Will Kentucky's Jordan Smith win NBC's 'American Song Contest' with his song 'Sparrow?'

It's onto the "American Song Contest" semi-finals for Harlan, Kentucky singer-songwriter Jordan Smith.

Smith, who won Season 9 of NBC's "The Voice" in 2015, told the Courier Journal he's thrilled to be back on national television, this time performing his own music.

NBC’s “American Song Contest” is a state versus state reality singing show that features live original music performances representing all 50 states, five U.S. territories and the nation’s capital. The show is fashioned after the hugely popular "Eurovision Song Contest," which commands an audience of 183 million viewers in Europe. The new American version is hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson and airs weekly on NBC.

"To come on a show like this where I am bringing an original song, something I have created and written is a little bit nerve-racking but also really exciting to be able to stretch that songwriting muscle and really show who I am as an artist," Smith said.

Over a series of qualifying rounds, performers are eliminated by a combination of votes from viewers and the show judges. Right from the start, Smith's original song "Sparrow" quickly became a fan favorite and moved him onto the semi-finals, which include 22 remaining artists.

Background: Kentucky native Jordan Smith writes 'Sparrow' for NBC's 'American Song Contest'

"At the risk of destroying the magic of what people may think songwriting is all about, I am going to tell you the truth behind 'Sparrow,'" Smith told the Courier Journal."I woke up one morning at 7 a.m. with the concept for the song in my head, so I guess I must have dreamt it."

Smith immediately went to his piano and knew exactly what the song should sound like. He told the Courier Journal that it took him only seven minutes to write the entire song.

"It felt like it was a moment where the music came through me, not from me," he said. "It was truly an inspired moment."

After he had the original song on paper, Smith spent a couple of months with producers in the studio working through the piece line by line.

"We ripped the song apart," the songwriter said. "How could we make it better, how could we make it as emotional as possible. We perfected and crafted the song into what it is today."

You may like: Here's the complete lineup of performers for the 2022 Forecastle music festival

"American Song Contest" launched on March 21 with a wide range of 56 performers from up-and-coming new artists and rising stars to established and legendary icons. After several weeks of eliminations, there are now only 22 semi-finalists (including Smith) left to compete live on April 25 and May 2. The ultimate Grand Final will air on May 9.

During the final episode, one state will emerge victoriously. Smith would very much like that state to be Kentucky.

"It is such an honor to be part of the first season of this new show and if I could win, it would be an amazing thing I could do for the state of Kentucky," he said. "I learned during 'The Voice' that competing on national television isn't just about me, it's about focusing a spotlight on all the amazing talent we have in Kentucky."

Fans at home can vote for their favorite performances on nbc.com/ascvote, the NBC App and on TikTok. Voting for the semi-finals will open Monday night and will close Tuesday morning. "American Song Contest" airs Monday nights from 8-10 p.m.

Reach Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com or Twitter @kirbylouisville.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Jordan Smith, KY contestant heads to American Song Contest semi-finals