My Kind of Country (2023): Season 1, Episode 8 - Finale Part II - full transcript

Are you wondering how healthy the food you are eating is? Check it - foodval.com
---
[audience cheering]

[announcer]
Ladies and gentlemen, My Kind of Country.

Ultimately, there will be one person,

who wins a life-changing prize
from Apple Music.

Amazing.

Mickey, Orville and I,
we're looking for a winner.

An artist who checks all the boxes

and has everything it takes
to be the next country music star.

I'm really looking for an artist

that doesn't fit
the traditional country mold.

It's important for us to see country music
in all its forms.



[Peck]
What I'm looking for in the winner is,

someone that has evolved themselves
not only as an artist, but as a person,

and to know whether they're ready to take
their career passionately, fearlessly.

This is their opportunity to show us
who they are in this final showcase.

[Allen] I'm looking forward to see
who's gonna step up.

I love people that are forged in the fire.

That's when greatness happens, man.
It's all or nothing right now.

[audience cheering]

[Dhruv] Check, check, check. One, two.
Yeah, that's good.

I have lived

a lot of my life feeling regretful
of the things I haven't done.

And it took me getting pulled out
of four walls to spark my journey.

[Dhruv]
I am a solo percussive acoustic guitarist,

or a "SPAG" for short.



When it comes to recording the music,
writing it and then releasing the music,

it's just always been in
the confines of my bedroom.

- This is very different from my bedroom.
- Oh, man... [laughs]

Up first, we have Dhruv.
Uh, Dhruv is from India.

He's honestly one of the best
guitar players I've ever seen.

[Guyton] Wow.

♪ I fell into a burning ring of fire... ♪

[Guyton] His voice was velvety.

It's a style I've never really
actually kind of heard before.

♪ Where I sit here alone
And think of losing you ♪

I've always thought of myself as
a guitarist who sings

and not the other way around.

He lacks self-confidence.

But when he's up there singing,
Dhruv has a thing, y'all.

♪ Let me lie in the sun ♪

- Yes!
- ♪ Let me lie in the sun ♪

You have this incredible ability to make
everybody feel so at ease.

It comes from a place of nervousness.

♪ Your tippy toes ♪

[Peck] I don't know what you're up to
on that guitar, dude.

- It's like... [chuckling] It's so wild.
- Like, what on Earth? What in tarnation?

I still don't believe I'm here,

but I have dreams of having my name
in bright lights in Nashville.

I'm terrified. This opportunity feels like
it's once in a lifetime.

- [tapping]
- [strumming]

[laughs]

- Love you, brother.
- Thank you, my man.

Uh, one thing I want you to
concentrate on specifically

- for "Madeline" is that pitch.
- Yeah. Thank you.

Concentrate on that.
You don't overshoot it.

- Just take a breath.
- Yeah.

Come on, let's take a breath together.
Take a breath.

[both breathing deeply]

Sit in it. You're all good.

- Yeah. Yeah.
- All right. Congratulations, man.

- Have a great time out there. Good stuff.
- Thank you, man.

[Dhruv]
Here I am, halfway across the world,

my future just beyond the horizon.

[Allen] Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to the stage Dhruv Visvanath.

[cheering]

[Dhruv] All I have to do
is continue to walk forward,

put on a good show and believe in myself,
that I can do this.

Whoo!

- [Peck] Yeah! Come on!
- Hey, guys.

[Allen] Look at him go. Look at him.

My name is Dhruv Visvanath.
I'm from New Delhi, India.

And, uh, my goal for tonight
was to look prettier than Jimmie,

- and I think I won.
- [laughs]

[Dhruv] So, thank you.

I have, over the last five or six weeks

through this journey
of My Kind of Country,

really battled with who I am as a person
in terms of my confidence,

in terms of how I present myself.

So, today,
I decided to dress like a genie almost,

and I'm gonna play a song
that makes me feel confident.

And this is "Style" by Taylor Swift.
Have a wonderful evening.

- Yeah!
- Whoo!

Yo, the way he plays his guitar.

- I know. He's crazy.
- For real?

♪ Midnight ♪

♪ You come and pick me up, no headlights ♪

♪ Long drive ♪

♪ Could end in
Burning flames or paradise ♪

♪ Fade into view, ooh ♪

♪ And it's been a while since
I have even heard from you ♪

♪ Heard from you ♪

♪ I should just tell you
To leave 'cause I ♪

♪ I know exactly where it leads but I
I go around and 'round each time ♪

♪ You got that James Dean
Daydream look in your eyes ♪

♪ And I got that red lip
Classic thing that you like ♪

♪ And when we go crashing down
We come back every time ♪

♪ 'Cause we never go out of style
'Cause we never go out of style ♪

♪ You got that long hair
Slicked back, white T-shirt ♪

♪ And I got that good girl faith
And a tight little skirt ♪

♪ And when we go crashing down
We come back every time ♪

♪ 'Cause we never go out of style
'Cause we never go out of style ♪

♪ So take me home ♪

[shouts]

- ♪ And take me home ♪
- ♪ Take me home ♪

♪ And take me home ♪

♪ Take me home, take me home ♪

- [song ends]
- [cheering, applauding]

Thank you, guys.

