Songland is an American songwriting competition series that aired on NBC from May 28, 2019, to June 15, 2020. The show, produced in cooperation with the Universal Television Alternative Studio, 222 Productions, Live Animals Productions and Dave Stewart, sets out to give undiscovered songwriters a chance to create a hit. It gives the viewers a look at the creative process in action. Contestants are selected to work with producers and a recording artist to release a song. The show tries to elevate the traditional role of the songwriter in the process of creating music from "unpleasant secret" to being the celebrated "magic ingredient". Stewart, a musician and composer formerly of Eurythmics, conceived Songland.
The show premiered in May 2019, with three producer-hosts: producer and songwriter Ester Dean; producer and OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder; and songwriter Shane McAnally. In September 2019, the series was renewed, and the second season premiered in April 2020.
According to Heavy.com, many of the first season's songs picked by the guest artists for release hit No. 1 on an iTunes chart. Songland was the top new show of summer 2019 "in the key adults 18-49 demographic and among total viewers, according to Nielsen's "most current" metric, which counts a week's worth of delayed viewing per episode where available".
Premise Each episode, producers Ryan Tedder, Ester Dean and Shane McAnally team up with songwriters to create the next big hit to be recorded by the guest performing artist. Four seemingly unknown songwriters audition songs they have written live for the producers and that episode's guest star(s). They do so in Songlands makeshift recording studio equipped with sound mixing equipment, and sometimes with live musicians and extra singers. They immediately get feedback for the song's lyrics, message, and musical construction, often with specific ways to improve the track. Reviewer Nancy Stetson commented:
From four prospective songs, three are chosen and matched up with one each of the three producers to develop a final version for approval; those re-worked songs are then sung again with one chosen as the winner. The winning track is released the same night as the episode is aired, with the viewers witnessing a song produced for consumption in roughly 45 minutes.
Production Musician and composer David A. Stewart, formerly of Eurythmics, conceived Songland. Songland attempts to rework the often thankless and grueling job of songwriting. The general public rarely notes who wrote the lyrics, or the music that catches attention, instead the credit is generally given to the singer, the typical narrative being that they're anonymous "cogs in the well-oiled pop (music) machine". A song is optioned, sometimes passed to other artists, who may wait months or years to record it, or just a hook from it, and all for the singer's own glory. The show tries to elevate the traditional role of the songwriter in the process of creating music from "unpleasant secret" to being the celebrated "magic ingredient".
The show premiered in May 2019, with three producer-hosts: producer and songwriter Ester Dean; producer and lead singer of OneRepublic Ryan Tedder; and songwriter Shane McAnally. In 2016, an entertainment lawyer advised prospective songwriters from signing the show's contract as they would be giving it the rights to their work whether chosen or not. The show responded, "We wish to be abundantly clear that by signing the casting application, songwriters do not transfer ownership of any of their original songs. This show is truly a celebration of songwriters and their craft."
Episodes Color key: Songwriter's track won, the recording is released by the musical guest Songwriter was in the top three Songwriter eliminated before final round
Season 1 (2019)
Episode 1 (May 28, 2019) Musical guest: John Legend
Order Songwriter Song Producer Result 1 Max Embers "Back Home" (retitled "Lookin' Up") Ryan Tedder Top 3 2 Tebby Burrows "We Need Love" Shane McAnally Winner 3 Sam James "Shinedown" Eliminated 4 Ollie Gabriel "Something New" Ester Dean Top 3 Notes: John Legend chose the song from Bahamian-born and Miami-based Tebby Burrows because he felt that, of the four songs, it had "the biggest journey from where it was to where it is now." "We Need Love" hit No. 1 on the iTunes R&B chart.
Episode 2 (June 4, 2019) Musical guest: will.i.am
Order Songwriter Song Producer Result 1 Josh Logan "Boxes" Shane McAnally Top 3 2 Charisma "Invincible" Ryan Tedder Top 3 3 Adam Friedman "Be Nice" Ester Dean Winner 4 Ray Goren "Oh Lord" Eliminated
Notes: will.i.am opted to record all three finalist songs; at the end of the episode he announced that he would remove three songs from Black Eyed Peas' next album Translation (2020), to add "Be Nice", as well as "Boxes" and "Invincible". He also told fourth place Ray Goren that "Oh Lord" is "a career-making song he should record for himself", and that he would be a featured singer on Goren's track. "Be Nice" hit No. 1 on the iTunes Rock Charts.
