Spoilers ahead for Episode 2 of American Song Contest on NBC.
American Song Contest returned with its second group of professional musicians from across the 56 states and territories of the U.S., and the singer from Nebraska delivered a performance that packed an emotional punch. Jocelyn, who toured with groups like Hootie & the Blowfish and Barenaked Ladies before ASC, opened up about the "really kind" gesture that co-host Snoop Dogg had for her when the cameras were off.
Jocelyn's song was was called "Never Alone," and the response from the crowd as well as co-hosts Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson (who has more than a little bit of music competition TV experience thanks to American Idol and The Voice) made it clear that her performance was a hit. Immediately after her final note, Clarkson praised it as "incredible," while Snoop Dogg said:
That song hit me in the heart. That was an emotional record right there. That was a great thought-out song, harmonies, the lyrics. She did a great job with that song. I'm kind of emotional right now.
Jocelyn came to American Song Contest to help spread awareness for the Hope Squad and Boys Town organizations, both of which promote suicide prevention and helping at-risk children. Representing Nebraska for television's newest big music competition show guarantees a higher profile for the singer and the messages she wants to share. When she spoke with CinemaBlend and other outlets after her debut performance, she shared her reaction to Snoop Dogg's comments:
Snoop actually came up to me personally after my performance, and he wanted to give me a hug. And he told me 'That song was so beautiful.' And that it really touched his heart. So he personally came up to me when all the cameras were off. I just thought that was really special. That validated everything that I'm doing with Boys Town and with Hope Squad, and it validated how magical and powerful the song is.
Snoop Dogg's reaction on screen during the episode showed that he was feeling emotional about Jocelyn's performance, and her comments about what happened afterward just prove that it wasn't all for the cameras. Snoop – whose previous music competition TV expertise comes from a Mega Mentor stint on The Voice – also had a meaningful message for K-pop singer AleXa in the series premiere, when he confirmed that her genre is his "guilty pleasure."
Jocelyn's performance was certainly heavier than Ryan Charles' "New Boot Goofin'" last week, so it should be interesting to see whether or not the Nebraska native wins enough votes to continue in the competition. Check out her American Song Contest performance of "Never Alone," in case you missed it!
Voting is open for Week 2 of American Song Contest, so viewers can help Jocelyn's chances of advancing to the next stage of competition. High praises from the co-hosts don't guarantee advancing, as was proven when Week 1's Kelsey Lamb and Alisabeth Von Presley were both cut despite supportive words from Kelly Clarkson. If you want to vote for Jocelyn, you can do so via NBC.com/ASCVote, the NBC app, and TikTok until voting closes at 7 a.m. ET on Wednesday, March 30.
New episodes of American Song Contest air on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC in the 2022 TV schedule. Only five of the 22 performers so far are guaranteed advancement: Hueston, AleXa, Michael Bolton, and Christian Pagán from the first episode, and former The Voice champ Jordan Smith from Week 2 after winning the jury vote. Tune in next week to find out if Jocelyn will join Smith in continuing on to the next stage of ASC competition!
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