50SS 2018 Host Entry: California

There hasn't been much fanfare about the host city of the contest, but the 50SS crew will be heading to San Diego in early to mid-July to film clips for the Finals. California, as you know, is *the* United State capitol of music, and perhaps, the world. If you want to make an international impact, many artists find their way in the City of Angels. That being said, there's one last song we've been waiting to hear who chased that dream ... and that is the Californian entry! We plan on making it a yearly tradition to announce the host state's entry last, at or after the Semifinal results are announced.

About 4-5 songs were shortlisted for The Golden State, and from this list we chose the singer TRACE - the name of the song is "You Don't Know Me," and she will defend the title for 2018.

Do we know her? Well, not really. But if you're up to snuff on your internationally-tied underground musician trivia, TRACE comes from a musically rich family - her mother, Carol Kim, was a famous singer in Vietnam. She sang for American soldiers during the war, and moved to a safer America in 1975. The sound of her music could be described as electronic indie pop - nothing new - but you'll also note a relaxed but indignant tone in her voice; something that makes her unique. In a 2017 interview she noted how she surprised her mother by writing her own music. Singer-songwriters are a cornerstone of 50 States of Song!

The accompanying music video is a bit peculiar - the camera shifts back and forth over the same quarter or half-second segment while she sings, poses, and ... dances? Let it be known that she lets the lyrical content of the song shine, and the video component is a side-mission.

What do you think? Can TRACE bring us to California again in 2019? Let us know in the comments - for now, enjoy the song, and we'll open Finals voting by week's end!

-50SS

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