Exclusive Interview: Jordan Smith Discusses His Single “Sparrow” and How He’s Preparing for the Semifinals of American Song Contest

Singer-songwriter Jordan Smith is best known for winning Season 9 of NBC’s The Voice. He went on to release several chart-topping hits and has shared the stage with artists including Patti LaBelle, Jordin Sparks, and Lionel Richie. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he’s also written a song for his idol, Céline Dion.

This spring, he’s representing his home state of Kentucky in American Song Contest. Based on the worldwide phenomenon Eurovision Song Contest, the series features songwriters from all 50 states, five U.S. territories, and our nation’s capital competing to win the country’s vote for the Best Original Song.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Jordan about his song “Sparrow”, how he’s preparing for the semifinals, and why he wanted to be a part of American Song Contest.

PC: Congratulations on making it to the semifinals. Unlike the other artists on this show, you knew you advanced shortly after your performance. How did you end up celebrating?
Jordan: Thank you for having me, first of all. I love talking about this show because it’s been such a fun experience. I am so grateful that I did not have to wait an entire week to find out that I was going through. I felt so bad for the other contestants; I can’t imagine that nerve-wracking feeling! Even on The Voice, we found out the next day. Having to wait an entire week and then go home and come back to LA would be too much. I’m glad I found out.

My family was in town. My wife was in town. Some friends were there. It was very late when we finally finished with everything. [laughs] I met them in the lobby of the hotel, sat with them for few, and was like, “Great to see you!” Then, I went straight to bed because I was exhausted. I flew home the next morning.

PC: I love your song “Sparrow”. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind it and how you feel it represents your home state of Kentucky?
Jordan: “Sparrow” is a very special song for me because I wrote it myself. I was very heavily involved in the creative process from the very beginning when I wrote it in my little writing room upstairs in my house. I took it into the studio with other writers and we tweaked it and produced it with a producer in the studio. I was very involved in that whole process up until the mixing and mastering. Sharing it on the stage—it almost feels like you’re sharing one of your babies with the world for the first time. It was a very exhilarating experience. It’s wonderful and terrifying at the same time.

But as an artist, I really believe in the message of my music. I felt like this song was what the world needed to hear at this moment. We’ve been through a crazy couple of years, and there’s still so much uncertainty and distance between all of us. I just wanted to remind people that we can rise together and that there’s a better, brighter day to look forward to, and not to give up on themselves because we’re all still in the process. There are miracles in the making. That’s what this song is about. It’s been really encouraging to hear from so many people so far on how they’re connecting with the song and how they’re being inspired and encouraged by the message.

I was just saying in an interview a few minutes ago that I saw a comment this week that said, “‘Sparrow’ saved my life.” I don’t take that lightly; I don’t take that for granted. I’m very grateful that I was able to share this song with everyone and that it’s connected so well on a stage like American Song Contest. The production was beautiful. All of it was amazing. But I think people are walking away with the message, and that’s what matters most to me.

PC: You’ve had so much success throughout your career. What was it about American Song Contest that made you want to be a part of this competition?
Jordan: I’ve gotten asked this a lot. I’ve had a lot of people are like, “Now it’s someone else’s turn.” But really the reason I was drawn to the show and that I wanted to participate in it is because it doesn’t feel like it’s about me this time. This is an opportunity to represent my state of Kentucky, which I love very much. I’m very proud to be from here. This is a chance to shift the spotlight that was put on me to the place and the people that have made me who I am and that I love so much.

I wanted to take this as an opportunity to show some of Kentucky. I knew they would be coming here and filming the city for my pre-performance package. I wanted to show off what we had. I wanted to talk about how incredible our people are. I wanted to show the world that we are resilient and we’re strong. There are so many people from here that are so gifted in so many ways. I wanted to be able to represent that more than anything else. That was what really sealed the deal for me—that I would get to highlight the people that mean so much to me.

PC: Audiences fell in love with you on The Voice. How has that experience prepared you for the longevity that you’ve had in your career as well as American Song Contest?
Jordan: I say a lot that The Voice is sort of like musical career boot camp. You’re in this pressure cooker where every week you’re working on a new performance and you’re doing interviews on camera, but you’re also working in the studio and recording songs, and you’re also working with stylists and doing video shoots. It’s such an insane whirlwind of an experience that you walk away knowing how to do so many more things than you knew before.

Having what I consider a successful career in the industry, I may not be a household name or the biggest artist out there, but I’ve been able to provide for my family. I’ve been able to stay on the road and share my music with people all over the world.

I find myself in a lot of situations where had I not had that experience, I would feel very underprepared. I would still be figuring out who I am, which is something that happened quickly when I was on the show. It’s such a high-pressure situation that you have to grow up very quickly as an artist and as a creative. You have to know in the depth of your soul who you are and what kind of artist you want to be.

