Samsung Electronics Australia has announced that UNDSCVRD, one of the world’s earliest TikTok music reality shows, is back for a second season.
The nationwide search for the country’s next up-and-coming recording artist takes place entirely on TikTok, asking undiscovered artists to post and tag their audition videos to get the attention of the show’s producers.
Returning after a run last year with Aussie music icons The Veronicas, this year UNDSVRD will feature global R&B artist Tkay Maidza as mentor. Maidza has had a jam packed year, coming off a recent ARIA win for Best Soul/R&B release, headline tours in Australia and the US, and supporting arena tours for Dua Lipa in Australia and Billie Eilish in the US.
On the return of UNDSCVRD and her involvement in the show, Maidza said, “As someone who benefited from an artist development program, it’s a privilege for me to be able to give back and work with local artists to discover their musical potential.”
“Thanks to Samsung, UNDSCVRD is providing new artists with the opportunity to break into the music industry and I’m extremely excited to be included in that.”
Joining Maidza on UNDSCVRD will be accredited producer and writer James Angus and music video director Sam Evans.
Playing out as a daily documentary on TikTok, UNDSCVRD will showcase the journey of five budding artists as they work together on challenges and find their music identity through the creation of an original music track and accompanying music video.
The four-week vertical video series will be broadcast exclusively on the @UNDSCVRD_artist TikTok channel, with the first episode going live March 2023.
Tkay Maidza will guide and coach each of the contestants, offering insights as they learn the ropes of the music industry and how to put a personal touch on
Samsung Australia’s Garry McGregor, vice president, mobile experience sivision, said, “Our inaugural season of UNDSCVRD received so much love and support for the aspiring artists we have in Australia, we decided to launch a second season to continue nurturing our local musicians.”
“We’re excited to have the incredibly gifted Tkay Maidza join us as a mentor for season two, where she will support contestants as they develop their personal sound. It will be inspiring to see more hidden music gems unearthed through this experience.”
Each episode will be crafted to give the contestants a taste of the real world, including tips and tricks to cut through on TikTok.
The final TikTok episode will consist of a live concert in front of music industry executives and influencers, with performances from each of the contestants as well as Tkay Maidza.
Afterwards, each artist will have the opportunity to release their original single alongside a music video produced as part of the UNDSCVRD series, with the winner going on to record a five-track EP.
Auditions for UNDSCVRD are open from December 14 until 2 January 2023, with the final contestants announced on 10 January 2023.
To enter the competition, entrants can use the tags @UNDSCVRD_artist and #UNDSCVRD in a video on TikTok. Entries may include newly uploaded content or add these tags to existing videos of a performance.
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Top image: Tkay Maidza