- NBC's Songland returned on Tuesday with Kelsea Ballerini as the guest artist.
- Though all of this week's songwriters—Jack Newsome, Darius Coleman, Jess Jocoy, and Daniel Feels—delivered refreshing jams, it was Coleman that won her over with "Better Luck Next Time."
They say the third time’s a charm, and Twitter reactions on Tuesday night’s third episode of NBC’s Songland made that obvious since fans couldn’t stop chatting about this week’s contestants: Jack Newsome, Darius Coleman, Jess Jocoy, and Daniel Feels.
As fans may know by now, each episode follows three veteran songwriters and producers—Ester Dean, Shane McAnally, and Ryan Tedder—as they listen to and workshop the songs of aspiring new songwriters next to a celebrity guest. By the end of the show, the guest picks one winner and releases their song as a new single.
“It’s a difficult decision, but I’m lucky that it’s so difficult,” Ballerini said at the beginning of Tuesday’s episode. And while each of the songs were attention-grabbing, it was ultimately Coleman’s “Better Luck Next Time” that won over Ballerini’s soul.
The lyrics to the catchy chorus go as follow: “I got myself together, got a new attitude / hope that I see you never, I’m so over you / got myself together, you’re out of my mind / now all that I can say is, better luck next time / better luck next time.”
While presenting his song to the critics, and calling the opportunity a “dream come true,” Coleman said, “Music is my everything. I’m always creating, whether consciously or subconsciously.” He continued, “[The song is] about a girl that I know who was cheated on. The inspiration was everything that I know that she would have said…How amazing would it be if this young Black guy from Philadelphia wrote Kelsea’s song.”
Ballerini herself said she couldn’t get “Better Luck Next Time” out of her head—so let’s learn a little more about Coleman. A Philadelphia native, Coleman was actually a songwriter on FOX’s Empire, according to his website, and he has collaborated with Timbaland. On Instagram (and Twitter), he shares teasers of upcoming new songs frequently, plus promotional imagery of his work.
His debut single is called “Sundown,” and you can listen to his music on Soundcloud. Most recently, he released a five-song EP titled, What I’m Trying to Say.
All in all, it sounds like this new Songland hit—like John Legend’s “We Need Love” and Black Eyed Peas’ “Be Nice”—will be stuck in your mind all week.
For more ways to live your best life plus all things Oprah, sign up for our newsletter!
As the Senior Editor of OprahMag.com, I'm a jack-of-all-trades, overseeing our entertainment coverage (we cover TV shows like The Politician and Big Brother, movies such as J.Lo's Hustlers and Lena Waithe's Queen and Slim), features, news items, and— as her number one fan—all of Lady Gaga's whereabouts. I proudly edit Coming Out, a series where LGBTQ+ change-makers reflect on self-acceptance. And I edit our Weird or Wellness series, which I highly recommend you read on the weekend. Prior to O, I began my career in the fashion department at Marie Claire, and eventually moved on to InStyle, where I dabbled in social media and covered events such as the Grammys, Toronto International Film Festival, and New York Fashion Week. A native of Miami, I received my journalism degree from the University of Miami. One time, Rosario Dawson complimented my hair and asked to touch it. I let her.
