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Why Songland is the BEST thing that has happened on TV lately
Recently, I've been obsessing over NBC's Songland, a reality TV show that gives a chance to talented, undiscovered songwriters to pitch their songs to producers (Ryan Tedder, Ester Dean, and Shane McNally) and artists who are looking to record their next hit. At least 4 songwriters are given the chance to present their own composition to the producers and to each artist. The songwriters will perform their composition (Original Song Performance) infront of the producers and the artist, the producers and artists will comment on the initial performance, and the suggested revisions from the producers and artist will eventually be applied to the song. And then, the songwriter will be asked to perform the "produced" version of the song. In the end, the artist will select only one song (Songland Selection) from all the songs pitched to him/her, which he/she will then proceed to record in the future.
What's interesting is that the raw versions of the compositions are already good as they are. If you check the comments section on the raw versions (Original Song Performance) of the songs, some people would even express their disappointment over the songwriters pitching their compositions to artists instead of recording the songs for themselves. But, hey, that's the music industry for you. Sometime people write for other people, and that's okay, as long as both parties agree to the arrangement, of course. Anyway, sometimes, the produced versions of the songs have been bashed on YouTube as well. But I wouldn't blame Ryan, Shane, or Ester. They're producers, they know what will sell, and they know what will sound good on radio. I feel for the songwriters though, whose songs have not been selected by the artists. But, like I said, these songwriters are SO GOOD. So, I wouldn't really worry about what's next for them. Songland wasn't for them, and that should be okay. :)
For its premiere season, Songland invited bigtime artists like John Legend, Jonas Brothers, will.i.am, Macklemore, Kelsea Ballerini, One Dominion, Charlie Puth, Meghan Trainor, Leona Lewis, and OneRepublic to scout for their next hit by listening to these songwriters pitch their creations. While I don't agree with what some of these artists have chosen as their Songland Selection, I am generally satisfied with this first season. The talents that flocked to the Songland stage have been overwhelming and I am excited to see more! I'm glad NBC is renewing Songland for another season because I think this show is definitely one of the best things that has happened in TV lately!
Here are my personal favorites from the first season:
For Jonas Brothers:
Heart - Greenlight (Original Song Performance)
Able Heart - Greenlight (Jonas Brothers' Songland Selection)
For Kelsea Ballerini:
Darius Coleman - Better Luck Next Time (Original Song Performance)
Darius Coleman - Better Luck Next Time (Kelsea Ballerini's Songland Selection
For Macklemore:
DJs Pop Culture - City Kids (Original Song Performance)
DJs Pop Culture - Unforgettable, formerly City Kids (Produced by Ryan Tedder) - no longer up on YouTube
For Old Dominion:
Jacobi.e - Westside (Original Song Performance) - no longer up on YouTube
Jacobi.e - Where the Road Ends, formerly Westside (Produced by Ryan Tedder)
For Charlie Puth:
Joel Adams - Hate Love (Original Song Performance) - no longer up on YouTube
Joel Adams - Hate Love (Produced by Ester Dean) - no longer up on YouTube
For OneRepublic:
JT Roach - Somebody To Love (Original Song Performance)
JT Roach - Somebody To Love (OneRepublic's Songland Selection)
Tyler James Bellinger - Giving You Up (Original Song Performance)
Some of the songs that I really like have already been taken down from YouTube, which is sad since other people who haven't been following Songland since Day 1 won't get to listen to those songs anymore (or anytime soon). I'm guessing this is because the songwriters who originally pitched this for the featured artists on Songland have either decided to present their songs to other artists or to record these songs for themselves. I hope to hear those songs again in the near future.
Songland Philippines?
My brother and I talked about how the NBC's Songland will look like here in the Philippines. Most reality TV shows that have originally aired in the US or UK like Big Brother, The X-Factor, and The Voice, have already acquired their respective Filipino adaptations. So far, I've only enjoyed The Voice Philippines, since it's the adaptation that has respected the crucial elements (e.g. excellent and deserving judges/coaches) of a show's original version.
So, this leads to...Songland Philippines?
I'm not very familiar with the record producers here in the Philippines. But given Songland's success, it's probably only a matter of time before the Philippines finally acquires the rights to produce this show locally. While waiting, here are some of ideas on who I think would be the fitting Filipino counterparts of Ryan, Ester, and Shane.
1. Rico Blanco
Rico Blanco is a rather infamous name in the industry. In the music scene, he has cemented his legacy as then-guitarist and eventual-frontman of the Filipino rockband Rivermaya. After his departure from Rivermaya, he went to pursue a solo music career while occasionally dabbling on acting (he starred in an ABS-CBN teleserye). At present, he is the president of the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Inc. (FILSCAP), a group that organizes and celebrates composers, lyric-writers, and music publishers. He has also recently collaborated with young artists like the pop-funk group IV of Spades and singer-actress Maris Racal. Talk about mentoring the next generation!
2. Ogie Alcasid
I mean, does this guy even need an introduction? Filipinos of all ages, across all generations, have probably heard of this legend. Not only is he an excellent singer, he is a prolific songwriter as well. He has masterfully-crafted Filipino classics which he himself recorded, while some have been deliberately pitched to and popularized by other recording artists . He is such a perfect fit for Songland PH.
3. Angeli Pangilinan-Valenciano
It's unfair, really, that most people only know Angeli Valenciano as the wife of Gary Valenciano (Gary V). I have absolutely NO HATE for Gary V. In fact, I believe he's one of the most awesome people in the planet today. But while Gary V is obviously the phenomenal person that he is, not many people know that Angeli is such a superwoman herself who made her own name (she was part of the Music & Magic band on top of being a commercial model, TV host, among others) even way before being a Valenciano. Apart from her previous accomplishments, her credentials include being the manager of many famous recording artists and the writer of the iconic Sana Maulit Muli (Song story: Originally an English song written by Gary V and etitled "Why'd you close your eyes so soon", Angeli is the one who conjured the Filipino words to "Sana Maulit Muli", turning it into that legendary Filipino heartbreak staple that we know now.). I don't know many female music producers, so this is bit of a challenge. Plus, I'm not sure if Angeli is as musically-inclined now as she was before. But, #girlpower is POWER. I know she's still going to rock this, if given the chance!
(Extra insight) 4. Moophs
I know there are only 3 producers in the original iteration of Songland, but let me add Chris Lopez, also known as Moophs. Chris is the brains behind Tarsier Records, a "Manila-based electronic/RnB label focused on collating the best of the local scene and bringing it to the world stage". Under Moophs' record label are some up-and-coming Filipino artists like Xela, Sam Concepcion, Markus, and Kiana Valenciano. For the longest time, I have yet to discover a record label which offers solid R&B, EDM, street sound in the Philippines that I dig. But when I found out about Moophs, I became even more convinced that the future is indeed bright!
So, Pilipinas, your move.
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