American Song Contest
All information about the US version of the ESC
Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson host the American Song Contest.
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Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson have been confirmed as moderator duo for the American song contest ASC. This is how the competition works.
ESC goes USA: The Eurovision Song Contest comes to America as the American Song Contest (ASC). The goal: to win the title “Best Original Song”.
The moderation
In fact, two American superstars have found each other to moderate the music spectacle: rapper Snoop Dogg (50) and pop star Kelly Clarkson (39). The latter is a fan of the ESC herself, and she even covered a winning song on her “Kelly Clarkson Show”: “Arcade” by Duncan Laurence (27). “The biggest music event ever televised,” promises Clarkson in a first commercial, which was posted on Twitter on Valentine’s Day.
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The participants are not yet known, but should be published soon. A total of 56 artists and bands are expected to take part, including solo artists as well as bands of up to six people.
The sequence
In the slightly modified format, 50 US states, five territories and the capital Washington DC compete against each other and, in the best case scenario, can contest three qualifying rounds, several semi-finals and a grand final. The winners are to be determined by means of fan voting and a jury of experts from the music industry.
When
The live shows are scheduled to begin on March 21st, with the finale taking place on May 9th. The whole thing will be broadcast by the US broadcaster NBC.
rules
The rules are similar to the Eurovision Song Contest: only original songs are allowed, cover versions are forbidden. Solo artists as well as duos and bands are allowed to compete. There is one difference to the ESC rules: the songs may be two minutes longer than at the ESC, i.e. five minutes in total.
Who is behind it?
The “American Song Contest” is realized by a number of Swedish and American TV producers. But the competition should be an important concern for Ben Silverman in particular – according to his own statements, he fought for 20 years to bring the ESC to America. He has dubbed the 2006 music competition the “grandfather of all talent shows” and “the Super Bowl of singing.” Well said the executive producer opposite “NME”: “When America is more fragmented than ever and we deal with so many issues that divide us, the only thing that truly unites us is our culture.”