- Thank you.
- Ah, he's so good.

- Damn.
- I loved that.

- I forgot that was a Taylor song.
- Fully.

Right. It's like you didn't even know.

- And that backbeat.
- Right.

I think because he always
incorporates his...

- His own style.
- Yeah, it's always, like, a Dhruv song.

This next song I'm gonna play, um,
I had written for my father.

I lost him when I was 16 years old.
He passed away.

And, uh, I always thought of myself
as a songwriter who writes letters to him.

And funnily enough, when I was a kid,

I had a next-door neighbor
whose name was Madeline.

It just reminded me
of all these moments of how we grew up.

So this song is just a small letter
from this Dhruv to this Dhruv.

And this is "Dear Madeline."

[applauding, whistling]

♪ Do you wander close
Or far sometimes? ♪

♪ Will you hold me close?
Dear Madeline ♪

♪ And how does this go deep?
Do we fall in line? ♪

♪ And on the day we meet
Dear Madeline ♪

♪ And won't you follow me
Like you were mine? ♪

♪ With every day that passes
Along the haze ♪

♪ Isn't it natural? ♪

♪ And hardly waiting for answers
Beyond my age ♪

♪ Isn't it natural?
And isn't it natural? ♪

♪ Sail away
Sail away, little child ♪

♪ I'm awake ♪

♪ When your dreams turn you down
Have no fear ♪

♪ Like I said when you dream
I'm awake ♪

♪ I'm awake ♪

♪ It's complicated
Nobody waited ♪

♪ Where were you taken?
Dear Madeline ♪

♪ No one's spoken
I wish you were broken ♪

♪ Left without aching
Dear Madeline, dear Madeline ♪

♪ Dear Madeline, dear Madeline ♪

♪ Dear Madeline ♪

[cheering, applauding]

Thank you, guys.

Good job.

[Guyton] Yes, Dhruv.

- His guitar playing is, like, crazy.
- Insane. Insane.

You're starting to hear a thing.
Like how different artists,

when they play a song...

He's got a sound of his own,
which is so hard these days.

And the confidence
and the way he talks to people.

- Yeah.
- Exactly.

That's what I feel, like,
really separates him

is his ability to engage the audience.

But kind of like "Dave Matthews-y" too.
A little bit.

- Mm-hmm.
- Oh, yes.

His guitar playing is literally
the most insane thing I've ever seen.

With Dhruv,
I feel like I'm already just, like...

- At a show.
- ...at a show where I'm watching

- like a professional Dhruv show.
- Absolutely.

I took every experience
that I had being on this show,

of trying to be on stage and be more
confident, and everything was just like...

[sighs] It was everything.

Now a different kind of
an anxiety awaits, I suppose. [chuckles]

I love how atmospheric
everything he performs is.

There's like a cool, like, ambience.

- Almost cinematic or something. Yeah.
- Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

[crew member] That feel good?

- Hi.
- [chuckles]

- Right there. Yeah, mm-hmm.
- Mmm. Okay.

- Hey.
- How you doing?

[chuckles] Yeah, nice to see you too.

You too.
You're a lot taller than I thought.

[both laughing]

[Allen] Up next, we have Ale.
Ale's from Mexico.

She has a very unique voice
and I like it a lot.

[Ale] As a Latin artist,
being here is a huge opportunity.

I'm pretty excited.

I've never been to the US before, so...

- No?
- Yeah.

[Ale] I grew up listening to George Strait
and Alan Jackson with my stepfather.

That was, like, my first contact with,
uh, country music.

♪ Hold on to me as we go ♪

That is awesome.
Your pitch is, like, so spot on.

You sound like you've been playing
all your life.

I love that country music,
it's about being yourself.

♪ To watch your broken dreams
Dance in and out of the beams ♪

♪ Of a neon moon ♪

[audience cheering]

That is one of my all-time
favorite country songs.

And, honestly, y'all made it so your own.
That was insane.

I'm actually dying
to see her sing in Spanish,

'cause I feel like we're gonna get
a whole other thing. You know what I mean?

♪ Needle and the thread ♪

[singing in Spanish]

♪ Needle and the thread ♪

[singing in Spanish]

♪ You watch me ♪

[Allen] You could see the change
when she started singing in Spanish.

It was the first time that I just felt
like that, like being myself completely.

[singing in Spanish]

- This is the most relaxed I've seen you.
- Yeah.

You know what I mean?
I've heard you sound good before,

but I felt like I got to see you
today for the first time.

I still not believe that
I could make it to this far.

[Blackstone] You feeling good?
I'm so excited for you.

One of the things that I love about what's
happening is you're singing in Spanish.

In Spanish.

Don't worry about the language barrier.
We feel that when you sing it, you know?

And I like when you raise up
and go to that high note,

but really sink into the foundation
of what that note is, and then we got it.

- All right? Have a great performance.
- Right.

- So excited. Go ahead.
- Thank you.

[Allen] Ladies and gentlemen, welcome
to the stage the amazing Ale Aguirre.

[cheering, applauding]

[Ale] Oh, my God.

