'American Song Contest': Meet Justin Jesso, Illinois singer-songwriter behind Ricky Martin's 'Vente Pa' Ca'
As 56 artists battle it out to prove that their state has the best, NBC's 'American Song Contest' is starting to feel the heat. The show has it all -- from an extensive range of genres to famous and up-coming musicians, all of whom are out to prove that their original song is a cut above the rest!
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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Who is Justin Jesso?
Justin Jesso will be representing the state of Illinois on the 'American Song Contest' stage. He calls Glencoe, IL home, while he currently stays in Los Angeles, CA. He studied songwriting at the Clive Davis Institute in New York and has written music for HRVY, The Backstreet Boys, and AJ Mitchell. He was also nominated for Song of the Year at the Latin Grammy Awards for his song 'Vente Pa' Ca', which he co-wrote for Ricky Martin.
In a conversation with ESC United, Jesso spoke about why his hometown has such a special place in his heart. "I was raised in the suburbs of Chicago and growing up there was instrumental in becoming the person I am today. My favorite thing about my state is the values that growing up in Illinois instills in you. Midwesterners are brought up to be kind, treat others how they want to be treated, and are deeply caring about their friends, family, and all others in their lives. Also, we got the best deep dish pizza." he said.
His NBC bio states, "Justin Jesso grew up in the relatively small village of Glencoe, Illinois - just under 30 minutes from Chicago. His family's musical roots run deep in the state of Illinois, with his great grandfather being a bandleader in Chicago in the 20s. As a celebrated artist and songwriter, Justin has over a billion streams for his collaborations with international pop greats such as Ricky Martin, Maluma, the Backstreet Boys and Norwegian producer Kygo (co-writing and featuring on his global smash “Stargazing”). Signed to Sony, Justin released his debut EP, “Let It Be Me,” in 2019, featuring singles “Getting Closer” and “Let It Be Me” (featuring Nina Nesbitt). His most recent DJ collaborations with Alle Farben, “As Far as Feelings Go,” peaked at #3 on the German radio charts, and his follow-up single, “Bigger Than,” with Norwegian producing duo Seeb (Pill In Ibiza) has over 60 million streams."
'American Song Contest' airs on Mondays, 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.