“American Song Contest” — a U.S. adaptation of Eurovision — is officially underway.
Artists from every state and U.S. territory are competing for the best original song. So far, the competition has seen legacy artists like Jewel, Macy Gray and Michael Bolton competing alongside rising artists for a chance to claim the victory.
On Monday night, singer-songwriter Savannah Keyes, who is representing Utah, got eliminated — but there’s still a chance she could advance to the semifinal round. “American Song Contest” is welcoming two eliminated artists back into the competition to round out the top 22 in the semifinals.
So far, the show has awarded one of those spots to hip-hop country singer Ryan Charles, who is representing Wyoming.
“If you want UT (me lol) to be redeemed for semi finals you can tweet and comment on #americansongcontest pages and tag me!!!” Keyes wrote on Facebook Monday night, also encouraging fans to stream her song “Sad Girl.” “There’s one spot left! Let’s get the underdog state to the semi finals!”
But regardless of the outcome, Keyes appreciates the experience of representing her home state on national TV.
“All I wanted from this experience was to get a chance to showcase a song that I had written and perform it live to connect with people that had not heard my music yet or didn’t know how many creative people come out of the state of Utah,” she shared with fans. “And I did that.”
Here’s a breakdown of the states (so far) that will be represented in the semifinal round, which begins April 25.
Episode 1 — March 21
Hueston — Rhode Island
“Held On Too Long”
During the show’s premiere, singer-songwriter Hueston won an automatic spot in the semifinal round — selected by a jury of music industry experts — with the performance of his ballad “Held On Too Long.” The ballad is a tribute to Rhode Island, his home state.
“People think it’s just coastlines and tennis and, you know, sailboats,” he said, according to NBC Insider. “That’s not the Rhode Island I came from. The Rhode Island I came from is different, it’s a lot rougher. Not a lot of money. There’s a lot of pain, a lot of people that I grew up with that didn’t make it to be my age. That’s where I came from, and that’s who I’m singing to.”
Other artists who got pushed through:
Christian Pagan — Puerto Rico
“Loko”
AleXa — Oklahoma
“Wonderland”
Michael Bolton — Connecticut
“Beautiful World”
Episode 2 — March 28
Jordan Smith — Kentucky
“Sparrow”
Jordan Smith, the Season 9 winner of “The Voice,” was the second singer to automatically advance to the semifinal round with his song “Sparrow” — a faith-inspired song he wrote in a matter of six or seven minutes.
“I think it’s one of those moments where it doesn’t come from you, it just comes through you,” Smith told Parade. “You’re just the vessel for what happens. I think the inspiration comes from where we’ve all been in the last couple of years.”
“The song meant so much to me and it came from my heart,” he added. “But you never realize how it’s going to be received.”
Other artists who got pushed through:
Broderick Jones — Kansas
“Tell Me”
Jonah Prill — Montana
“Fire it Up”
Chloe Fredericks — North Dakota
“Can’t Make You Love Me”
Episode 3 — April 4
Tyler Braden — Tennessee
“Seventeen”
Rising country singer Tyler Braden was the third singer to automatically advance to the semifinal round with his performance of “Seventeen.” Braden, a former firefighter from Tennessee, has expressed appreciation for the encouragement he has received to pursue a music career.
“Tennessee has to be the most musical state in the country,” Braden told Music Mayhem Magazine. “There’s live music in every venue you pass, there’s major record labels, there’s small and large publishing companies. Nashville is Music City and people come here from all over the country to chase their dream. ... The firefighters who worked with me here, they wanted me to chase that dream. That just speaks to the support of this state and I’ll never be able to thank them enough and to show them enough appreciation for that.”
Other artists who got pushed through:
Riker Lynch — Colorado
“Feel the Love”
Ni/Co — Alabama
“The Difference”
Grant Knoche — Texas
“Mr. Independent”
Episode 4 — April 11
Allen Stone — Washington
“A Bit of Both”
Allen Stone, a soul singer from Washington, was the fourth singer to get automatically sent through to the semifinal round. Although reality competition shows have attempted to recruit Stone in the past, “American Song Contest” is the first time Stone has expressed an interest in participating, according to the Seattle Times.
“The coolest thing about this show is highlighted songs, real crafted original songs from artists across the country,” Stone said after his performance, according to The Spokesman-Review. “And to represent Washington state. I’m a third-generation Washingtonian.
“My father was a minister in Washington. My grandfather was a farmer in Washington,” he continued. “Getting to share a piece of art that I wrote to represent our state on such a big stage is awesome.”
Other artists who got pushed through:
Jared Lee — Massachusetts
“Shameless”
Stela Cole — Georgia
“DIY”
MARi— New Hampshire
“Fly”
Episode 5 — April 18
Ada LeAnn — Michigan
“Natalie”
Michigan’s Ada LeAnn — the youngest singer in the competition — was the fifth singer to automatically advance to the semifinals with her song “Natalie,” MLive reported.
“Michigan is known for creating great American songwriters. Stevie Wonder, I see how young he was and I see how young I am and I say, ‘How do I continue that legacy?’” the 17-year-old singer said, according to MLive. “I write every single day. I draw a lot of inspiration from Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish.”
Sweet Taboo — California
“Keys to the Kingdom”