Kumu takes singing competitions to digital space
For over three years, Kumu has been connecting content creators and digital artists to audiences all over the Philippines and around the world. They’ve hit some major media milestones most recently in the form of TV collaborations and a film launch and now, the fast – growing social entertainment app is shaking things up in the music space with Sing for the Stars, an international singing contest that will be conducted entirely via livestream — the first of its kind.
The competition features 4x Grammy winner Michael Bublé and Tony Award-winner Lea Salonga. In a global press conference held last week, the two celebrity judges sat down with TV personality KC Montero, who’s also Kumu’s Vice President of Content, to talk about the role of social media in staying connected, their advice to aspiring stars, and their first dip into competitions on an entirely virtual panel.
Montero, no stranger to hosting with various television and radio shows under his belt, kicked off the press conference by introducing Kumu as a virtual venue of creativity that values the culture of authenticity, highlighting its Filipino roots and primary goal of attracting creatives and fostering content from around the world, with the added benefit of amplifying local voices on an international platform. Kumu already has the advantage of several established subsections and features a vast sea of digital podiums in its league: “You’ll find a buffet of genres,” says Montero, “like gaming, cooking, lifestyle, financial tips — everything under the stars.” One genre of the Kumu-nity that’s rapidly progressing is music: “We’ve always had people jamming in their livestreams — like an online busking corner — and now it’s one of the biggest categories on the platform.”
By coming together and conducting an entire season of a musical face-off, Kumu, Warner Music Philippines, and the judges hope to help fulfill the social entertainment platform’s primary goal of creating meaningful connections, regardless of location or distance, and to foster inclusivity in creative spaces. “I know so many artists who gravitated to Kumu in particular,” says Salonga. “It’s such a natural fit, and kind of a godsend, really, so that artists can keep doing what they love.”
“[I’m sure] we’re going to find someone who makes us just go, ‘Wow,’” predicts Bublé. “I bet you, in five years’ time, when the winner is topping the charts, we look back on [Sing for the Stars] and we can say, ‘They came from this, we discovered that.’ I cannot wait for these artists to enter my life.” With the judges giving both local and international perspectives on their work in the music industry and advice on performing in general, this project with Kumu is a first, even for them — proving even the most seasoned artists can still do something new and surprise audiences!
As for advice to the contestants (and any singer), Salonga says, “A good artist is a good storyteller. Technical ability and the way you convey emotion have equal weight, to me. So bring your A game.” Bublé goes on to add, “Music is such a pure connection, like the greatest romance with something that will never let you down; if you’ve fallen in love with it, you’re already a winner.”
The first phase of the competition opened on February 23rd. The top eleven will be moving on to the final leg of the competition, while the remaining four will duke it out to secure their last chance to enter the finals. The second runner-up will win $2,000 in cash, while the first runner-up takes home $4,000 in cash. And the grand champion will take home a whopping $10,000 in cash, a one-year record contract with Warner Music, and their own mini-concert inside the Kumu app, plus a one-on-one coaching session from none other than Michael Bublé.
Sing for the Stars can be viewed starting March 19th at 9 pm PHT/9 am EST/6 am PST, when the judges will be finalizing the last four of 15 hopefuls and officially setting off the tuneful tournament.
Virtual auditions will be held where 11 winners from the Top 30 qualifiers of the second phase will be chosen to move onto the “Battles” to be shown on the Kumu music channel. Virtual qualifiers will be selected to vie for the four slots to complete the final Top 15 by battling it out.
The entire campaign will serve as an elimination phase to complete the 15 contestants who will compete on March 19th, March 26th, April 2nd, April 9th, and April 16th at 8 pm Philippine Standard Time.
