Authors/Film & TV Becoming A Popstar

Published on March 14th, 2022 | by Dr. Jerry Doby

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MTV, Pepsi and TikTok Introduce Cast for New Series ‘Becoming A Popstar’

MTV, Pepsi, and TikTok introduce the eight artists set to compete in the recently announced, first-of-its-kind music competition series, “Becoming A Popstar,” premiering Thursday, March 24 at 10 PM ET/PT on MTV. Produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment and Velocity, Paramount’s in-house creative content studio for the company’s leading portfolio of brands; “Becoming A Popstar” brings together eight up-and-coming artists originally discovered on TikTok giving them the opportunity to showcase their talents to a panel of superstar judges, Joe Jonas, Becky G, and Sean Bankhead. One lucky winner will walk away a popstar with their very own Pepsi commercial set to premiere during the MTV VMAs. In addition, Pepsi will provide funding and resources to help take the winner’s career ambitions to the next level.

The eight contestants include: 

  • Alexi Blue, Woodland Hills, CA | TikTok: @alexibluemusic
    Alexi  received her first guitar at 10-years-old and started writing original music. She began posting her music online at age 13 and does everything from writing, recording and creating her own music videos. She released her first EP at 16-years-old and has since released 3 more EPs and countless singles. Lexi currently has 150K TikTok followers and is constantly posting videos related to her music, and has also performed as opening act for Shawn Mendes in 2016.
  • Amira Daugherty (Amira Unplugged),  Stone Mountain, GA | TikTok: @amiraunplugged

A third generation African-American and Muslim woman, Amira spent her formative years listening to music with her father an avid songwriter. She discovered her own love for songwriting and eventually joined a band, credited for  launching her on a musical path. She quickly gained popularity on TikTok since joining in 2020 and has since earned close to 100K followers and 1.2M views.

  • Bryan Vaulx Jr., Charlotte, NY | TikTok: @brianvaulxjr

Bryan comes from a musical family with parents who are both singers and was encouraged to join the church choir at an early age. He continued singing through high school and college, but it wasn’t until he moved to New York City that he decided to pursue it as a career.  Brian posts singing content to TikTok regularly where he has nearly 30K followers. He mostly enjoys posting videos of himself harmonizing with other singers, as well as showing off his original music.

  • Kyle Morris (KB), St. Louis, MO | TikTok: @KBthesinger

Kyle is the son of two musicians, and  first became interested in singing through joining the youth choir at church, where he discovered his unrelenting passion for music. He’s performed as opening acts for rap stars, “The Ying Yang Twins” among other artists. Kyle has 36.5K followers on TikTok from posting covers, mash-up challenges, and original songs.

  • Lexie Hayden, Herndon, TN | TikTok: @lexiehaydenmusic
    Lexie grew up in a country music family, and has been sharing her music online since she was 13-years-old. Within a couple years, she released her debut EP at 16-years-old and shortly after relocated to Nashville, TN. She currently has 62K followers on TikTok,  garnering thousands of views of her music content and has been dropping projects on streaming platforms since 2013. Four of her songs have even appeared on national radio. Lexie has also opened for country artist, Phil Vassar.
  • Lynnea Moorer (Lynnea M),  Monterey, CA | TikTok: @lynnea.m
    Lynnea sang her first solo while at boarding school, after friends would encourage her to perform at open mic events, which is when she knew she wanted to pursue music. Her sister encouraged her to start posting on TikTok, in order to gain awareness of her talent. Lynnea’s original song “Let Go” quickly went viral, gaining massive views in just a short time. Lynnea has also performed with Kelly Clarkson at a concert in Fresno, CA.
  • Rachel Grae, Livingston, NJ | TikTok: @rachelgrae
    Rachel writes all her own material, which is based on her life experiences and the struggles she has been through – from body positivity to bullying, mental health and everything in between. She loves to connect with her followers and wants nothing more than to help people through her music.
  • Samy Hawk,  Caracas, Venezuela | TikTok: @samyhawk
    Samy began singing and dancing at an early age and was already writing songs by the time he was 9-years-old.  Hip-hop/Rap and Soul were always his favorite genres with performers with icons like Michael Jackson and James Brown serving as his inspirations.  He quickly built a name for himself in Venezuela, with his music gaining radio airtime and several national tours under his belt, he moved to the US in 2014. Samy has opened for Daddy Yankee, Rick Ross and Flo-Rida, among other artists. He created his TikTok account in 2020 – and has amassed 120K followers and counting. TikTok users flock to his profile to see him rap, as well as watch his energetic dance skills.

Becoming A Popstar

How the Series Works

Each week, contestants will create original themed songs and accompanying one-minute music videos on air, that will first be available on TikTok, and will showcase the creative ways artists and fans can authentically express themselves and engage on the platform. Inspired by the innovative features and collaborative nature of the TikTok community, episode themes like ‘The Duets’, where contestants will be paired off to create an original song and visual performance, showcase the influence and impact the platform has had on culture and the music industry at large. Contestants will be critiqued by the celebrity judges, with eliminations occurring each week until two final artists are chosen to battle it out in a finale special determining who ultimately has what it takes to become a popstar and join the Pepsi music legacy.

How Fans Can Get Involved
After each episode of “Becoming a Popstar” airs on MTV, fans at home can get in on the action through an innovative second screen experience, allowing them to vote by searching #MTVPopstar on TikTok for their favorite artist videos of the week on a dedicated voting page. Voting opens immediately following the episode and stays open until 48 hours before the next episode premieres. The winning artist each week will score a cash prize from Pepsi on top of the eventual grand prize. Winners of the previous week will be announced during a live pre-show on @MTV on TikTok that will include exclusive content and opportunities for fans to connect and engage with judges and talent.

For more “Becoming a Popstar,” follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and join the conversation using #MTVPopstar.

 

Production Credits

Bruce Gilmer is executive producer for MTV in partnership with Paramount’s Velocity. Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Madison Merritt are executive producers for Jesse Collins Entertainment. Neal Konstantini is showrunner and executive producer.



About the Author

Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.


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