By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
The American Song Contest has reached its semifinals stage in the competition! Tonight, several fan-favorite artists return to impress the jury and the audience. Which artists soared? Who earned the second-to-last jury qualifier vote of the season? Which songs advanced from the final session of the qualifying rounds?
After Kelly Clarkson and Snoop Dogg made their entrances, it was time to learn which artists from the Week Five qualifying rounds made it to the second round of the semifinals. Tenelle (American Samoa), John Morgan (North Carolina), and Sweet Taboo (California) all made it to the American Song Contest semifinals. The co-hosts also revealed that America’s votes would send four artists to the finale.
I was astonished to see Kentucky’s Jordan Smith kicking off the night with “Sparrow.” Like his last performance, The Voice champion gave me chills with bombastic vocals. I hope that Jordan is one of the artists that compete in the finale. A
Colorado’s Riker Lynch returned “Feel the Love” to the competition. Once again, Riker and his band made me smile and dance in my seat. B+
As Oklahoma’s AleXa taught the audience her signature dance, New Hampshire’s Mari returned to the American Song Contest stage. I was grateful that the fans voted her into the semifinals, and she did not disappoint. A-
A few weeks ago, Allen Stone dominated the American Song Contest’s fourth week of competition. In all honesty, this version of “A Bit of Both” was not my cup of tea. I was bored by the performance. C+
Alabama duo Ni/Co returned to the stage to perform their single: “The Difference.” I believed that they delivered with their performance. No matter what happens, Ni/Co has the potential to be one of the most recognizable alums coming from this show. B+
I despise Wyoming’s Ryan Charles, and I cannot believe the show brought him back. Jewel should have been there in his place. If I were in the audience, I would buzz the hell out of him during his performance. F
After the show celebrated Kelly Clarkson’s birthday, Rhode Island rocker, Hueston returned to the stage. Sadly, I did not connect with this song and was bored. D+
Montana’s Jonah Prill returned to the American Song Contest and sang his original tune: “Fire It Up.” I am still not a fan of the song, and it feels like a C-level track that Dan + Shay or Morgan Wallen wrote and discarded. C
After New York’s Enisa was revealed to be the last semifinalist in the competition, Michigan’s Ada LeAnn took the stage and performed “Natalie.” The performance was pitchy, and she reminded me way too much of Taylor Swift! D
I was so thrilled that Jared Lee made it to the American Song Contest semifinals and that he received a “Congratulations” message from Donnie Wahlberg. Once again, “Shameless” stole the show, and I loved hearing Jared’s vocals! A
K-Pop performer and Oklahoma superstar AleXa closed out the first round of the semifinals. “Wonderland” is absolutely a chart-topper in the making. I could see this song dominate on social media and several streaming services’ playlists. Well done, AleXa! A
At the end of the evening, the American Song Contest jury advanced Allen Stone to the finale!
Next week, Broderick Jones, Christian Pagán, Michael Bolton, and Stela Cole are some of the recording artists that are returning for the American Song Contest’s second semifinals round.
