Samsung and Billboard have teamed up once again on the NXT project. NXT launched in 2021 and is a social media-driven music competition that is looking for great unsigned artists.
“La Princesa De Miami” Mariah Angeliq will be among three featured celebrity mentors this season and will reveal how aspiring singers can become a NXT 2.0 contender on her social account (@mariahangeliq) during the week of September 19. Angeliq just wrapped up her third European tour in two years, with upcoming music dropping on September 30.
For the second season of NXT, powered by Samsung and Billboard, unsigned artists from across the country will be invited to submit their audition video via social later this month for a chance to be selected as an official contestant. The top 12 contenders, selected by Billboard, will then compete in three challenges that will test their singing, dancing, and creativity and will be ranked weekly in an official NXT 2.0 Chart on Billboard.com. A panel of Billboard editorial experts will rank the contestants based on a formula combining judged criteria (musicality, star quality, charisma, and technical skill) as well as engagement metrics for each post (likes and shares).
For the challenges, Samsung will help the contestants bring their creativity to the next level by arming the top 12 with the latest Samsung Galaxy devices, including the new Galaxy Z Flip4 alongside Buds2 Pro and Watch5, to capture all their challenge content and journey throughout the competition. Armed with the Z Flip 4’s innovative camera features like FlexCam for hands-free recording and the connected power of Samsung Galaxy, the next music superstars of tomorrow will have the tools they need to showcase their talent and creativity.
After six weeks, the top three finalists will be determined at the conclusion of the challenges based on the cumulative weekly rankings and overall points and each will be paired with a celebrity mentor. The three mentors – Mariah Angeliq and two additional renowned artists from various music genres – will then help the finalists prepare for the Grand Finale performance in Los Angeles in front of a live audience and a panel of A-List judges. The final winner will receive life-changing prizes from Samsung and Billboard, including a special digital Billboard cover, a record label meeting facilitated by Billboard, studio time to record a single, funding for a music video, and will be among the biggest names in music at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.
“The next Billboard No. 1 artist is out there right now dreaming of their future as a star,” said Mike Van, President of Billboard. “It is an honor to partner with Samsung on this momentous search for those talents who are waiting to be discovered and play a role in launching their careers.”
“We are excited to empower content creators and artists with the capabilities of the Galaxy Z Flip4,” said Janet Lee, SVP of Mobile eXperience at Samsung Electronics America, “With its unique design , innovative camera features, paired with the power the full Galaxy ecosystem, these devices are the perfect companion for any superstar. We look forward to seeing what these aspiring musicians create and share for the new season of NXT.”
Each of the three celebrity mentors will perform at Billboard tentpole events throughout the year, kicking off with Mariah Angeliq in Billboard Latin Music Week’s En Vivo concert series on Friday, September 30 in Miami. Additional performances by the yet-to-be-announced celebrity mentors will be hosted at Billboard R&B / Hip-Hop Power Players in November and Billboard After Dark at LA3C in December.
Billboard and Samsung first launched NXT in 2021 and crowned singer-songwriter Bronze Avery as the winner after weeks of unique and exciting challenges. Avery was mentored by his pop idol, Charli XCX, before wowing the audience at the Billboard NXT finale in December 2021. Additional details about the competition and celebrity mentors is forthcoming. For more information, visit https://musicbreakr.com/bnxt.
Samsung
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