This performance, it's my last opportunity
to change the rest of my life.

Hi. [chuckles]

- Yeah!
- That outfit.

- It's so good.
- Yeah. That's a good move.

Yes, Ale!

Oh, my God. She's so cute.

Hi, everyone. I'm so glad to being here.

I'm Ale Aguirre.
I'm from Chihuahua, Mexico.

It's been a long journey.

It's my first time in the States,

and I'm so grateful for sharing
what I love to do the most.

And the first song that I'm gonna play,
it's called "Hacia Ningún Lugar."

In English it's "To Nowhere."

It's just a song that I wrote when I was,
like, lost,

and I didn't know what I wanna do.

And it talks about "just do your thing."
So, I hope you enjoy this.

[audience member] Whoo!

- Aw. I love that.
- [Hagood] I love that.

[singing in Spanish]

[singing in Spanish]

She's nailing it.

- She's great.
- Yeah.

[singing continues]

- Everyone.
- [snapping]

[snapping]

- [cheering, applauding]
- [Ale chuckles]

[laughs] Thank you.

[Ale] Y'all are so nice. [laughs]

Her energy, her look, her aesthetics.
And her voice is so good.

It sound like she's singing
through Auto-Tune.

- That's how good her voice is.
- It's cra... Her voice is so crazy.

The next song,
it's called "The Only Exception".

It's a cover by Paramore,
and it's one of my favorite songs,

even when I didn't know what
it really means by, like, the lyrics.

[audience laughing]

Then I realized what it...
it trying to say,

and I was so shocked by the lyrics,

because it's one of that things
that I can, like, write.

You know, it's like my kind of country.
Yeah. [laughs]

[audience cheering, laughing]

- Oh, this is gonna be good.
- Yeah.

♪ When I was younger ♪

♪ I saw my daddy cry ♪

♪ And curse at the wind ♪

Mmm.

♪ He broke his own heart and I watched ♪

♪ As he tried to reassemble it ♪

♪ And my momma swore ♪

♪ That she would
Never let herself forget ♪

♪ And that was the day that I promised ♪

♪ I'd never sing of love
If it does not exist ♪

♪ But darling ♪

♪ You are the only exception ♪

♪ Oh, you are the only exception ♪

♪ You are the only exception ♪

- ♪ Oh, you are ♪
- ♪ The only exception ♪

- Yeah!
- Yes, Ale!

♪ I've got a tight grip on reality ♪

♪ But I can't ♪

♪ Let go
Of what's in front of me here ♪

♪ I know you're leaving in the morning
When you wake up ♪

♪ Leave me with some kind of proof
It's not a dream ♪

♪ Whoa, whoa ♪

- [cheering]
- Ooh!

♪ You are the only exception ♪

- ♪ You are the only ♪
- [singers] ♪ Exception ♪

♪ And I'm on my way to believing ♪

[cheering]

[chuckles]

- Thank you so much.
- Yes! Ale!

Mickey, Orville, Jimmie...
[exhales sharply] ...thank you.

- [Guyton] Yes!
- Aw, she's so cute.

- [Hagood] She's adorable.
- Man. And, uh, I will say... [stammers]

...she kinda lost me when
she went to the higher range.

It was more powerful
when she stayed down there,

and... Like, it was, like, more unique.
You know what I mean?

[cheering continues]

We've been waiting for that
this whole show.

- Great to see that. Wow.
- We knew she had it in her.

When she pulled the mic out of the stand,

- I was like, "Here we go."
- There she is.

When she walked to that side,
then she went to that side...

She, like, worked the room.

- Oh, she was like...
- She's a badass like me.

- I'm jealous. [chuckles]
- She is.

[Ale] Oh, my God.

All that energy that was, like, running
through all my body was came out.

It was a lot of pressure,
but I'm relieved right now.

I was, like, more confident about
what I'm... was trying to do.

You never know what to expect,
but for now, I'm glad.

I'ma be in the trailer while y'all
make a decision.

- You make this decision.
- I'm recusing myself.

- Recuse. [laughs]
- Recusing yours... [laughs]

[Peck] Next up, we have Micaela.

So come straight this way.

We gotta make sure... You can bump
any of those guys out of that chair.

Thank you. [chuckles]

Not a lot of people make it
out of South Africa

and into the international sphere.

I've been working really,
really hard to make this happen,

and now it's finally happening
and I'm just, like... My mind is blown.

♪ When I see you walking down the street ♪

[Micaela] I learnt how to play guitar
when I was 13 years old.

And I was one of those kids
that watched all the singing shows

so that I could steal tips from everyone.
[laughs]

First up is actually
one of my South African artists.

She is so cool.
She's from Cape Town. Her name is Micaela.

Come on, Micaela.

- Micaela, come on in.
- [Guyton] Whoo!

[Micaela] I wanna be a singer so bad,

but I'll probably not become
a singer because of the way that I look.

'Cause I didn't fit that mold.

♪ Picture perfect memories
Scattered all around the floor ♪

This journey, it's been a roller coaster
in the best way.

