The Signing (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - Back to the Roots - full transcript

Mosmo.

Why do you think you're here?

Because I couldn't be myself.
I feel like I'm limited.

Because, for those who don't know,
I do urban regional. I'm from Mexico.

It's been a little hard
for me to bring in reggaeton.

Stefano.

I was hard on you the first time.

I was hard on you today.

Because I wanted you
to give me the best you had.

Because you represent Peru.

You could be its first big urban star.



Today...

you won't be signed.

Your contract has been terminated.

Thanks very much.

For me, the main goal wasn't to win.

It was to give it my all.

And it's true I made some mistakes,
but I'm not sad.

All their feedback is tattooed right here.

And I'll move forward.

Mosmo.

I'm not looking for the best urban artist.

I'm looking for
the best artist in the world.

And you just told me you're limited.

I'll give you another chance.



Thank you.

You're still in the competition.

But I don't want to hear
that excuse again.

-Let's go, Mosmo!
-Thanks.

It was pretty tough.

How horrible.

It's hard,
but at the same time, it's like,

bro, this is what life is about.
We need to be clear with them.

We have to tell them,
so they know and learn.

I wish I'd been given
that opportunity when I started.

THE SIGNING

THE SIGNING HOUSE

I don't know if I'm happy
because I managed to stay,

or a little deflated
because I was almost eliminated,

which means I did something wrong.

Stefano

was my best friend here.

We arrived together from the airport.

We became close friends.

The others thought
we were getting involved.

We just got a message. Come over here!

My people, just so you know,
an artist always needs to be ready.

So, pack your suitcases,
and I'll see you soon.

Where are we going? On a trip? No!

To where?

I'm going to get ready,
my stuff is a mess.

I just got up,
I don't know where we're going.

We have to pack a bag with two outfits.

-Love and peace for all.
-No, to hell with everything.

Check. For coughs.

Hi, good morning.

-Good morning.
-Good morning.

Wanda!

-Wow. Chach!
-Chach!

-No one's gonna believe me.
-Look.

This is how famous people live, man.

Gorgeous!

-He's excited.
-Yeah!

Three months ago, I was working
in a call center. People were saying...

Hey! What's up?

Are we ready to go to Puerto Rico?

Today we're going to Puerto Rico.
To my home.

I hope they'll get to see
that things don't happen overnight.

There's a process to everything.
We went through it too.

I have prepared many things
for our arrival,

so, let's go. Let's rock it.

This is my first time leaving Argentina.

From Argentina to Miami,
Miami to Puerto Rico.

I feel like a superstar, bro.

So tasty!

I like how he touches my ass...

So tasty!

Welcome to the Choli, gang.

JOSÉ MIGUEL AGRELOT COLISEUM

The Choliseo, the coliseum,
symbolizes "I did it."

For many artists from around the world,

it's also an incredible achievement
to perform at the Choli.

I can share with the participants

the 23 years I've been fighting
in the industry.

Look, our first concert was here,
with our album "Pa'l mundo."

In 2006.

To see how, fifteen, twenty years ago,

he walked down a path
which seemed extremely difficult.

It proves that it's worth dreaming.

I would love to have
the same experience as him.

To bring so many people together
in one place.

No!

This is amazing.

This is what it's about.
Filling this place.

Wow.

It's crazy, I tell you.
It's a lot of work.

You just think about
working, working, working.

So, I hope you don't give up,

and I hope to be here
watching one of your shows someday.

It would be a dream to fill it.

It'd be a very important step in my life.

Sick!

So sick, man! So great!

As always, Tainy, brought us a surprise.

Two of the best influencers
and interviewers from P.R.,

Chente and Molusco.

We had the chance
to see artists like Ozuna,

Jhay Cortez, and Myke Towers
start from zero.

When you describe the characteristics
of the singers who are stars today,

I think discipline
is one of them, isn't it? Dedication.

I also think it's very healthy
to have naysayers.

That cousin who says,
"You won't go anywhere in life!"

And you say, "Yes, I will!"

"No, okay."

So, this is only the beginning
of your journey.

God willing,
we'll see you at the Choli in the future.

It's never too late
to work on your dreams.

This is just the beginning.

We all arrived in the van,

and we visited the house
where the history of music changed.

The gentleman next to me
gave me the chance to do what I do now.

This is Nely, "The secret weapon."

Nely is such an important person to me,

in my personal life
and in my life as a producer.

He was the first person
to open the door for me

so I could learn about this world
of creating and producing music.

Welcome.

I've been listening to him
since I was ten. I was this tall.

I'd come home
and play the albums he produced.

