The new NBC singing competition show premieres live on March 21 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Things are about to get territorial on NBC. Kelly Clarkson -- a Texas girl at heart -- and Snoop Dogg -- straight out of Long Beach -- will play host to the network's new competition series, American Song Contest, where it'll all boil down to home pride.
In a supertease of the new show, the Southern California-bred rapper represents his hometown while the American Idol legend echoes her home state's rallying cry of "go big or go home." She adds, "And every musician in this country feels the same way about where they come from."
And therein lies the premise of the new series -- eight-weeks of live original musical performances from performers representing all 50 states, the five U.S. territories as well as the nation's capital. The 56 artists range from undiscovered talent, up-and-coming new artists and rising stars to established and legendary icons like Michael Bolton (Connecticut), Jewel (Alaska) and Sisqó (Maryland).
The show is a version of the international mega-hit Eurovision Song Contest, which was organized for 65 years by the European Broadcasting Union and watched by 200 million viewers annually. For the NBC series, a solo artist, duo, group or band will represent each location and perform a new original song "to celebrate the depth and variety of different styles and genres" across the U.S.
The eight-week live competition will consist of three rounds as the artists compete in a series of qualifying rounds, followed by the semifinals and then the finals.
Some of the artists set to perform in the premiere episode include Bolton, Kelsey Lamb (Arkansas), Keyone Starr (Mississippi), AleXa (a K-pop artist from Oklahoma), Christian Pagán (Puerto Rico) and more.
American Song Contest premieres live on March 21 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
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