When American Song Contest debuts tonight (March 21) on NBC, Jared Lee will be fighting — er, writing — on behalf of the Bay State.
The new Eurovision-esque music competition will pit 56 musicians against each other over the course of eight weeks, as bands, DJs, and solo artists from across the United States vie for the title of “Best Original Song.” Lee, a Boston-born singer, songwriter, and platinum producer with more than 80 million streams to his name, will represent Massachusetts. Other reps from New England states include King Kyote (Maine), MARi (New Hampshire), Hueston (Rhode Island), Josh Panda (Vermont), and… Michael Bolton (Connecticut).
Yes, seriously, that Michael Bolton, who is one of a handful of known artists repping their states, a list that includes Macy Gray (Ohio), Jewel (Alaska), Sisqo (Maryland), and The Crystal Method (Nevada).
Against that competition, Lee might seem like an underdog, but he’s got credentials.
His writing and production collaborations include tracks for Jason Derulo, Jordin Sparks, TIESTO, and New Kids On The Block, although he’s been releasing music as a solo artist since 2009. In addition to earning song placements on television networks like MTV, NBC, CBS, ABC, and ESPN, his tune “Don’t Wish Your Life Away” landed on the soundtrack for the 2020 flick Fantasy Island. His newest track, “Breathe In Bleed Out,” dropped earlier this month (March 9), following the success of “Afterglow,” his million-streams single with Nicky Romero and GATTÜSO.
Check out the full list of artists competing here, and watch Lee compete in the qualifying rounds of American Song Contest in a two-hour premiere tonight at 8 p.m. EDT.