article I read said Buble!

Both of them make me cry though.

 

[Garden Kitty]

I didn't see the full list of singers, so if Buble comes on later, I'd consider him a current star (he's got a national commercial campaign at the moment), but only Michael Bolton was on last night.

 

[MacMadame]

I didn't see the full list of singers, so if Buble comes on later, I'd consider him a current star (he's got a national commercial campaign at the moment), but only Michael Bolton was on last night.

I'm sure it was Bolton.

 

[overedge]

Michael Buble is a proud Canadian. Unless the US just annexed Canada as the 51st state, I don't think he'll be competing

I didn't get this show at all. If it was all unknowns, a la Idol, fine. If it was all known acts, fine. But mixing them up just didn't work for me. Also Kelly Clarkson and Snoop looked really awkward, and half the time they were almost drowned out by the crowd noise. IMO it wasn't enjoyable even as a cheesefest (no insult to the Wisconsin entry).

 

[Allskate]

I find Bolton boring. I recall that Jewel is going to be representing Alaska. But no big current stars. I think the people on the commercials, like Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus, will have more name recognition and popularity than any "stars" who are competing.

I didn't get this show at all. If it was all unknowns, a la Idol, fine. If it was all known acts, fine. But mixing them up just didn't work for me. Also Kelly Clarkson and Snoop looked really awkward, and half the time they were almost drowned out by the crowd noise. IMO it wasn't enjoyable even as a cheesefest (no insult to the Wisconsin entry).

I thought Wyoming outcheesed Wisconsin. Overall, there was not enough cheese to make this a cheesefest.

I'm surprised they couldn't get better country singers.

I don't get why the show isn't making better use of Kelly and Snoop. They both have great personalities, but they aren't being highlighted on the show. Kelly has a talk show for crying out loud. Have her interview some of the singers or have some genuine interaction with Snoop. I like her on both The Voice and her talk show, but they aren't making good use of her on this show.

I hope the show improves.

 

[moebius]

All of the songs, even Bolton's were not good at all. The RI song was the best of the group. Wyoming was the most entertaining. That one should go thru based on that. I can't think of which other 2 should go thru based on the viewers votes.

 

[BaileyCatts]

Wisconsin, Puerto Rico, Mississippi were my top 3. I guess I would put Rhode Island and Connecticut next. I don't remember the rest.

 

[Karen-W]

Watching last night's show on my DVR since I'm wide awake. Oklahoma, Connecticut and Puerto Rico made the semi-final.

And I'm well and truly embarrassed at the Oregon entry.

 

[Garden Kitty]

I watched this week but again was doing other things while it was on. I was happy for Michael Bolton because he looked sort of sad and lost standing there in the couch area. But I doubt he'd have been voted in based solely on that performance if people didn't know his history.

There were some songs I liked last night and some not so much, but I couldn't really tell you who was from what state. I thought the Virgin Islands had a catchy song and I think I liked Maine, but beyond that I get mixed up on who had what song. I do recall that with Oregon's music scene I was sure they could have come up with a better song.

 

[Karen-W]

I liked New York, North Dakota, Virginia and the Virgin Islands. Montana sounded like Luke Bryan and he's very country radio-friendly but his song was not good as far as the pantheon of great country music songs goes. I'm annoyed that Jordan Smith from Kentucky was moved along by the jury to the Final because his song last night was just as twee as anything he ever did when he won The Voice. And I'm annoyed that at least 2 of the four decent ones are going to be left in this round because I'm cynical enough to believe Macy Gray and all of the other "name" artists have contracts which guarantee advancement to the semi-finals, and her song wasn't that good.

 

[love skating]

I'm still confused about the format. For the next part of the competition, after all the states/territories perform, do the ones that move on sing their same song for the next round or do they bring out a new song? I'm confused cause it is supposed to be the "song" that we're voting for, but if they just keep singing the same song it seems the final parts of this competition would be kinda boring and redundant. Anyway, I fast-forward a lot of the show.... most of the package bits, most of the hosts bits, then I listen to the beginning of the song and if I'm not feeling it then I fast-forward through most of the song too!