♪ I just need you now ♪

Like, I came here to sing. [laughs]

♪ No, you didn't have to stoop so low ♪

[Peck]
She really struggles with confidence.

She was, like, really badly bullied
and, you know, like,

a lot of her songwriting and music is
channeling that hurt.

♪ If you're gonna tell them everything ♪

It's been a big learning opportunity.
Like, I've... I've learned so much.

I've dealt with a lot of loss in my life.

And I'm still dealing with.

You don't need to shrink.
You need to own your space.

♪ Tell 'em I'm a good kisser, ooh ♪

[Guyton]
Micaela, I know you went through a lot

- in that workshop...
- Yeah. [chuckles]

...but it all came through.

♪ Butterfly... ♪

If other people believe
that I deserve to be here...

♪ Kind of felt like Eden ♪

...then I should probably
believe in myself too. So, yeah.

- Hey.
- You ready?

- Yeah. I'm ready.
- We are here.

Listen, I'm so excited for you.
I'm so proud.

- Thank you.
- So a couple things to remember.

Coming out of that bridge on
"If I Die Young," I want that note long.

You know what I mean?
[sings] "If I die young."

Give me that right there,
the way we practiced.

And then on "Stupid Love," just have fun.
That's your song.

- Okay. [laughs]
- They're gonna love it.

Give the scouts everything
that you do, all right?

- We want you. We want Micaela.
- Aw. I will.

- Great job. Best of luck. Go ahead.
- Yeah. Okay. Cool, thank you. [sighs]

[Micaela] I'm about to go onstage.

I think about my brother.

Like, whatever comes out, comes out.

But this is, like I need to get this right
'cause that's the moment.

[Peck] Everybody make some noise
for Micaela Kleinsmith.

[cheering, applauding]

Oh, my gosh.

Hello, hello, hello. [chuckles] Um.

I am Micaela Kleinsmith.
I'm from Cape Town, South Africa.

And yeah,
this journey has been a lot. [chuckles]

It's been fun.
It's been a learning journey.

I came here to learn a lot,
and that I did indeed.

But I-I've done a lot of,
like, self-reflection also.

I didn't really expect to speak about

a lot of the things that I ended up
speaking about.

Um, I think that it... that type
of vulnerability definitely helps

with doing a song that I'm about to do,

which is "If I Die Young,"

- by The Band Perry.
- I might cry.

'Cause I feel like it's something
I could have written

because it's so personal.

Um, and it kinda connects
to my experience with loss in life.

So, yeah. Hope you guys enjoy it.
Here goes.

- [audience cheering]
- [Micaela chuckles]

Why am I getting emotional?

- [Peck] I'ma... I'll be...
- I can't even help it.

♪ If I die young, bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses ♪

♪ Sink me in the river at dawn ♪

♪ Send me away with the words
Of a love song ♪

Oh, my God. I might cry.

♪ Oh, oh-oh ♪

♪ Lord make me a rainbow
I'll shine down on my mother ♪

♪ She'll know I'm safe with you
When she stands under my colors, oh ♪

♪ And life ain't always what you think
It ought to be, no ♪

♪ Ain't even gray
But she buries her baby ♪

♪ The sharp knife of a short life ♪

Yes.

♪ Oh, well, I've had just enough time ♪

♪ If I die young, bury me in satin ♪

♪ Lay me down on a bed of roses ♪

♪ Sink me in the river at dawn ♪

♪ Send me away with the words
Of a love song ♪

♪ The sharp knife of a short life ♪

♪ Oh, well
I've had just enough time ♪

♪ A penny for my thoughts, oh, no
I'll sell 'em for a dollar ♪

♪ They're worth so much more
After I'm a goner ♪

♪ And maybe then you'll hear
The words I been singin' ♪

♪ It's funny when you're dead
How people start listenin' ♪

- ♪ If I die young, yeah, yeah ♪
- [backup singers] ♪ Bury me in satin ♪

- ♪ Lay me down on a bed of roses ♪
- ♪ Bed of roses ♪

♪ Sink me in the river at dawn ♪

♪ Send me away with the words
Of a love song ♪

♪ I've had just enough time ♪

- Whoo!
- [audience cheering]

♪ So put on your best, boys
And I'll wear my pearls ♪

- Wow. Wow! Wow.
- [audience cheering, applause]

Her voice is really pretty.

- [Guyton] Whoo!
- [Peck] Oh, my God!

[Guyton] Oh, my God! [shouts]

[Allen] Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Yeah, Micaela!

- [Allen] Yes!
- [Guyton] Whoo!

- Micaela!
- [Allen] Yeah!

[laughs] That was so good!

- [Peck] That was insane.
- That was insane.

And just seeing the, like...

She... She understood the assignment.

- [stammers] Period.
- That's a drink.

I loved seeing her take the mic out
at that last...

- When she put it down...
- It was so pro.

- ...she left her heart on that stage.
- Oh, God.

- I like her voice a lot.
- I like her voice too.

So this next song, um, is gonna be an
original of mine I wrote a few years ago.

It's about the type of love that's,
like, instantaneous,

but it's silly at the same time.
It makes you wanna write silly love songs.

