50SS 2019 Entries: South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Nevada

Hi there! So much for getting a blog post out "tomorrow", as previously promised. Eurovision season is in full swing, so deadlines may once again get pushed out. But don't fret; after today there's only four more states in Semifinal 1 to be announced.

Until then, here's what we're ready to share with you today!

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South Carolina Small Talks - "Quiet Sounds"

The lead singer, Cayley Spivey, grew up in Myrtle Beach, which is on the Atlantic shore of the Southern U.S. state. It's a very beautiful tourist destination, and while we'd like to say it was the inspiration for the content or lyrics, what's more accurate is the scene allowed growth and support for her as an artist. She signed her first record deal in 2017 and says her band was "created to give a voice to the intangible experiences and emotions that come with the simple act of being human." --------- Pennsylvania Nevada Color - "Outsiders"

This soft rock band from Pittsburgh released their first album in 2013 and plays shows around the northeast and Midwestern United States. Their latest album, "Rosewater," dropped in November 2018, from which this song derives. They were voted the Reader's Choice band in Pittsburgh's City Paper in 2017 and have risen from that success ever since. Thank you to Cassie for this awesome suggestion :) --------- Ohio Spencer Sutherland - "Tell Me"

There were several strong songs that we wanted to send, but since two contributors independently suggested two different Spencer Sutherland songs, it became a battle of 'which one'. To decide this, we did a "mathematical calculation" to find which song was "liked" more by YouTube users, and "Tell Me" came out on top! If you don't know, Sutherland is known internationally from his participation on The X Factor UK, making it to the live shows before being the first eliminated. Maybe he'll have better luck on #50SS?

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Nevada Angel Groove - "Patterns"

Despite being a huge tourist destination and launchpad for entertainment, Las Vegas is not well-known for original music. The three guys that comprise Angel Groove came together from two different bands to formulate sounds of ’80s and ’90s R&B to synth-pop and classic rock. It's spacey, it's futuristic yet retro, but the low-key vocals are very much 2019. The song is about 'reminiscing about summer love'.

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Do you think any of these songs have the potential to win the contest this year? Which of these four is your overall favorite? Let us know in the comment section below!