The secret weapon, Nely.

Come out
My gang's coming through

That was my house.
The blue one across the street.

The studio I'll be showing you
has a lot of history,

so, come inside with me and see
a little of the talent here.

When I saw Tainy's house,
where he started,

it reminded me of my beginnings,
when I started out in music.

And I don't know what to do

People said,
"Brother, come here. Come to Santiago."

When I got to Santiago,
my life changed completely.

I didn't know the place.
I didn't know anyone.

You can see it from here, look.

The neighborhood I lived in
when I came here.

I'll show you a very special place,
which I've never shown you before.

When someone says,

"I'll start from scratch. Right here."

In this place.

-Yeah. It all started here.
-You had nowhere to sleep, to stay.

We'll make it.

-Yes. We'll make it.
-We'll make it.

So, this was the studio for the big shots.
The sick ones.

I was still working my way up to this.

I was waiting for my turn.

It was a goal to be here,

playing here with beats of my own,
with artists recording my songs.

It helped me a lot to develop
more concepts and ideas

of what I could do musically.

So, the process
is the coolest thing in the world.

Now we're going to a very special place.

I don't know what to expect anymore!

How exciting.

We didn't even know where we were going.

That's Luny, isn't it?

No way.

-Bro.
-What's up?

Man, are we really here, at Luny's place?

The music we listen to these days

is what it is
thanks to this man here, Víctor.

The great Luny. My mentor.

I'm going to give you your next challenge.

A song that talks about your roots.

And you'll be working on it
with none other than the beast.

Luny.

Working on something as intimate as
your roots, who you are, and your story

with such a pro,
is an out-of-this-world opportunity.

We have work to do, so let's go inside.

If there was pressure to create a song,
now they have a little more.

INFLUENTIAL REGGAETON PRODUCER

Welcome to my studio.

-Where are you from?
-Mexico.

I'm from Argentina.

They say,

"Luny, you have to go to concerts
in Chile, they're real fans."

Lots of kids, a wooden house, a tin roof.

That's how I met Tainy,
in a little house with a tin roof.

A big part of my identity comes from
being born and raised on a border.

United States and Mexico.

What style do you...?

I want to make people feel

like their souls are floating.

-I want to sing Latin R&B.
-Latin R&B. Wow.

I sing and I rap, and I sing
while rapping.

I was making urban regional,
and I feel like it's an awesome genre.

Something very important

I need to say about Luny

is he's Dominican, like me.

So, being Dominican,
he knows about my culture and my roots.

He knows what life is like there.
I think that's a great help,

because he knows how life is
in the Dominican Republic.

The songs you can sing along to
and that have a lot of melodies are fine,

but the successful ones, the ones
that shine, are those where you sing

and you turn the mic to the audience
and they sing along.

As the only Puerto Rican,
this is a personal challenge.

I don't want to be the exception.
I won't fail here.

Start on that melody, that voice,
and those amazing choruses.

That's what we do.

Sure, that's my flow.

We'll finish it properly.

It's hard, you get used to one style,

then someone comes in and you say,
"What's going on?"

"What the hell are you doing?"

Can you sing a little
so I can get an idea of your style?

Sure.

Good singers are the ones
who can perform without the track.

They might sound good in the studio,

but when they sing in front of you
and blow you away, you see their talent.

Let's see how good you really are.

Let's play hide and seek
Like two mad people missing each other

I sing a melodic style, man.

And do you sing other styles?

We look like illuminati
We're a secret, baby

Hiding from your daddy
So we can go out

Low-profile, but I never hide

Don't call me
I never pick up

I don't look for them, they come to me
And that makes you angry

Being without you

So it's a sad twerk.

I really like beat changes.

But that's two beats.
You're only paying for one. You know?

I don't really like this.
We can work on it a little.

Remember, you need
to record a bunch of songs.

For example,
listen to Bad Bunny's first song.

And listen to how he sounds now.

If you record a song every day,

you'll evolve,
and you'll become a better artist.

Thank you so much, really.

They had the chance to meet Luny,

he talked to each of them
and guided them in some way,

and that's something they'll never forget.

They perform what they've been working on
in less than 24 hours,

so the pressure keeps building.

MIAMI, USA

THE SIGNING HOUSE

I feel like this little getaway
to Puerto Rico

made me realize how much a place
can influence your world view.

Above all, we got to see the studio
where everything started. It's like...

-And meet Luny.
-It's too much.

I mean, that's when you're like,

"Man, if I keep doing what I love,
I can get to where I wanna be."

Welcome to the third round
of The Signing.

