Earl's "Tongue Tied" Wins 50 States of Song 2018

It took approximately 5 months, 4 state song selections, and hundreds upon hundreds of songs played to determine a winner for the 3rd edition of 50 States of Song - but on August 6th, 2018, it was finally known who the winner was. "Tongue Tied," the Alaskan representative from Earl, claimed victory with 126 points in the Final Round, having beaten 50 other state and territorial representatives.

Kate Earl is originally from Anchorage and has been active in the music industry for over a decade, having moved to Los Angeles in 2004. This made her one of the most experienced artists taking part in the 2018 contest. Jumping between record deals, her fourth full-length album (named after the single) featured the lead single "I Love You," which represented Alaska in 50 States of Song 2017 and placed 14th. The top ten bands are not eligible to take part in the following year's contest, so because Earl was just short, she was eligible to participate again with "Tongue Tied," which was released as a single in February 2017.

"Tongue Tied" is a jazz-pop number, featuring vibrant and rhythmic electro-swing beats, is partnered with Earl's lyrical and vocal twists. Earl cites Billie Holliday, Amy Winehouse, Smokey Robinson and Adele as major influences. It was immensely different from other songs in the contest, which helped it stand out and appeal to a broader base of voters. There's an undeniable catchiness to the 'dum-ditty-dum's of the post-chorus. One could also argue that its 'uniqueness' from the generic pop sound of 2018 was a leading factor in its victory.

The 126 points was 36 more than 2nd place, thereby achieving the largest margin of victory in 50 States of Song history. The song placed in the Top 5 of the Public vote with 47 points, behind Washington state's "Fool" by The Sweeplings, which scored 54 points. Alaska received the first set of 12 points from the first Jury voter, and Earl never relinquished the lead from that point onward.

Montana scored a surprise 2nd place with "The Ballad of Lefty Brown," a somber and brooding Western-style ballad sung by Maiah Wynne. The song was the first to compete in 50SS to have been originally written for a film. It scored 90 points and led the chase for 1st for the majority of the voting.

Rounding out the top three was "Queen" by the band Flint Eastwood from Michigan, which scored 86 points. The powerful chorus, contrasted by gritty and striking imagery from lead singer Jax Anderson, fared very well with the Jury vote but floundered in the Public vote, possibly due to a challenging grouping or poor running order placement.

The rest of the Final Round scoring, as well as the semifinal results (which include the entries of all 50 states and this year's participating territory, Guam) are available at the OVSC Wikia.

With the winner now known, the 50 States of Song team took a well-deserved 'break' until October (it's when the website had to be renewed!) Will the 50SS crew be able to get all the way up to Alaska? What type of music will be featured in our fourth edition? You'll just have to find out!