'American Song Contest': Georgia's Stela Cole says hometown inspired her to be 'unique'
If you're a fan of 'Eurovision' and how it brings a range of artists to one stage, then 'American Song Contest' definitely needs to be on your watch list. The series sees artists representing different states battle out to prove that they are the top musical talent in the country.
As 'American Song Contest' enters week 4, here's a look at Georgia's musical talent -- Stela Cole! Before you deep dive into Stela's musical journey, here's a recap of the semi-finalists. During week 1, Hueston from Rhode Island made it to the semi-finals by performing his song, 'Held On Too Long'. Week 2 saw Jordan Smith from Kentucky advance forward with his song, 'Sparrow'. And, week 3 had Tennessee's Tyler Braden make the cut with his song, 'Seventeen'.
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Representing Georgia is Cole. While she calls Peachtree City, GA, home, Cole currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. Cole is definitely excited to take on the 'ASC' stage, as she explained why this show was important in a conversation with Atlants Journal Consitution. “Being familiar with Eurovision, this is the coolest thing ever,” she said. “I absolutely want to be part of it. This showcases artists’ actual songs and original work,” she added.
In a conversation with Refinery29, she spoke about how her hometown has had an impact on her music. "I feel really lucky to have grown up in Peachtree City, it was a really special place to grow up. But it was one of those places where I felt like I couldn't break out and be 100% myself, which, in a way, made me want to be more unique, as a form of [rebelling]." she said. "I always felt like I had to act and be a certain way. When I started to get into songwriting, I was writing about completely opposite things — the crazy side of myself. Sometimes living in a small town, where everyone knows everything about you, can be hard. So in a way it made me more unique than another place would have," she added.
As per her NBC bio -- "Stela Cole is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. Living in the ATL until she was 18, it is where she has spent the bulk of her life, and her reason for loving music. Stela formally announced herself in 2018 with her debut single, “You F O,” which Refinery 29 labeled “addictive” while Pop Dust promised “Stela Cole will absolutely blow your mind.” After 2020’s sophomore EP, “Woman of the Hour,” Stela blazed through 2021 growing her audience exponentially in the process. She enters this year with 1 million monthly listeners, 500,000 followers across her social accounts, and millions of people recognizing her vocal style and lyrics. She’s honored to represent Georgia, a place she still considers home."
This week, be sure to catch performances by Allen Stone (Washington), Alexis Cunningham (West Virginia), Bri Steves (Pennsylvania), Bronson Varde (Hawaii), Jared Lee (Massachusetts), Las Marias (Arizona), MARi (New Hampshire), NËITHER (Washington, D.C.), Savannah Keyes (Utah), Stela Cole (Georgia) and The Crystal Method (Nevada)
'American Song Contest' airs on Monday, at 8/7c on NBC. You can vote for your favorite performances on the NBC website, the NBC app and TikTok. You can also stream your favorite artists' songs on your preferred music streaming app.