Macy Gray is sharing some words of wisdom for her fellow American Song Contest competitors.
The Grammy winner is one of many award-winning singers competing for their home state on the new NBC reality series. Joined by rapper Maino—both in the competition and this interview—Macy gave some advice to her less experienced competitors in an exclusive backstage interview with E! News.
"Just write as much as you can, write as many songs as you can, 'cause the more you do it, the better you get," she said.
Given Macy's status as a longtime music-industry vet, Maino knows she has what it takes to crush the competition, saying, "She's gonna smoke ‘em! That's it!"
The "I Try" singer debuted her new single "Every Night" on March 28 while representing her home state of Ohio, an experience she was excited to be a part of.
"It's cool. Ohio's an awesome state. What's round on both sides and high in the middle? Ohio," she joked.
Performing with Macy was a "huge moment" for Maino, who was just as excited about sharing the song's "inspirational [and] motivational" message, calling it "a perfect balance for the times that we're living in."
Macy was previously nominated for five Grammys and won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2001, but claims that she is currently an "anti-Grammy girl" and won't be tuning in to the awards show on April 3.
"I don't think they're doing right by everybody," she said.
Tune in Monday nights at 8 p.m. on NBC to see where Macy and Maino's American Song Contest journey takes them!
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family)