So, um, yeah. It's a corny
little love song, so I hope you enjoy it.

- Here we go.
- [audience member whistles]

- Yeah. [chuckles]
- [audience cheering]

♪ Your eyes, your smile ♪

♪ Makes my heart skip a beat
Just for a while ♪

♪ For a while
For a while ♪

♪ When I see you walking down the street ♪

♪ I'm hoping you'd stare
Right back at me ♪

♪ That's when I, I realized ♪

♪ This stupid love song
Was meant to last ♪

♪ Stupid love, stupid love ♪

♪ Stupid love song ♪

♪ Stupid love, stupid love
Stupid love song ♪

♪ And you call me beautiful ♪

♪ Never have I ever been so powerful ♪

♪ You made me feel like
I'm in the clouds ♪

♪ Heaven knows us now ♪

- ♪ Stupid love, stupid ♪
- [backup singers] ♪ Stupid love ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

- ♪ Stupid love song ♪
- [backup singers] ♪ Stupid love song ♪

[vocalizes]

♪ Stupid love, stupid love
Stupid ♪

♪ Stupid, stupid
Oh ♪

♪ So stupid, ooh ♪

♪ Stupid love ♪

[cheering, applauding]

Thank you. Thank you so much. [chuckles]

- Her voice is crazy. Her control, like...
- [stammers] It's incredible.

- [Allen] Oh, yeah. Just crazy.
- [Guyton] Micaela!

Thank you.

I'm tired. I'm excited.
I think it went well.

I think they... they loved it,
and I think I loved it. [laughs]

- Can we talk about the growth?
- Oh, yeah.

- That was... I literally... No.
- She was not playing.

That was like a star up there.
I mean, that is genuinely...

- Not even "like." That is.
- That is, like...

- Not the same girl we met the first night.
- No. She let it all just...

I-I'm, like, emotional.

- I can't handle this. I'm crying.
- [Peck] I'm shaking.

Micaela is less polished with regards to,
like, talking with the audience,

whatever, and that kind of stuff. But it's
what actually makes her endearing,

- and it actually works. It's her.
- Yeah, absolutely.

And honestly, I had a genuine out-of-body
experience watching Micaela.

It was a "Sing it like after this,

you lose your voice
and you'll never sing again.

How do you want your last performance
to be remembered?"

- That right there...
- She did it.

- That was so good.
- I know.

And then you get Adam Blackstone to, like,

back you up
and put a full band behind you?

Love the way she can go so low
and also sound so, like...

And soft, and, like, controlled.
Yeah... Yeah, I love that.

Yeah, she has, like, power in her falsetto
and, like, in the deeper notes.

When you see people achieving,
like, what...

Like, worked hard to achieve,
it's emotional.

- It makes me emotional.
- Yeah.

- Is that height okay for you?
- Yeah, that's good. Thank you.

I've changed through this whole thing.

Feels good to tell the story of letting go

of something that was
clearly unhealed in me.

- This next artist is Chuck Adams.
- Chuck Adams.

I love it. Great country name, yeah.

[Guyton] I discovered Chuck
right under my nose, here in Nashville,

and was blown away by his crazy voice
and brave songwriting.

I started in R & B... hip-hop R & B,
and then I signed a record deal.

During that time,
I'm always writing my form of country,

but it wasn't what the label wanted.

[Chuck] I woke up,
and I've been dropped from label.

My life has been a bunch
of disappointments.

When I started performing
my country stuff,

I mean, people laughed at me.

I'd say I'm not scared.
But I don't know if maybe I really am.

♪ Golden, golden, golden
As I open my eyes ♪

- He's got a very brilliant mind.
- Mm-hmm.

And I'm wondering if that will
get in his way sometimes.

Those type of artists, they're so,
a lot of times, self-conscious,

they don't wanna release nothing.
I'm like, "bruh."

He's like sitting in a room
with a thousand journals.

You barely gave us an inkling
of what you can do.

- Get out of your way, and just let go.
- Hmm.

♪ "Hey, mister, can you tell me
Where a man might find a bed?" ♪

♪ She said, "I gotta go
But my friend can stick around" ♪

[audience cheering]

Oh, my God. Yes, Chuck! [chuckles]

[Peck] Just seeing the feeling
in his face and the way he sings

- so passionately.
- [Guyton] He feels the music.

I still do wish
he could open up that much more.

When people meet me, they tend
to think I'm, like, cold, but I'm not.

I was just kind of raised kind of hard.

When I was a kid,

when I was, like, scared or sad,
I hid in the closet.

That was, like, my safe place.

So, I actually think that's probably why
I close my eyes on stage still.

♪ Oh, I wanna see you again ♪

I've been struggling to show my emotions,
but I have something to prove to myself.

♪ 'Cause I'm a ramblin' man ♪

♪ I ain't never gonna change ♪

I learned a lot about
what letting go looks like and feels like.

♪ Like names carved into a tree
All these memories ♪

I think that thing that protected
the child me isn't needed anymore.

♪ Baptized today, I'm free ♪

I'm getting more comfortable
in that place now.

The transformation has been crazy.

I feel like you're in your own skin now.

