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his sound is still quite good, maybe song wise bit generic here and there but he sells it very well






composers: Michael Bolton, Justin Jesso

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Beautiful World survived its quarter final last week, qualified into the next round

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Michael at least living up to his big name status


Macy Gray on the other hand

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how Beautiful World was created

You’d think that after nearly 55 years of recording, Michael Bolton would be a judge rather than a contestant on music TV reality show.

But Bolton is, in fact, competing as part NBC’s “American Song Contest,” a show based on the popular Eurovision Song Contest. He’s representing his native Connecticut with a new tune, “Beautiful World,” and has advanced to the finals, taking place at 8 p.m. on Monday, May 9.

He’s in it to win it, but Bolton says that he won’t be crying if he doesn’t.

“I think that the motivation is different for each artist,” Bolton (nee Bolotin), 69, says by phone, “but of course there’s a lot more to gain for the unknown artists who are getting this opportunity. I can’t worry about winning or not winning on the show. It just doesn’t feel like a race for me to win. It feels like another opportunity to introduce the brand of what you are, who you are, musically, to people.”

The Bolton “brand” has certainly made a substantial mark. He’s sold 75 million records worldwide and won two Grammy Awards. Six of his albums have been certified multi-platinum and Bolton has notched 18 Top 10 Adult Contemporary singles, eight of which have hit No. 1. He’s also written hits for Laura Branigan and Cher and has made guest appearances with Kenny G, Kid Cudi and the Lonely Island -- most famously on the latter’s 2011 “Pirates of the Caribbean” parody “Jack Sparrow.”

Bolton has also developed and directed films and TV shows, including “Good Advice,” “The Other Side of the Tracks” and “American Dream: Detroit.”

Success aside, however, Bolton is happy to be among the aspirants taking part in “American Song Contest.” “The upside is it’s reminded me of everything I love about music and everything that excites me about touring, writing, producing -- all of it,” he explains. “It takes me back in time to where I see myself in a lot of these aspiring artists. I’ve had friends for years who have been involved in Eurovision, so this feels full circle again -- remembering the first hit, remember the feeling that you get when a song starts getting traction.

“I’ve already seen a tremendous amount of exposure for the song, and I’ve felt a tremendous amount of excitement and appreciation for me being at the event. It feels good to be a part of it.”

Bolton met “Beautiful World” co-writer Justin Jesso some 15 years ago, when Jesso -- then a youngster -- and his family interrupted Bolton and his girlfriend while dining at a restaurant in Brentwood. “He basically told me he was spending all this time focusing on having a career in the music business,” Bolton remembers, “and I started to give him some advice based upon what he was telling me. Fortunately, I didn’t say, ‘I’d love to speak with you but I’m having dinner right now...’” Flash forward and Bolton’s manager had set up some songwriting sessions for Bolton with younger artists, one of whom happened to be Jesso.

The two began writing “Beautiful World” during the early pandemic lockdown, working on it via telephone and computer. “I’ve been told by a lot of people it’s great, and I think it’s great,” says Bolton, who co-produced the track with Jochem van der Saag. “In the studio I could hear (Jesso) singing, and it reminded me of myself so many years ago.”

In addition to “American Song Contest,” “Beautiful World” is also targeted for a new album Bolton is recording -- his first since 2019 and first of original material since 2009′s “One World One Love.” He’s hoping to have it out this fall, and Bolton is also eyeballing several possible TV and film ideas that will require some juggling to accomplish.

“The next thing I know is there’s another seven or eight projects on the table, on my plate, that could start overlapping -- at which point I’ll have to have my head examined,” he says with a laugh. “I’m asking for all this, so I’m not complaining when I say there’s a lot going on. It’s great to collaborate with really creative people, and it’s great that I have this freedom to have this kind of permission to have fun. I’d rather be too busy than bored.”

so we're getting a complete new album from this legend, the song was composed and produced during pandemic lockdown

https://www.cleveland.com/entertainm...g-contest.html
older article now but still a nice read, good to see a superstar like him not feeling too big for these competitions and good to see him still being ambitious to bring out new albums