Let's give it up for Yandel.

Tainy.

Nicki Nicole.

Rauw Alejandro.

Lex Borrero.

Chile is a country of hard workers,
and I won't let them down.

"FOR CHILE"

Everyone jump with me!

Chi, Chi, Chi!

Le, le, le!

Come on!

Let's go to Santiago, Chile

Because how it sounds is catchy

To the South so you forget

All your troubles with a pisco

What do you think?

I'll take you to the sea
If you want to surf

I'll take you to the snow
If you want to ski

We'll go party
If you want to dance

I'll make you laugh like
"Hi, I'm Germán"

When you're a kid you gotta hustle

I always kill it like in Viña del Mar

Daddy Yankee, Wisin & Yandel
Hey

Like Don Francisco we're going to last

To Santiago, Chile
Yo!

Because how it sounds is catchy

To the South so you forget

All your troubles with a pisco

What do you think?

With me!

Chi, Chi, Chi!

Le, le, le!

Chi, Chi, Chi!

Le, le, le!

Yo!
Chi, Chi, Chi!

Le, Le, Le!

Hey!

Sick.

Brother, we were all waiting, like,
"What's Diego bringing tonight?"

I won't comment on the song
because I loved it, you know?

I loved the song.

You smashed it.
I loved how you represented Chile.

I loved that you made the audience jump
and get involved in the song.

I want you to know, you really represented
your country and your roots.

Your strategy for choosing
how to make songs is perfect.

Using the name of your country
in the chorus

and making the melody really catchy...

If you keep it up,
I think you'll go far in this competition,

and even further in your career
as an artist.

So, well done today.

Yeah.

Of all our performances so far,
today's feel the most unsure.

But it's okay, we'll see what happens.

"THE YARD"

The boy comes from the yard
He grew up in the heat

From his grandma's house
To school on a motorcycle

In his heart he wears a multicolored flag

D.R. in the house
Until the sun goes down

Even though delinquency abounds
Due to lack of education

And the governments steal from us
Instead of caring for the nation

Our hearts are always happy

Even without soup
We never lose the seasoning

So we're in the D.R.

D.R.
Yo

Where are my people from D.R.?

From D.R.
Yeah

I want to know where the sexy girls
who like dembow are at.

The honeys who like dembow.
How does it go? This is for you.

Yo!

On every corner there's a party
The sexy girl is always at a party

Give me a piece

She wants a party

How does it go?
It's a lie

It's a lie

What?
It's a lie

What?
You know I've got flow

I've got it
Get to D.R.

Hey!

Everybody
Put your hands in the air

You know
We're in D.R.

But everybody
With your hands in the air

Rmand, how did you feel today?

I felt good.

When I started the dembow,
those weren't the planned lyrics. I went,

It's a lie!

I loved the fact that
you gave us a little of both.

Like I told you, my mother is Dominican.
So I could relate to some things.

But you mentioned you didn't sing
the right lyrics in the dembow.

You have the essence of an artist.

Honestly, you remind me
of the times I saw Bad Bunny

before he became
the superstar he is today.

But,

the problem with being so good

is that we're all expecting
something incredible from you.

I know you had lyrics and you forgot them.

And those little mistakes,
in a competition like this one,

are disastrous.

Thanks.

Thank you very much.

Jesus. I forgot all the dembow. All of it.

-No!
-All the dembow.

I'm gonna sing from my heart and soul,
thinking about my mom and family.

That'll drive me today.

Hello.

"SPRING"

I'm the smell of coffee
That was never absent at home

I'm Mom's smile when she'd see me

I'm Dad's songs
That still embrace me

I'm Shakira's dances and I grew up

I'm... Oh!

Sorry. Sorry.

How could I not do it for her

Ten thousand kilometers from you

Nothing feels the same

The sea is never the same

Without your salt

I am the warrior woman
Who gives up on nothing

The accent isn't easy to forget

I'm my grandpa waiting at the bus stop

I'm spring even when it's Christmas

I'm three colors
The whole world knows

I'm the place you want to stay in

I thank the gods
For being part of you

Something like you
Is unforgettable if you leave

Ten thousand kilometers from you

Nothing feels the same

So close
Yet so far

Thinking of going back

Nati.
I got that you were singing to Colombia.

I caught certain references.

Maybe they're harder for people
from other countries to catch.

That's the tricky part of the challenge.
Next time, be here.

Prepare for the performance.

It's the most important part,
where you'll show who you are.

Considering that, of all the artists here,
you have the most stage experience,

I was very surprised when you stopped.

The price of reacting
the way you did at that moment

is very high at your level of experience.

