‘American Song Contest’ Recap: Allen Stone Wins His Second Jury Vote
Trae Patton/NBC Reading Time: 3 minutes
American Song Contest has officially kicked off the semifinal rounds. After the 11 reprises of the original songs, America has the chance to pick which artists will continue into the finale in a much shorter voting period. Even with the tough competition, Allen Stone is once again safe from elimination due to the American Song Contest jury vote.
Last week, Ada LeAnn representing Michigan impressed with her original song “Natalie.†Her Taylor Swift-like performance gained the traction of the jury right away. Joining Ada in the semifinals is Tenelle from American Samoa, John Morgan from North Carolina, and Sweet Taboo from California. On top of the artists from last week, Enisa from New York was announced as the second redemption song.
Differing from the last weeks of the competition, America’s vote will send four states directly into the next round of the competition. Jury ranking still sends one artist through at the end of the night. Ahead of this change, America’s votes were added with jury votes to determine continuing artists in the next episode.
Four Jury Vote Artists Take the Semifinal Stage
The Voice winner Jordan Smith returned to the American Song Contest stage with his angelic tune, “Sparrow.” While his performance wasn’t the most energetic, I was taken aback by his voice. He held the top of the jury vote until Allen Stone‘s performance. His voice was once again a breath of fresh air in the competition. His beautifully unique voice shined on the stage.
The other two jury vote artists were practically a battle of the ballad. Hueston‘s ballad “Held On Too Long” was once again powerful compared to Ada’s “Natalie,” which was a bit softer. While the two songs are definitely different, I like both the narratives.
Viral American Song Contest Artists Battle For Their Spot In The Next Round
It’s no secret that Ryan Charles‘s “New Boot Goofin'” success landed him a spot in the semifinal. His track redeemed the first wildcard spot in the round when it earned 1.3 million streams. The crowd roared for his return to the stage.
Ryan wasn’t the only artist that went viral online. Right up there with his tune was AleXa‘s song “Wonderland.” She once again took the stage with loads of energy and great choreography. I hope both artists make it further because they have some of the strongest stage presences.
At the end of the episode, Allen was announced as American Song Contest’s first semifinal jury vote winner. Next week, four other artists will go through to the next round of the competition. American Song Contest returns to NBC live on Monday, May 2 from 8 to 10 p.m. ET for the second round of the semifinals. Voting is now open on NBC’s website, app, and TikTok it closes at 8 a.m. ET on Tuesday.
