‘American Idol’ Standout Zachariah Smith Shares Behind-The-Scenes Studio Footage For Debut Single, ‘American Grace’
Smith is taking fans into the studio for the making of “American Grace.”
Zachariah Smith; Photo via YouTube
Standout American Idol contestant Zachariah Smith is giving fans an exclusive glimpse into the making of his debut single, “American Grace.”
The talented singer/songwriter recently released a behind-the-scenes video from the studio, showcasing the creative process behind the track that has caught the attention of fans across the country.
In the just-released clip, fans get a behind-the-scenes look at the Mississippi native’s time in the studio as he brings the song to life at The Sound Factory in Los Angeles, California with producers Oak Felder of Oak for the Orphanage & Lucian Nagy.
Watch
“American Grace” was released by Zachariah Smith in mid-May. The song was co-written by Jesse Frasure, AJ Babcock and Alex Hall.
An Anthem
The tune finds the American Idol Top 5 finalist telling the story of a kid turning to music during the happiest of times as well as life’s most difficult moments.
“Oh, oh, God bless it / Oh, oh, let it play / In every hometown, the heartbeat pounds / To the sound of American Grace / How sweet the sound of American Grace,” Smith sings on the chorus of the spirited track.
Throughout the song, Zachariah Smith allows his southern-rock-leaning vocals to shine vibrantly over an energy-filled rock instrumental.
“This song is so cool in a lot of ways, but my favorite is that it sounds like an anthem. ‘American Grace’ is my anthem,” Smith admitted. \
First-Ever Original Song
Ahead of the tune’s release, Zachariah Smith took to social media to share a clip talking about his first-ever original song.
“To record my own song has been a dream come true,” Smith shared. ”I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time and for me to be able to come out here and record my own single and make my own music is just really, really cool. So, it’s a once in lifetime [experience] and I’m forever grateful.”
He also detailed his favorite lyric in “American Grace.”
“My favorite line in this song is the second verse, it says ‘folks are fighting downstairs, but the guitar’s there’ to help me get away from it all,” he explained. “If I was just going through a hard time in life I knew my guitar was always there to be able to take me to a different place.”
“This song is an anthem… [It] is pounding on the hearts of the American people. This song means unity [and] this is a powerful song,” Smith added.
His Journey Came To An End
After the song’s release, Smith’s American Idol journey came to an end.
Zachariah Smith took to social media with an emotional video to bid farewell to American Idol after making it into the Top 5 alongside Iam Tongi, Megan Danielle, Colin Stough and We Ani.
“I didn’t want to make a too complicated video [and] I thought about doing it and I wasted time doing it. I don’t want to waste any more time [and] I just want to get straight to the point,” Smith began. “First off, I want to thank you guys. You guys have got me to the top five and that is absolutely insane. And keep in mind, this is just a TV show. I get it. A lot of y’all are upset right now. Some of y’all are just disappointed that the votes didn’t go through like you thought they would. And sometimes it happens. But honestly, this is just a TV show. It helped me grow my platform.”
“I’ve got to meet a lot of new people and I’ve gained a lot of new fans that I didn’t have before this. So thank you guys so much for your support,” he added.
Zachariah Smith auditioned for Idol with John Mellencamp’s hit, “Hurts So Good,” where America immediately fell in love with his voice and story.
Following his audition, Perry told him, “Oh no!” Perry exclaimed. “You’re not flipping no burger!”
The 19-year-old couldn’t contain his excitement as he questioned, “I don’t have to flip burgers anymore?” He had a huge smile across his face as the judges laughed.
Re-Live His Audition
His audition earned a “yes” from all three judges and he ultimately advanced to Hollywood, which led him all the way to the Top 5 where his time on Idol came to an end.
Throughout the competition, he has also covered Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing,” Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” Little Richard’s “Lucille,” Foreigner’s “Cold As Ice,” Isaac Brown’s “Body Roll Boys,” Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive,” Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic,” Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” Toto’s “Hold The Line,” Electric Light Orchestra’s “Don’t Bring Me Down,” Rascal Flatts’ “Life Is A Highway” and more.
For more information on Zachariah Smith, visit his official website HERE.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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