I'll give my all next time. I swear.

No! I messed up.

I messed up. I can't believe it.

Goddammit.

Obviously, I feel very frustrated. Very.

I'm sure the judges will be surprised
by the genre I've chosen.

I'm high

I don't know how to come down

Now it's easy

Everything was hard before

1500 in my wallet

Working to try and fill it

When no one believed in me

Was when I felt like an artist

Fuck you
To negative energy

From Argentina, tearing up the stage
Bling, bling, you see me at the corner

That's how I am

In the hood is where I learned

And the codes on the street are on repeat

That's how I was born
And that's how I'll die

And that's how I'll die

It comes from my family
Pure rock in my house

A bit of rum in my glass
Gustavo Cerati in the background

Fuck you
To negative energy

From Argentina, tearing up the stage
Bling, bling, you see me at the corner

Let me hear you!

That's how I am

In the hood is where I learned

And the codes on the street
Are on repeat

That's how I was born
And that's how I'll die

And that's how I'll die

Wanda, honestly, I really liked it.

I didn't fully understand your verses,

because you were moving around,
and I couldn't hear some words.

But overall, I liked the vibe,
the crowd was moving.

I feel like you reflected
the energy of a rock song.

-So, well done, Wanda.
-Sure. Thanks very much.

Wanda.

I felt like you were a little nervous
about the energy of the song,

and kind of lost on stage.

I know you're good.
Now I want to know if you'll be the best.

Thank you so much.

I'm pleased to be able to share
who I am and my culture with them.

It fills me up.

I'm from the H

"FROM THE H"

From the very north

Land of beautiful women

Good meat and corridos
So you can watch me

Double your efforts

I'm ready for the mission
That's why blessings keep coming

I thank God
He always comes first

Thanks to my parents
I'm everything I am

I'll never forget where I come from

And most importantly where I'm going

I introduce myself
From the land that seeks victory

You have to live life
Without erasing memory

For the babies who leave a dedication

Those who hang with me
Know my story

I'm from the H
From the very north

Land of beautiful women

Good meat and corridos
So you can watch me

Double your efforts

I'm ready for the mission
That's why blessings keep coming

Walking along avenues and boulevards

A trip to P.R. to secure the deal

Music for the street and the neighborhoods

Let the rhythm
Reach the whole neighborhood

I'm from the H
From the very north

Land of beautiful women

Good meat and corridos
So you can watch me

Double your efforts

I'm ready for the mission
That's why blessings keep coming

That's it, people! From Mexico! Yeah!

How does it feel to be a Mexican
representing Mexico

with a Mexican urban regional song?

I'm really happy today.
Honestly. I feel extremely happy.

It's something
I've wanted to share for a while.

Since the competition began.
And I did it today. I mean, I felt free.

And I think music
is about expressing yourself.

And, well, I hope you enjoyed it too.

I don't know why you waited this long
to do what you really wanted.

I would have loved
to feel your roots 100%, you know?

I think it was a good call
to mix it with an urban style,

but for this challenge,
which was showing your roots,

I would love to have heard
what you really have inside, you know?

Thanks, Nicki.

Thanks.

In my song,
I talk about my roots as a woman.

I'm scared they won't understand it.

We'll see how they react.

"DEAR DIARY"

Dear diary

I want to tell you
I'm stepping on the best stages

On behalf of all the people
Who dream of leaving the neighborhood

On behalf of all women
Who suffer daily

Who have the same rights

But we see the opposite

My mother had the ovaries

She taught me
Rent isn't paid with comments

Where I come from the people dream
Because it's necessary

You leave the house holding your rosary

No one knows

What it's like around here

What makes you think

I care what you say about me?

I came to tear up the plans

Your dirty fire no longer burns me

You won't break through this skin

Nothing weighs on me

What they say about me

Doesn't matter

Like in tango
I'm Tita

I'm from fucking Argentina

Thanks very much!

You've been one of the most
confident artists in this competition,

and I love that.

I liked how you talked
not only about Argentina,

but about
the Argentinian woman's experience.

But I'm not sure if, in this challenge,

you represented your roots 100%.

As an Argentinian woman, I got it,
because I know what it's like,

and I got the concept, and what you meant,

but I'm not sure if someone
who isn't from Argentina would get it.

Nashy, I think you're very talented,

but this is a competition.

And the choices you make here
can hurt you,

and today, you didn't nail the challenge.

As a Boricua,

I feel a duty to correctly represent
the birthplace of the urban genre.

