“American Song Contest” is live once again on April 25 with episode 6. Kelly Clarkson and Snoop Dogg host this reality series modelled on the Eurovision Song Contest. This round-robin tournament featured representatives from each of the 50 states, five US territories and the District of Columbia, all of whom were hoping to be the ones that perform the best original song in America. Only 22 acts made it through the qualifying rounds to compete in the semi-finals.
Vying for just five places in the final in the first semi-final on week 6 are these 11 acts:
Alabama’s Ni/Co singing ‘The Difference‘
Colorado’s Riker Lynch singing ‘Feel The Love‘
Kentucky’s Jordan Smith singing ‘Sparrow‘
Massachusetts’ Jared Lee singing ‘Shameless‘
Michigan’s Ada LeAnn singing ‘Natalie‘
Montana’s Jonah Prill singing ‘Fire It Up‘
New Hampshire’s Mari singing ‘Fly‘
Oklahoma’s AleXa singing ‘Wonderland‘
Rhode Island’s Hueston singing ‘Held On Too Long‘
Washington’s Allen Stone singing ‘A Bit of Both‘
Wyoming’s Ryan Charles singing ‘New Boot Goofin‘
The other 11 semi-finalists will sing on Monday, May 2. They are: Connecticut’s Michael Bolton (“Beautiful World”), Georgia’s Stela Cole (“DIY”), Kansas’ Broderick Jones (“Tell Me”), North Dakota’s Chloe Fredericks (“Can’t Make You Love Me”), Puerto Rico’s Christian Pagán (“Loko”), Tennessee’s Tyler Braden (“Seventeen”), Texas’ Grant Knoche (“Mr. Independent”), plus three semi-finalists from Qualifier 5 and the second redemption artist.
Follow along with our live blog “American Song Contest” episode 6 recap below.
8:06 p.m. – Snoop and Kelly kicked off the night by reminding viewers of last week’s top four jury picks: Ada LeAnn (Michigan), Sweet Taboo (California), John Morgan (North Carolina), and Tenelle (American Samoa). For the first time, America’s votes aligned perfectly with the jury’s top four ranking, so all four acts are locked in as semi-finalists.
8:08 p.m. – First up tonight was Jordan Smith, who topped the jury’s ranking in week two. The former “The Voice” champ promised to give his best for his home state of Kentucky, and he ended up doing just that with a performance that exhibited amazing vocal control. By dressing in the same neutral-toned outfit he wore for his qualifying performance and only slightly adjusting his set, the beautifully-written, inspirational message of his song, “Sparrow,” came through even more powerfully than before.
8:14 p.m. – The next contestant was Riker Lynch, the former “Dancing with the Stars” runner-up from Colorado. After citing Jimmy Buffett as an inspiration for his song’s “tropical vacation vibe,” he performed “Feel the Love” in much the same way as before: joined by a band made up of his siblings, surrounded by neon and confetti, and showing off his smooth dance moves. Keeping it familiar worked for this particular song, as the audience responded just as enthusiastically as they did when he closed the week three show.
8:25 p.m. – Next up was New Hampshire’s MARi with her deeply personal survival anthem, “Fly.” After reflecting on her rough childhood that spurned her life-long will to fight, she appeared on stage in a striking blue art piece of a dress and an even larger gray wig. By the end of her second decent presentation of this solid song, it became clear that she has an undeniable stage presence, but not quite an undeniable live voice.
8:35 p.m. – Fourth heat jury chart-topper Allen Stone began by clearing up some of the mystery behind the philosophically complex lyrics in his “A Bit Of Both” by tying them to his life-changing experience with fatherhood. After thanking his family for keeping him humble, the Washington representative performed the song to strong approval from the hosts, who wiped away tears as they praised Stone’s soulful voice.
8:46 p.m. – Alabama “power couple” Dani and Colton took the stage as Ni/Co and proceeded to also keep it familiar with their second performance of “The Difference.” In their case, changing only the color of their outfits was a less than wise decision, as a different presentation style could have prevented their passion deficit. While their qualifying performance was palpably heartfelt, they seemed as though they were simply going through the motions this time.
8:57 p.m. – First heat performer Ryan Charles of Wyoming finally got his moment of redemption as the first of two non-qualifying artists brought back into the competition. Over the last month, his comedic country rap song “New Boot Goofin’” has surged in popularity on TikTok and has even become a treasured part of Snoop’s own music library. Decked in an all-white
outfit this time rather than an all-black one, Charles refreshed everyone on his song’s catchiness and made it clear just why he was invited back.
9:06 p.m. – Next, Hueston, the jury’s top pick from the premiere episode, sang his broken-hearted ballad “Held On Too Long,” which Kelly describes as sad, yet awesome. After clarifying his intention to have his lyrics resonate with the many people who, like him, have been through toxic relationships, he delivered another moving rendition in which he bared his soul to all watching.
9:17 p.m. – As one of several male traditional country artists in the semi-finals, Montana’s Jonah Prill has his work cut out for him in terms of simply standing out. Tonight, he rose to the occasion by displaying a cooler, more collected sense of energy as he performed a somewhat more mature-sounding version of his “Fire It Up.” By brightening up his set and tweaking his tone (and even showing off his arm muscles), it is clear that he put thought into making his song the most memorable one in the minds of country-loving voters.
9:27 p.m. – Snoop and Kelly took a break to announce week two performer Enisa of New York as the second and final redemption pick. She will sing “Green Light” again during next week’s semi-final show.
9:28 p.m. – The week five jury pick and youngest artist in the competition, Ada LeAnn, explained that her song, “Natalie,” has been therapeutic for her in that it has helped her realize her worth. The teenage Taylor Swift sound-alike also looked more like her this time, with her floor-length purple dress and crimped hair. Her song about feelings of inadequacy did not impress the jury as much when stacked up against their other past top selections, but there is a strong likelihood of her maintaining a high level of home voter support.