|
Post by Admin on Mar 25, 2022 17:13:19 GMT
Week 1 Performances | NBC's American Song Contest 137 views Mar 26, 2022 All the amazing Week 1 performances in one place. Who was your favorite?
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 26, 2022 17:42:44 GMT
Even after a decade of performing, Ryan Charles had never experienced nerves like those he experienced March 21.
To be fair, he never had a performance quite like this before. Not only was he playing one of the biggest venues of his career — the Universal Studios lot in Universal City, California — but he was also performing live for television viewers across the country: roughly 2.9 million of them, according to Nielsen ratings released the day after Charles’ television debut on NBC reality competition “American Song Contest.”
It was a lot of pressure, Charles admitted after the fact. But he centered himself by thinking of his friends and family 1,184 miles away in Buffalo, Wyoming.
“I just started thinking about all the people who have been supporting me since I started,” Charles said. “In the weeks leading up to the show, I’ve had so many people hitting me up telling me how proud they were of me. Thinking of those people and their love and support for me is what got me through the performance.”
Charles serves as Wyoming’s representative on “American Song Contest,” a reality program that pits musicians from all 50 states — plus Washington, D.C., and five U.S. territories — against each other to find the best original song in the nation. He was one of 11 artists to perform on the series’ premiere episode March 21.
The series introduced many viewers to Charles’ musical style, which he describes as “country rap” — something unique, but also inextricably connected to the music he loved as a kid.
“Growing up in Wyoming, I heard a lot of country music on the radio because that’s what gets played,” Charles said. “I’ve always loved country music. But around sixth grade I was introduced to hip hop — ‘Tha Carter’ from Lil’ Wayne was the first album I listened to — and I just loved that sound. I fell in love with hip hop. So I loved those genres, but I wanted to mix them up a little bit and make them my own.”
Those diverse musical styles are both reflected in Charles’ “American Song Contest” entry “New Boot Goofin’.” Charles said his inspiration for the song was a phrase his uncle used to say when he got a new pair of boots.
“It was one of those little sayings I heard my uncle say a couple times,” Charles said. “It basically meant, ‘Look at me in my new boots.’ Most people wear boots in Wyoming and there is a sense of pride there. The right pair of boots just makes you feel like you, and they give you confidence.”
Charles spent nine days in California prior to his live performance. During that time, he worked out the elaborate choreography of his performance and figured out how to move on the stage without getting in the way of backup dancers or props, including dozens of pairs of neon boots.
“It was a different experience for me because I’m usually on the stage by myself,” Charles said. “It takes some time to adjust to having dancers and other people on the stage.”
Prior to one of those rehearsals, Charles met two-time Grammy winner Michael Bolton. Bolton is competing for his home state of Connecticut on the program.
“He was so supportive of what I was doing,” Charles said. “He said, ‘I know this can be overwhelming, but just go out there, be you and enjoy this moment.’ And that’s what I tried to do.”
Of the 11 competitors in the premiere episode, four will advance to the next round of competition. One of the competitors — Hueston of Rhode Island — was selected to advance by the show’s “jury” of music industry professionals. Another three, potentially including Charles, have been selected by viewers voting online. The results of that online voting will be revealed in the series’ March 28 episode.
“I really hope and pray that Ryan moves onto the next round, just because it means a lot to him,” his mom Lisa Marton said. “I think this will be great for his career. It’s a whole new experience for a kid from Johnson County.”
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 26, 2022 21:09:09 GMT
Rehearsal Leak: Week 2 | NBC’s American Song Contest 1,009 views Mar 27, 2022 Go behind the scenes at final dress rehearsals for Week 2 artists. Watch American Song Contest LIVE – Mondays at 8/7c.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 27, 2022 20:55:14 GMT
Real Talk with Snoop and Kelly | NBC’s American Song Contest 476 views Mar 28, 2022 Snoop and Kelly have a heartfelt conversation about being reunited, the pressures of live performance and the emotional power of music.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 28, 2022 17:26:19 GMT
K-Pop Superstar AleXa Begs Marvel to Hire Her | 17 Questions | Seventeen 26,461 views Mar 5, 2022 K-Pop Superstar AleXa sat down with us to play a game of 17 questions, and she spilled the TEA. Tune in to hear about her Marvel obsession, her biggest inspirations, and MORE…Want more 17 Questions?
|
|