♪ Oh, take me as I am ♪

♪ Won't you take me as I am? ♪

[Chuck] It took a lot of personal work
to get to that place where I'm happy

with who I am.

This is me. [laughs]

- My man. It's great to see you, brother.
- Ah. My guy.

I didn't have a lot of vocal notes
for you before,

but I just want you to be in the moment

because I think that the people
are going to feed off of your energy.

Let's take these people on a ride,

especially with
your storytelling with, like,

you know, "a place called heaven,
a place called hell."

It's like... Let's put them in that mood,

and have that emotion sink
through those lyrics.

- Proud of you, bro. Have a good show.
- [Chuck] Thank you.

[Chuck] This is it.
It's what I've been waiting for.

I'm gonna turn the switch on
and nail the performance.

[Guyton] Next up, here is Nashville's
very own Chuck Adams.

[cheering, applauding]

Good luck, Chuck! Hell yeah.

I started writing country music
in New York City in 2007.

I don't even know why...
why I was into it, but I was.

I finally moved here, pursuing it,

and that lead me here
to this stage somehow.

It's been a fun journey,
fighting stereotypes and ceilings.

Yes.

[Chuck]
And a lot of songs I've written here.

This next song, actually,
the song I'm gonna do for you,

it's called "A.P.C.H."

What happened was, I had this friend,
but I liked her. I never told her.

We were supposed to
get together one night.

I was at the studio, and I canceled.
You know, she was upset at me.

I was... said some things that I
probably shouldn't have said.

Weeks later,
she starts talking to this new guy

and... and dies in a car accident.

And I went through the stage of, like,
mourning to, like, anger to, like...

You know, if I told her
maybe that night or if it was different,

then she wouldn't
have met this guy, maybe.

Then I wrote this song.

So it's called "A.P.C.H."
It stands for "a place called hell."

♪ I miss you so much ♪

♪ I drank all the whiskey ♪

♪ I sent all the flowers ♪

♪ I cried all the tears ♪

♪ There's a place called heaven ♪

♪ There's a place called hell ♪

♪ And I went straight down to the flames
Burning all day ♪

♪ Can't take it back, can't mend it ♪

♪ I miss you so much ♪

♪ I drove every county ♪

♪ I walked every mountain ♪

♪ Ran out of tears ♪

♪ There's a place called heaven ♪

♪ There's a place called hell ♪

♪ And I went straight down to the flames
Burning all day ♪

♪ Can't bring it back
Can't make it all well ♪

♪ There's a time to remember ♪

♪ There's a time to forget ♪

♪ You're like a song on repeat
Playing in my head ♪

♪ Can't let you go, wish we never met ♪

♪ I miss you so much ♪

[cheering]

[Allen] Yeah.

Do y'all see?

Thank you. [chuckles]

Wow.

That was really good.

- [Allen] Yeah, he rocked that.
- You were right.

About what?
He been waiting for that finale though.

- But he's learned a lot too.
- [Peck] Oh.

Because think about...
Like, he really is a natural introvert.

[Guyton] Yes.

Uh, so this next song, a little about
missing someone,

wanting to hold on.

But you can't stop time,
and you can't go back.

And a lot of times, I'm just, like,
locked in my own world.

I'm trying to come out of that
a little bit.

- [whistles]
- [audience cheering]

But this next song is... is by James Bay.
It's called "Hold Back the River."

♪ Tried to keep you close to me ♪

♪ But life got in between ♪

♪ Tried to square not being there ♪

♪ But think that I should've been ♪

♪ Hold back the river
Let me look in your eyes ♪

♪ Hold back the river so I ♪

♪ Can stop for a minute
And see where you hide ♪

♪ Hold back the river, hold back ♪

♪ Lonely water, lonely water ♪

♪ Won't you let us wander? ♪

♪ Let us hold each other? ♪

♪ Lonely water ♪

♪ Won't you let us wander? ♪

♪ Let us hold each other? ♪

♪ Hold back the river
Let me look in your eyes ♪

♪ Hold back the river so I ♪

♪ Can stop for a minute
And see where you hide ♪

♪ Hold back the river, hold back ♪

- ♪ Hold back the river ♪
- ♪ Hold back the river ♪

- ♪ Let me... Oh ♪
- ♪ Let me look in your eyes ♪

- ♪ Hold back the river so I ♪
- ♪ So I ♪

- ♪ Can stop for a minute ♪
- ♪ And see where you hide ♪

♪ Hold back the river, hold back ♪

♪ Lonely water ♪

♪ Lonely water
Won't you let us wander? ♪

♪ Let us hold each other? ♪

[cheering, screaming]

[Peck] Yeah, Chuck!

- [Guyton] Whoo! [chuckles]
- Thank you.

[Chuck] It was fun.
It was nice to see people out there.

It was nice to see a crowd.
It was nice to sing and tell a story.

[groans] It was release,
much needed release.

Man.

- What are we going to do?
- [groans] Oh, no.

Like, legitimately, I don't know.

Y'all, this is terrible.
This is really not fair.

What did y'all think about all of them?

They're all so great for,
like, different reasons.