That’s something that happened really quickly for me on The Voice. It’s carried me through the last, if you can believe it, seven years. I can’t believe it’s been almost seven years since then. It’s really carried me through. I still have lessons I learned on the show that come into play in my daily life and my daily business in this music industry.

PC: You were speaking of the message of “Sparrow” a little bit earlier. You have such a powerful voice. When you’re working on a song, how do you find the balance between getting the song’s message across while also showing off your vocal range?
Jordan: It’s a very interesting process, I will say that. I’m getting better at it with time, but it’s something that I have had to learn because I love to sing. I’m a singer first. I had to learn, number one, that just because I can sing it doesn’t mean I should. Just because you can hit those notes doesn’t mean everybody wants to hear you hit those notes all the time. Two, the melody is very important, but for me, it has to highlight the message and not distract from it. I have to make sure that I’m finding the best moments to go for those high notes. If I’m crafting the journey of the song from the verses to the chorus to the bridge, I need to tell the story in the best way and convey that emotion.

It’s a bit of a process. That’s part of the reason why I love co-writing and working with other songwriters—because it’s a very collaborative process. Sometimes it’s best to have another brain and another ear in the room saying, “Yes, that is a very high note. It’s very impressive that you can do that, but does it make the most sense at that spot”? Does it bring life to the line, or does it take away from it?” It’s somewhat of a process that I’m slowly getting better at. I think “Sparrow”, between myself and the people that I worked with, I think we were able to nail it.

PC: You definitely did. As you look ahead to the semifinals, how are you planning on building on this momentum? What can fans expect from you?
Jordan: That’s a good question. It’s interesting on a show like this as compared to The Voice. In the semifinals, I will be singing “Sparrow” again on that stage. We’re working now to find new ways in the production and the staging to bring new life to it, to breathe some fresh life into the performance. Vocally, I’m trying to find ways that I can sort of change a few things, so it feels new and fresh, but is still emotional and still telling the story of the song. It’s definitely something that we’re working on and something I’m excited about exploring. It’s not every day that you get to think about presenting the same song in a new way.

The creative team that’s working on the show is incredible. I was mindblown watching everyone’s performance. I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like for audiences to see this semi-final performance. I know for me, personally, the stakes are high. I’m ready to step up and take it to the next level. It’s going to be pretty wild to see what we’re able to create on that stage.

PC: What I love about this show is that it highlights so many incredible songwriters. If you could pick another song of a different contestant that you wish you wrote, which would it be and why?
Jordan: That’s so difficult. It’s special because it highlights the songwriting part. I love American Idol and I love The Voice, but you sometimes walk away going, “Okay, I love their voice, but who are they as an artist? Why do they have to sing?” This show highlights that really beautifully.

If I could have written one other song, off the top of my head, it’d probably be Chloe Frederick’s song. She was in my episode, and I got to see her sing. But when she sings, “I can’t make you love me, wouldn’t wanna make you anyway.” I was like, “Oh my gosh. Her voice is amazing,” but that line specifically is like, “Ooh, so good,” and she got to move on as well. I’m really happy for her. That or Broderick Jones’ song. He’s from Kansas.

PC: You’ve had such an incredible journey in this career, in this industry. Has anything surprised you? Is there a moment that stands out?
Jordan: I’m very much surprised all the time. To be honest, it’s this game that you play where you don’t know what’s going to happen day-to-day. That’s the nature of the industry, especially in the last couple of years with live events being shut down and tours being canceled. You never know what’s going to be coming at you next. Some days, you’re at home with the dogs and your wife, having lunch together and cleaning the house. Then some days, you’re getting phone calls to come and be on a brand new national television singing show. Other days, you’re in an Italian villa with Andrea Bocelli singing in his backyard. You never know what to expect. That has been one of the most stressful, but one of the most beautiful parts of it. I’ve found myself working with some incredible people—sharing the stage and working in the studio with amazing people.

But one of the biggest moments was when I wrote the song “Ashes” for Céline Dion. It was a crazy full-circle moment. She won Eurovision years back. That was a total shocker for me. I would never have imagined that I would have the opportunity to write a song for someone whom I respect and appreciate their gifts so much. She’s one of the top vocalists in the world. That was a huge, huge moment for me.

It’s inspiring. You want to keep writing songs. You want to keep singing. You want to keep pushing forward. Regardless of what happens on American Song Contest, I feel proud of being able to represent Kentucky and being able to share this song. I’m excited to continue creating music, whether it’s for myself or other people, that lifts people up and inspires people. I hope to keep putting myself in positions where I still get to be surprised all the time.

To keep up with Jordan, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music.