In a house in the neighborhood

"GARAGE PARTY"

Where there's shouting every day

That's where I grew up

We're all siblings here

We all look after each other

And we're going to go out

This is a garage party

The cherry is lit up

A couple of naughty girls
And the fancy ones

All night
And we leave at dawn

This is a garage party

The cherry is lit up

A couple of naughty girls
And the fancy ones

All night
And we leave at dawn

I want to see all the women dancing

And I want to see all the men jumping

And I want to see everybody singing

Hands up if you're digging it
Hey

I want all the honeys to grow up

And all the offenders to get involved

A dembow like in the Merce times

Leave the persecution

This is a garage party

The cherry is lit up

A couple of naughty girls
And the fancy ones

All night
And we leave at dawn

I don't know what a "garage" is,
but I need to go to a party there.

After that song, I have to go.

It's where you park the car,
but the car isn't there.

-Okay.
-It's just a party in the hood.

-And things happen.
-You move the car, and there's the garage.

I grew up there. Can't deny it.

I expected you to do reggaeton,
but I know that in Puerto Rico,

there's more.

I would have liked to hear a salsa,
or something else, mixed with reggaeton.

-Anyway, I wish you the best.
-Thanks.

I'm meeting the challenge
with respect to sharing

where I come from,
and what Colombian roots are.

Hopefully my nerves don't betray me.

Where I come from

"WHERE I COME FROM"

At 5:30 the sky changes color

In the roots of the concrete
Flowers grow

Just like there are bad days
There are better days

Better days

It's a city of concrete
Where the sun shines

Chocolate in the morning
Even if it's hot

Gabriel García Márquez
Is our teacher

"La camisa negra" is part of the folklore

With or without money

We always have a smile

Room for everyone

That's why to come here
You don't need a visa

Colombia!
Where I come from

At 5:30 the sky changes color

In the roots of the concrete
Flowers grow

Just like there are bad days
There are better days

Better days

From Chocó to Guajira
Poetry is made

In Arauca and Nariño
Smiles are harvested

In the capital, take to the streets
And shout for the lives that are missing

For the family

Thanks very much.

Cumbia works really well for you.

I loved your performance.

I feel like your voice shined,
and you 100% represented your roots.

Mila, I'm speechless.

Thank you so much. Bye.

I've got pop from the United States.
And regional ranchera from Mexico.

If my nerves don't get the better of me,
I can totally do it.

Thinking
I remember it so well

"NEITHER HERE NOR THERE"

I have a hard time

Knowing there's no way

Of going back to where I began

This isn't just any place

And if I could choose to be born again

I'd do it in the same place

So, understand

I'm from neither here nor there

I spent all my life on a border

Defending what runs through my veins

Doubting once again what I am

When they say
"Where is she from?"

"From here or that land?"

I'll tell them
"Both"

I'm from neither here nor there

I spent my whole life on a border

I was born here but my skin is brown

And no matter who it hurts

It's what I am

When they say
"Where's she from?"

"From here or that land?"

I'll tell them
"Both"

How did you feel up there?

I felt a bit more comfortable than
the other two times I've been on stage.

You're very proud of where you're from.

You say you're from two places,
but both are home to you.

That's what I wanted to hear.

What we wanted to hear. More about you.

You looked much more confident.
You were proud and happy.

It was the coolest one we've heard,
so congratulations on that.

Thanks.

I was born in Bogotá, Colombia.
I came to the States. Here, to Miami.

And for my whole life,
I've felt exactly what this song says.

I mean, sometimes I'm not Latino enough
to feel Latino.

And sometimes I'm not American enough
to feel American.

So, your song hit deep in here, you know?

Honestly, your melodies,
your happiness, your outfit,

everything you did today
was the right thing to do, so...

It's the first time they've told me,
"It was perfect."

"I related to what you said in your song."

I'm really happy.

So.

The task was to represent your roots,
where you're from.

The very best of them forgot the lyrics,

or came in at the wrong time.

If that happened in the first performance
we would have said, "Let them stay."

But we want them
to become artists in the future.

And that's why I think today,
one of the best ones needs to be...

We have to decide
who doesn't have what it takes to stay.

Who didn't deliver in this challenge?

-Do we agree?
-Yes.

-Yes.
-Yeah?

Tony, get me these contracts.

Nati.

Rmand.

Nashy.

Please come with me.

I think it's really important
to always stay connected

to your culture and your identity.

Doing this is vital
and key to becoming a global star.

The question is...

which of you is ready
to become a global star?

THE SIGNING

LISTEN TO THE OFFICIAL
THE SIGNING PLAYLIST

Subtitle translation by: Bridget Ochocka