None of them fit into, like, one thing,

so it's, like...
Can all four just go do their thing?

Yeah. I mean, each of them is just
being their authentic selves as an artist,

- which is what's been lovely to watch.
- Also, music is subjective.

That's why competitions are tricky.
They're gonna find different fan bases.

Absolutely.

It doesn't mean
one is better than the other,

- you know?
- Absolutely.

- They're so good. Yeah.
- I'm glad I don't have to pick.

- Y'all, Chuck... How impressive was that?
- Okay, what the hell was that?

He did have to go through... [sighs]

It was almost, like, re-allowing himself
to believe in himself, maybe?

Yes.

I felt like Chuck was always there.

He just needed a few extra things
to just... [imitates gunshot]

- He left that all on the stage.
- Like... Singing open.

He really comes to life
when he's performing.

- The audience responded to him the most.
- Yeah.

'Cause I could totally see Chuck on tour
with Eric Church...

- Yeah. Mm-hmm.
- ...Chris Stapleton.

And Kacey and Reese, thanks to y'all
for your conversation

- that started this journey, because...
- Aw.

...it's been so special
and such a privilege for us.

But no, seriously,

thank you for doing the hard work

- and the heavy lift here.
- Absolutely.

It's been such a pleasure.

I thank y'all for giving us
the opportunity to do something like this.

It's just really cool to see all the
different versions of country music.

Kacey, you've been a huge advocate
for that by doing your own thing as...

- Thank you.
- There's been so many limitations.

People that don't necessarily look like
the normal version of country music,

and this is a huge opportunity
to change that landscape.

I think it's important that
we all are represented,

and that is happening today from the
audience, to the band, to the backstage.

Like, all of it. [chuckles] Come on.

- Y'all, we have to go make a decision.
- Let's go make a decision.

- Good luck. [chuckles] Good luck.
- Chug that. Chug that first.

[chuckles]

- [Dhruv] Come here. You were amazing.
- [Micaela] Omar, hi.

- Great job, my man.
- Look at you.

I'm... I'm exhausted.

That was so good.
Was it exhausting? [chuckles]

[Peck] The prizes are really amazing
for whoever's gonna win.

Not only are they gonna get billboards
and prize money and, you know,

the support from Apple,

but the platform that they are being
launched off of. It's kind of invaluable.

What did y'all think of everyone?

I thought there was gonna be,
like, a clear...

- Me too.
- Yeah.

- But every artist was so incredible.
- Micaela today was, like, wow.

[Micaela] ♪ Stupid love
Stupid love ♪

I was really, genuinely shaking after.
Like, shook me.

I was... I cried.

- I love those vocal cracks.
- [Guyton] She's gone through so much.

Oh, my God. And, like,
she was so authentic in what she did.

And it wasn't polished all the time,
and it's never been polished all the time.

And it's always been
a bit insecure and unsure.

But, like, maybe that is actually
the most authentic thing.

- Chuck laid it down.
- Laid it down.

[Chuck] ♪ I miss you so much ♪

When Chuck came, the audience was in it.

Oh, my God. All the girls were like...
[squeals] Chuck! [chuckles]

Every... I looked at the audience.
I swear, every girl was like this.

That is also an integral part
of being an artist too, you know?

Like, listen,

I'm someone... [chuckles] ...clearly who only
reveals little bits every now and then.

But you can still do that authentically

- and as part of your artistry.
- Absolutely.

I think it's really
smart of him, actually.

Mm-hmm. Dhruv...

[Dhruv] ♪ Dear Madeline ♪

Just watching him play... [chuckles]
...the guitar alone,

- it's like... It blows my mind.
- Yeah. He's crazy.

He is incredible talking to the audience.

He is incredible at making songs
sound like his own,

and I think that's an art within itself.

And he, like, commands attention.

- Yeah, he's a showman.
- Yeah.

Like, a real showman.
Everybody stepped up.

Yeah, absolutely. I was so proud of Ale.

[Ale] ♪ Whoa, whoa ♪

When she did "Exception,"
and she put down her guitar...

Mm-hmm.

...and took that mic, like, you saw her.

And owned that stage. It was so cool.

I'm not sure if it was the right song
for that moment.

I felt like everybody else's
cover songs was here,

and hers was kinda right here.

- The way the audience reacted to Micaela...
- In it.

- In it.
- When Chuck came, the audience was in it.

I felt like her Spanish cover...
Her Spanish song

- was better than the cover.
- Incredible.

- Her Spanish was a bop. Like, for real.
- It was a bop.

Where... Where are you at
with your decision-making?

What we were looking for were artists
and voices that were unique,

telling us a new story that was
an authentic one, their story.

The one thing I was looking
for is someone who had that extra thing.

Have what it takes
to fight for what you want.

When you're... You know,
you look different,

you're from a different country,

there's a lot of behind-the-scenes battles
that we go through.

And there's one person I feel like
represents this show as an artist.

I feel like he can...

So you're saying "he"?

I like Dhruv.

With Dhruv's "Style" cover,

- it didn't move me at all.
- [Guyton] Move me. It didn't.

I was almost certain that that was
who I was gonna pick today too.

