'American Song Contest': Michael Bolton kicks off premiere with 'silky smooth' vocals, wows Kelly Clarkson

State pride was on the line Monday night as 11 singers repped their hometowns during the "American Song Contest" premiere.

The eight-week competition's premise is inspired by the long-running "Eurovision Song Contest," an annual singing contest that's introduced the world to music icons such as Spanish singer-songwriter Julio Iglesias, as well as Swedish pop group ABBA and pop powerhouse Celine Dion.

But instead of European countries competing for the title, 56 vocalists representing each U.S. state and territory will compete on "Song Contest," including famous singers like Jewel (representing Alaska), Michael Bolton (Connecticut) and Macy Gray (Ohio), along with lesser-known talents.

Here's what went down.

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Michael Bolton wows Kelly Clarkson: 'I felt like he was singing directly to me'

Grammy-winning singer Michael Bolton slowed things down with Connecticut charm while performing the stirring power ballad "Beautiful World."

"We’ve gotta love like we’ve never been hurt, we’ve gotta rise like we’ve never been burned," Bolton sang. "After all of the lessons we’ve learned, we’re gonna make this a beautiful world."

In a pretaped interview, Bolton visited the "iconic" Connecticut pizza shop Sally’s Apizza. "New York has the best pizza in New York, but if you’re … in downtown New Haven in Connecticut, pizza means life itself," he said.

Despite his chart-topping, multiplatinum success, Bolton said "being open to different types of music just increases your love and understanding of music."

"That voice is so silky smooth," Clarkson gushed after his performance, clutching a Michael Bolton t-shirt in her hands. "I felt like he was singing directly to me."

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The NBC reality competition got off to an upbeat start with Minnesota band Yam Haus, who went from "playing music together in the lunchrooms" to amassing nearly 9 million streams on Spotify.

"Being on this show is one of the most exciting and yet terrifying things I think we’ve ever done as a band, and it feels a little bit like make or break," lead singer Lars Pruitt said. "I’m just really grateful to be with my friends doing it."

The quartet’s energetic indie rock tune "Ready To Go" helped the show settle into a nice groove. "What a way to kick off the show," Clarkson said.

"I think that is a hit record right there," Snoop Dogg added. "I’m ready to go."

UG Skywalkin brings fire and heart to 'Song Contest' performance

Hip-hop artist UG Skywalkin, who has toured with the likes of 2 Chainz, Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J, brought fire and heart while performing his feel-good anthem "Love In My City."

A self-described "missionary kid" from Uganda, Skywalkin's family settled in Indiana because his father "needed a liver transplant."

"One thing my dad told me before he passed, he wanted to me to live the American dream," Skywalkin shared. "I know he’s looking down on me and proud of his son."

Skywalkin added that he’s "truly blessed" to represent his home state. "You get a lot of love here in Indiana. It’s real close-knit," Skywalkin said. "It’s a community that gave me a home."

Christian Pagán's Puerto Rican pride shines through

Christian Pagán brought the islandic sparkle of Puerto Rico to the "Song Contest" stage with his sensual performance of "Loko."

Pagán grew up in a mountainside house on the island and said the resilience of Puerto Rican people, especially in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017, has inspired his work ethic.

"Even though it was hard for us, the people of Puerto Rico, we are very resilient," Pagán recalled. "Growing up with that culture showed me the path to work hard and make things happen."

Other standout performances included the electrifying Oklahoma K-pop artist AleXa; the explosive girl power of Iowa singer Alisabeth Von Presley; and the soaring soulfulness of Mark Ronson collaborator and Mississippi singer Keyone Starr.

The show’s "qualifiers," which span the first five episodes, will feature 11 or 12 singers each week, with one contestant immediately advancing to the semifinals based on the vote of a national jury of music industry professionals. The remaining contestants’ fates are decided by the votes of viewers at home, which translate to actual points assigned to each contestant.

Who advanced to semifinals on 'Song Contest'?

Rhode Island singer Hueston, who gave a searing performance of his song "Held On Too Long," earned the national jury’s distinction of top song, advancing him to the show’s semifinals.

"People think (Rhode Island) is just coastlines and tennis and sailboats, but that’s not the Rhode Island that I came from," Hueston said in a taped interview ahead of his performance. "The Rhode Island I came from … was a lot rougher. Not a lot of money, there’s a lot of pain, there’s a lot of people that I grew up with who didn’t make it to be my age.

"That’s where I came from, and that’s who I’m singing to."

"American Song Contest" airs Mondays on NBC at 8 EDT/PDT.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'American Song Contest' premiere: Michael Bolton sings power ballad