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'American Song Contest' Semifinals 1: NBC slammed for zooming out of Ni/Co's kiss

'I am cackling about them zooming away from the interracial kiss after all the accusations of racism lmao,' tweeted a fan

If you've been keeping up with 'American Song Contest', then you know it's crunch time for all the artists, as round 1 of the semi-finals here. The first round features 11 artists taking on semifinal 1, where they will perform the same original number again. However, the jury will only send one artist to the final rounds.

But all the power isn't in the jury's hands, as the audience also has the power to vote for four other performances. Taking the stage in semifinal 1 are Alabama – Ni/Co, Colorado – Riker Lynch. Kentucky – Jordan Smith, Massachusetts – Jared Lee, Michigan – Ada LeAnn, Montana – Jonah Prill, New Hampshire – MARi, Oklahoma – AleXa, Rhode Island – Hueston, Washington – Allen Stone, Wyoming – Ryan Charles.

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For Alabama's Ni/Co, their music was all about celebrating their differences, seeing that the country itself has people from so many different backgrounds, but it's exactly what makes everyone special. The duo mentioned that even though being on a stage like 'ASC' was overwhelming, they were grateful for the opportunity. Although they felt like underdogs, they were ready to give it their all.

Fans loved their performance and had words of praise to offer. "Ni/Co was locked in tonight. Their harmonies were on freaking point. Well done y’all. #americansongcontest" tweeted a fan. "She’s giving Norway 2013’s Margaret Berger (my fav) and this feels upgraded in so many ways. GO ALABAMA #americansongcontest" added another. "so far Alabama is the best one for me #AmericanSongContest" said a fan. 

However, fans didn't hesitate to hold back and called out NBC for zooming out of Ni/Co's kiss. "I am cackling about them zooming away from the interracial kiss after all the accusations of racism lmao #AmericanSongContest" tweeted a fan. "5/n: Did they pan away from NiCo's kiss on purpose? I wonder how many letters @nbc received from Karens regarding an interracial couple kissing on #americansongcontest." added another. 

What did you think of the performance? Do you think the zoom out was uncalled for? Sound off in the comments below!

'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.