Yeah. The person who actually moved me
the most though was Micaela.

The way that Micaela interpreted
"If I Die Young"...

- Yeah, she killed it.
- ...was, like...

Micaela's voice is so emotional.
But I'm like, "Is emotion always enough?"

She would be relatable to a lot of young
girls specifically that don't have, like,

a girl like that really making that
kind of music with that kind of voice.

There's actually no one like Micaela
kind of out there at the moment.

Mmm, but the same as Chuck.

Like, you could instantly see Chuck
on tour with Chris Stapleton.

Chuck could go play a festival next week.

[Guyton]
It is a really difficult decision.

To have the support that Apple Music
is giving the winner is huge.

Like, record labels pay

hundreds of thousands of dollars
for these opportunities.

We're launching a new country artist.

When I think, bop, catchy, okay.
Ale, Dhruv.

When I think, emotional and just passion,
Chuck, Micaela. You know what I mean?

- Then my brain goes in a different way.
- [Guyton] Yeah.

[Micaela] I am very nervous
'cause it can go any way.

I really wanna win,

but also I feel like everybody
else deserves to win as well.

[Ale] Of course I wanna win.

So I hope my performance
connected with the scouts.

[Chuck] My performance felt the best
of all of them so far,

but I don't know if it's gonna be enough.

[Dhruv] At this point, to have been
plucked out of my bedroom,

to have been brought here
to do this whole thing,

to win this would mean validation for all
the things I've been trying to work for

for so many years.

Are we ready to let 'em in
and just tell 'em who wins?

- Ready to change someone's life?
- Yeah, let's do it.

- [Allen] What up?
- [Guyton] Hi, you guys.

How do y'all feel?

[sighs] Overwhelmed. [chuckles]

- [chuckles]
- [Guyton] It's a lot, wasn't it?

The level of growth
has just been incredible

with each and every one of you.

Y'all truly blew us away today.

- Thank you.
- Thanks.

Ale, from the first time I saw your video,
I was like, "There's something there."

The cool thing is you're not afraid
of who you are,

and you really incorporate that
in your songwriting.

Chuck, you opened up today.

That was something
I think we've all been waiting for.

And you showed us
your true self as an entertainer.

[Peck] You looked like you could

- play a festival next week.
- [Guyton] Tomorrow.

Micaela, I've never in my life witnessed
such a quick and incredible growth

in somebody's confidence
and just trusting who they are.

It's been truly, truly beautiful to watch.

Dhruv, you know, man,

you are probably one of most
talented people I've met in my life,

and you don't see it.

Your voice is just as great
as your guitar-playing,

and you have the ability to write songs
to reach people beneath the surface.

It sounds like the cliché thing to say,

but this is really the beginning
for each of you.

With all of that being said...

There can only be one
the winner of My Kind of Country,

who will join us here on stage.

[Peck] Ladies and gentlemen...

please welcome the winner of
My Kind of Country...

Micaela Kleinsmith!

[cheering, applauding]

No.

[stammers, laughs] What the... [laughs]
Oh, my G... What?

Oh, my God.

[laughs] Oh, my God! [mumbles]

I'm so proud of you.

When he said my name, I was just like,
"What? [chuckles] Like, I don't... What?"

What the hell? [laughs]
That's crazy. What?

[sighs, chuckles]

I am so incredibly proud of Micaela.

Every week, Micaela was vulnerable,
and more vulnerable each week.

She grew in confidence, grew as an artist.

At the end of the day,
what Micaela has is courage.

She is able to go up there,
and show us who she is,

which is what I came into this competition
looking for.

[laughs]

[Peck] Come on out, Micaela!

[cheering, applauding]

[Guyton] Oh, my God!

Hi. [chuckles]

Whoo, whoo, whoo.

[Peck exclaims]

♪ Your eyes, your smile ♪

♪ Makes my heart skip a beat
Just for a while ♪

♪ For a while
For a while ♪

♪ And you call me beautiful ♪

♪ Never have I ever been so powerful ♪

♪ You made me feel like
I'm in the clouds ♪

♪ Heaven knows us now ♪

♪ Stupid love
Stupid, yeah ♪

[cheering]

[laughs]

[Micaela] I've learned so much.

When you're young
and trying to become a singer,

and the world has a tendency to,
like, dim your shine.

Life gets at you.
But it doesn't matter who you are,

as long as you stay true to the music
and you're honest.

That's all that matters.

["Push Them over the Edge" playing]

[Micaela] This is just
the beginning for me.

And I know my parents will be so proud,

and I think South Africa
will be proud of me too. So yeah.

Means a lot.

- [audience cheering]
- [Allen] Yeah! Yeah!

- Thank you so much.
- [Peck] Yes!

[Micaela chuckles] Whoo-hoo!

Oh, my God. Thank you so much.

Wow. That was gorgeous.

Oh, my God.

- We love you, Micaela!
- [Peck] We love you, Micaela!

[Micaela laughs] I love you.

Oh, my gosh.

Cheers.

- I love y'all.
- Cheers.

I love you guys. What a beautiful moment.
And I'm glad I got to do this with you.

Me too.