Episode 3 (June 11, 2019) Musical guest: Kelsea Ballerini
Order Songwriter Song Producer Result 1 Jack Newsome "Lying (Next to You)" Shane McAnally Top 3 2 Jess Jocoy "Easy" Eliminated 3 Daniel Feels "Crush" Ester Dean Top 3 4 Darius Coleman "Better Luck Next Time" Ryan Tedder Winner Notes: Kelsea Ballerini is the first country music artist on the show, and said that she is attracted to songs that provoke a strong reaction in her, whether that reaction is dancing or crying. She added that Darius Coleman had created a country hook whether he intended to or not. "Better Luck Next Time" charted No. 1 on the iTunes Pop Chart, and No. 2 on the iTunes Overall Charts.
Episode 4 (June 18, 2019) Musical guest: Jonas Brothers
Order Songwriter Song Producer Result 1 Able Heart "Greenlight" Ester Dean Winner 2 Remmi "Flickering" (retitled "Do You Think of Me?") Ryan Tedder Top 3 3 Ori "No Pressure" Eliminated 4 Rynn "Crowded Places" Shane McAnally Top 3 Notes: Philadelphia songwriter and beatmaker Able Heart has been a ghost-writer up until the show; he also had never sung live. The Jonas Brothers' "Greenlight" went to #1 on the U.S. iTunes sales charts, and hit No. 1 on the iTunes Overall Charts.
Episode 5 (June 25, 2019) Musical guest: Meghan Trainor
Order Songwriter Song Producer Result 1 Brandin Jay "No Money Alright" (retitled "We Got Us") Ester Dean Top 3 2 Kole "Hurt Me" Ryan Tedder Winner 3 Zachary Kale "All Over Again" Eliminated 4 Josh Wood "Alone" Shane McAnally Top 3 Notes: Trainor picked the song because of its lyrics "about the aftermath of a breakup and making sure you always rise above the drama" being empowering. "Hurt Me" is "a fun and sassy dance-pop cut" with "a hooky jam".
Episode 6 (July 2, 2019) Musical guest: Aloe Blacc
Order Songwriter Song Producer Result 1 Kyle Williams "Getting Started" Ryan Tedder Winner 2 Afika "Chosen" Eliminated 3 TVTE "Call for a Hero" Ester Dean Top 3 4 Steve Fee "Same Blood" Shane McAnally Top 3, released as a single Notes: The winning song, "Getting Started" by Kyle Williams producer Willyecho, was used for the Fast & Furious spin-off Hobbs & Shaw (August 2019) directed by David Leitch, who helped decide on the song which features rapper JID. They were looking for a “song that is motivational and inspiring with swagger”. Aloe Blacc also chose to record "Same Blood" by Steve Fee. "Chosen", the fourth-place finisher from Afika, was also released. TVTE's "Call for a Hero" was retitled "Hero" for the official version.
Episode 7 (August 14, 2019) Musical guest: Macklemore
Order Songwriter Song Producer Result 1 IRO "Shadow" Shane McAnally Winner 2 Pop Culture "City Kids" (retitled "Unforgettable") Ryan Tedder Top 3 3 Chris Jobe "It Could Have Been You" Eliminated 4 Casey Cook "Judgements" Ester Dean Top 3 Notes: Macklemore released the single "Shadow" as a collaboration with Iro, it reached No. 1 on the iTunes Hip-Hop/Rap Chart.
Episode 8 (August 21, 2019) Musical guest: Old Dominion
Order Songwriter Song Producer Result 1 Katelyn Tarver "Young" Shane McAnally Winner 2 Jacobi.e "Westside" (retitled "Where the Road Ends") Ryan Tedder Top 3 3 MACI "Take a Ride" Eliminated 4 Jake Scott "Is This Love?" (retitled "Journey") Ester Dean Top 3 Notes: The winning song "Young" is featured on Jeep commercial. Katelyn Tarver, the winning songwriter, also starred in the commercial.
