'American Song Contest': Jason J from Guam is out to inspire other island musicians
'American Song Contest' features' live original musical performances, representing all 50 states, five U.S. territories and our nation's capital, competing to win the country's vote for the best hit song.' Hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson, the show celebrates America's wide range of musical genres and talent.
As the show enters week 5 of the Qualifying Rounds, states and singers that have made the cut thus far are — In Week 1: Hueston from Rhode Island, AleXa from Oklahoma, Christian Pagán from Puerto Rico and Michael Bolton from Connecticut. In Week 2: Jordan Smith from Kentucky, Broderick Jones from Kansas, Jonah Prill from Montana and Chloe Fredericks from North Dakota. In Week 3: Tyler Braden from Tennessee, Ni/Co from Alabama, Grant Knoche from Texas and Riker Lynch from Colorado. And in Week 4, the judges picked Allen Stone from Washington State to make it to the Semifinals, while the public's choices are yet to be revealed.
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Representing Guam is artist Jason J. His hometown is Yona, Guam, while he currently resides in Glendale, CA. As per his BandCamp bio, his music is influenced by reggae, pop, and alternative rock, which led him to develop his own music style. In a conversation with kuamnews, Jason expressed his desire to inspire other artists in Guam to pursue what they love and not hold themselves on account of a divide between the island and stateside talent. "Don't be scared to do something" he said. "If you that's (music) what you want to do, don't be scared, because when you do something you're scared of, that's where you learn lessons". he added. "Growth comes faster that way, compared to just staying away from things you're afraid of." he noted.
As per his NBC bio: "Jason J. is an independent artist, songwriter and father of two known for his distinct vocals and blend of island reggae and alternative music. Since Jason first started writing original music in 2004, he has now gone on to play multiple national tours and large reggae festivals. He made the top 10 of the Billboard reggae chart in 2017 with his first solo release, "Luminosity EP." Jason come from a traditional Filipino family and spent the first 23 years of his life surrounded by Guam culture and its musical influences."
'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.
