“Thong Song” Singer Sisqó Gives Fiery Performance on American Song Contest

Sisqó, the Grammy-nominated "Thong Song" singer, performed an original track to represent Maryland on April 18's American Song Contest. See which state earned an automatic trip the semifinals!

By Daniel Trainor Apr 19, 2022 2:27 AMTags
Watch: Kelly Clarkson's Sweet Moment With American Song Contest Contestant

Sisqó took to the American Song Contest stage—with nary a thong in sight.

The Grammy-nominated "Thong Song" singer represented his home state of Maryland on the April 18 episode of the nationwide singing competition show.

Before Sisqó and 10 other new performers could take to the stage, three artists from last week earned automatic semifinal berths. Following in the footsteps of Washington's Allen Stone, who won the automatic jury vote, Massachusetts' Jared Lee, Georgia's Stela Cole and New Hampshire's MARi booked their tickets in the next round.

The results meant EDM legend The Crystal Method failed to earn a trip the semifinals, which begin April 25. 

With his two kids in the crowd, Sisqó performed his new, original song "It's Up." Flanked by dancers and a whole lotta pyro, the 43-year-old didn't look like he had missed a step while performing with his signature dragon microphone.

When it came time for the jury selection, however, it was Michigan's 17-year-old Ada LeAnn who moved directly into the semifinals. The youngest performer in the entire competition, Ada performed her song "Natalie" and credited Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish as songwriting inspirations.

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American Song Contest: Meet the Performers

Other highlights included California's Sweet Taboo, who held the top spot in the jury rankings until being toppled by Ada. The girl group performed their song "Keys to the Kingdom" and impressed with their choreography as much as their vocal abilities.

Additionally, North Carolina's John Morgan impressed the crowd—especially host Kelly Clarkson—with a performance of his song "Right in the Middle." No surprise there, since this isn't exactly John's first rodeo in country music. Most recently, he co-wrote Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood's smash "If I Didn't Love You," which was nominated for a Grammy and won the Academy of Country Music Award for Single of the Year.

Sisqó/NBC

Fans at home can cast their ballots for their favorite performances on nbc.com/ascvote, the NBC App and on TikTok. Voting closes on Wednesday morning.

See which three artists complete the semifinals line-up when American Song Contest airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

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