Episode 9 (August 28, 2019) Musical guest: Leona Lewis
Order Songwriter Song Producer Result 1 Olivia Lane "Perfect Skin" Ester Dean Top 3 2 Rozee "Fighting For Us" (retitled "Solo Quiero (Somebody to Love)"/"All I Want") Ryan Tedder Winner 3 Rafferty "A Heart Full of Love" (retitled "When You Fall In Love") Shane McAnally Top 3 4 Annabel Lee "Ugliest Love" Eliminated
Notes: "Solo Quiero (Somebody to Love)" by Leona Lewis, Cali y El Dandee and Juan Magán reached No. 1 on the iTunes Latino chart. The song has also peaked at number one on several US Billboard Latin charts, including the Latin Digital Song Sales.
Episode 10 (September 4, 2019) Musical guest: Charlie Puth
Order Songwriter Song Producer Result 1 Sam DeRosa "Pill for This" Shane McAnally Top 3 2 Zach Sorgen "Habits" (retitled "Bad Habit") Ryan Tedder Winner 3 Paris Williams "Pity Party" Eliminated 4 Joel Adams "Hate Love" Ester Dean Top 3 Notes: Even though Charlie Puth picked Zach Sorgen's song "Bad Habit", he did not release a version instead opting to give the song back to Sorgen to release himself.
Episode 11 (September 11, 2019) Musical guest: OneRepublic
With Tedder serving as the musical guest, Jason Evigan served as a guest producer.
Order Songwriter Song Producer Result 1 JT Roach "Somebody to Love" Shane McAnally Winner 2 Madi "Darkest Days" Ester Dean Top 3 3 Tyler James Bellinger "Giving You Up" Eliminated 4 Brigetta "Be Somebody" Jason Evigan Top 3 Notes: OneRepublic's "Somebody to Love" went to #1 on the U.S. iTunes sales charts, two days after the official release. The song was included on the group's album Human (2021), as the promotional single.
Winning Producers (Season 1)
Producer WinsShane McAnally4Ester Dean2Ryan Tedder5
Season 2 (2020) Episode 1 (April 13, 2020) Musical guest: Lady Antebellum
Order Songwriter Song Producer Result 1 Tim Halperin "Losing You" Ryan Tedder Top 3 2 Steven Battey "Feels Good to Me" Eliminated 3 Madeline Merlo "I’ll Drink to That" (retitled "Champagne Night") Shane McAnally Winner 4 Ryan Innes "Long Way Home" Ester Dean Top 3 Notes: "Champagne Night" hit the number one spot on the US iTunes sales chart, and remained in the top ten the following week. "Long Way Home", written by Ryan Innes, was later chosen as an original song for The Voice winner Todd Tilghman during the season 18 finale, with Shane McAnally and Ester Dean co-producing. The song also reached the number one spot on the US iTunes sales chart upon its release. "Long Way Home" eventually became Tilghman's coronation song following his victory the day after its release.
Episode 2 (April 20, 2020) Musical guest: Luis Fonsi
Order Songwriter Song Producer Result 1 Dyson "Conditions" (retitled "Lost in Translation") Shane McAnally Top 3 2 Pipobeats "Sway" Ryan Tedder Winner 3 Lauren Martinez "I Don't Want to Know" Ester Dean Top 3 4 Corii "What If" Eliminated Notes: “Sway” hit the number one spot on the US iTunes sales chart. Season 1 contestant IRO returned to provide vocals on Dyson's "Lost In Translation" for the final presentation phase. Luis Fonsi became the first Puerto Rico singer-songwriter on the show.
Episode 3 (April 27, 2020) Musical guest: H.E.R.
Order Songwriter Song Producer Result 1 Axel Mansoor "Scary" Ester Dean Top 3 2 Milly "Safe Place" Eliminated 3 Jocelyn Alice "How Could You Not Know?" Shane McAnally Top 3 4 Raquel Castro "Wrong Places" Ryan Tedder Winner
Episode 4 (May 4, 2020) Musical guest: Martina McBride